That's Fit

The U.S. Senate is expected to vote today on a Medicare package that includes a two-year extension on the Special Diabetes Programs.

According to the American Diabetes Association, these programs at the National Institutes of Heath and the Indian Health Service represent a major portion of the government's commitment to find a cure for diabetes. Earlier this week, the House voted 355-59 in support of the bill.

Despite the resounding support, now is not the time to let up on pressure to pass this legislation. Now is the time, however, to let your Senator know prevention of and finding a cure for diabetes should be a financial priority with the federal government for the sake of human health, as well as our ailing economy. Treatment and a cure will cost money, but denying crucial funding would be penny wise and pound foolish. That's my two cents for today.

I am happy for October and the overflow of breast cancer awareness packed into each of the month's 31 days. But I'm always a bit relieved when these days come to an end. It means I can get back to living, free of the bombardment of facts of figures, and cutesy slogans, and of all things pink.

I'm lucky to be surviving breast cancer and not another form of cancer. Breast cancer gets attention, funding, programming, and lots of great press. But it makes me feel selfish, spoiled, like I'm hogging too many of the resources that could be spread around to others doing battle with their own deadly diseases.

Where are the other awareness months? Actually, there are a few -- March is the National Colorectal Awareness Month, September is the Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month, May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month -- but we don't know much about them because people aren't shouting from the rafters about these critical causes, like they are about breast cancer.

London Fashion Week may prove quite a disaster this year unless event planners comply with new regulations requiring models to produce health certificates proving they don't have eating disorders and ensuring girls aged 16 to 18 are chaperoned. If these provisions are not made, financial backers may pull their funding.

London's fashion industry was put under fire recently by Beat, the UK's leading eating disorders association. Many say it's important to keep the pressure on the industry -- for the models whose health depends on it and for consumers who need to know the fashion industry is not exploiting anyone as they market products.

What do you say? A step in the right direction? Or a catwalk catastrophe in the making?