That's Fit

Here I thought Cosmo was all about sex, seduction, and giving men what they really want. Not so. The magazine also dishes out a lesson or two on health. Right now on its website is a whole how-to piece on giving your skin a monthly once-over in the name of cancer prevention.

In addition to an annual dermatologist screening, you should be following these simple steps. Find something suspicious? Report it to your doc right away.

• Start at the bottoms of your feet and work your way up your legs, torso, back, and arms. Carefully examine every mole and mark. Don't forget to look at your nails and hair. Look underneath every strand of hair. If you need to, use a blow-dryer to part the hair.
• Look for ABCD – asymmetry (one side doesn't match the other), a jagged border, a color that is not brown or contains more than one color within one mark, and/or a diameter larger than a quarter inch.
  
• Document the description of any spot and its location so you can tell your doctor.

My two cents: Have a partner check out hard-to-see areas and consider using a digital camera to capture your spots. Save them on your computer and compare each month's photos.

National Women's Health Week kicks off on Mother's Day with the purpose of empowering women to get healthy by taking action. Your health should be a major priority, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health has a few steps designed to help you achieve that. Businesses, government, and health organizations across the United States, hopefully near you, will be taking part in this event.

Objectives of the week are designed to teach women the benefits of:

• Engaging in physical activity most days of the week
• Making healthy food choices
• Visiting a health care provider to receive regular check-ups and preventive screenings
• Avoiding risky behaviors, like smoking and not wearing a seat belt

NBC's Biggest Loser contestant Julie learned last night that she's lost 12 inches off her waist. Neil has lost the equivalent of 3.5 water jugs full of fat. Isabeau, pre-diabetic when she first arrived at the Biggest Loser campus 12 weeks ago, now has the best insulin of all remaining contestants. Bill, whose hypertension was once uncontrolled, now has good blood pressure. Bryan's cholesterol now reads 176 -- it was 279 three months ago. Nicole has lost 74 pounds of hydrated fat. And Hollie has lost more area in her hips than any of her Loser counterparts.

WOW. This crew has made amazing strides. It hasn't been easy. They've worked and worked and then worked some more. But the means to their ends are no mystery. They've done it through diet and exercise alone. Plain and simple.

Inspired by the accomplishments of these Biggest Losers? To learn more about how exactly they've cut the fat and to keep up with their progress, mosey on over to this website.