Issue Date: March 19, 2006
Summer camps for the family
Instead of sending your kids away to camp this summer, why not tag along with them? Almost 600 camps for kids now welcome moms and dads, according to the American Camp Association. The group claims it's one of the fastest-growing vacation trends, increasing by 108% since 1997.
For at least one week every summer, these camps have family-designated time where you can expect counselor-supervised activities in the morning and afternoon. Some may offer separate activities for parents, but the real draw is togetherness in a safe, old-fashioned family environment, with an emphasis on traditional outdoor pursuits and lots of supervised activities.
But remember, these are camps, not resorts. Your lodging might be a tent or a rustic cabin. Some camps offer private bathrooms, but most have central bathroom facilities. Meals typically are served cafeteria- or family-style in a central dining hall, although some camps have cabins that are equipped with kitchens.
As for the cost of taking your whole family to camp, it's often less than what a resort would charge and is usually all-inclusive, covering your meals, activities and accommodations. To locate a family camp for you, visit the American Camp Association website at campparents.org.
Everett Potter is an award-winning travel writer in suburban New York.
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Overwhelmed? Call a concierge
Great news for time-strapped parents: Help is here. A growing number of services such as Kiddie Concierge in Alexandria, Va., can arrange play dates, research the best ballet classes and pick up little Johnny -- as well as the dry cleaning and dinner -- for about $20 an hour.
But if hiring help isn't an option, some companies will foot the bill for employees or even customers to take advantage. These perks are "non-traditional benefits" more employers are offering to attract and keep people, says Elizabeth Gross of Circles, a national concierge service company.
At Oakland Kaiser Medical Center in California, concierges help staffers juggle work/family obligations. And at 1522 on the Lake condominiums in Milwaukee, the residential concierge can plan building residents' weekend activities. Even at my local mall in Baltimore, I discovered that Charm City Concierge picks out birthday gifts for my son's friends better than I ever could. You already may have access to complimentary concierge services -- through your credit cards, in your office building -- so ask around.
ParentSmart Photo: Longview/Getty Images
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Self-image matters
Although you might seem to be more likely to work on changing your body if you're not happy with it, there is no evidence to show that's true down the line.
"Research shows people who feel good about themselves take better care of themselves," says Christy Greenleaf, assistant professor in the department of kinesiology, health promotion and recreation at the University of North Texas. "People of all sizes should focus on health and feeling good, as opposed to on weight loss, in order to stick with a fitness routine in the long run."
It works both ways: If you feel better about yourself, then you treat yourself well; if you're physically active, self-image improves. How to improve a poor self-image? Try starting with "The Body Image Workbook: An 8-Step Program for Learning to Like Your Looks," by Thomas F. Cash. It includes exercises to change body perception so you can hit the road to fitness.
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Too much dessert increases cancer odds
Overeating cookies, cake, chocolate, ice cream, jam and other sweets may boost a woman's odds of breast cancer nearly 20%, finds a new Italian study.
The possible reason: Sugary foods and concentrated carbohydrates raise blood sugar, insulin and insulin-like growth factors (hormones thought to promote breast cancer). Insulin also stimulates production of estrogen that ups risk of breast cancer. High insulin is associated with pancreatic cancer, too.
The greatest breast cancer risk was for women who ate the most calories, says Italian research. Other recent research finds that being overweight or obese also hikes risk of cancers of the colon, prostate and pancreas.
Scientific Sources
Insulin and cancer
Stolzenberg-Solomon, JAMA, Dec. 13, 05
Calories and breast cancer risk
Tavani A., Annals of Oncology online, 2005 Oct. 25
Overweight and colon cancer risk
Moore LL, Int J Obes Relat Metab Disorder 2004 (4): 559-67
Overweight and prostate cancer risk
Bassett WW, Urology 2005(5): 1060-5
Overweight and pancreatic cancer risk
Larsson SC. Br. ĘCancer, 2005 ;93(11): 1310-5
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