Sept. 24, 2010
** Editor's Note: Introducing ... ProfNet Connect
Expert Alerts:
1. Health: Despite Affordable Care Act Provisions, Insurance Won't Make Employees Healthier
2. Health: Employers, Insurers Convene to Tackle Obesity
3. Health: The Demand for Purified Water is an Opportunity and a Challenge
4. Nutrition: Healthy Family Eating Doesn't Need to Be a Chore
5. Parenting: Don't Become a Bully to Fight Bullies
6. Photography: Better Children's Photos Are Just a Click Away
** EDITOR'S NOTE: INTRODUCING ... PROFNET CONNECT. Many of you have used ProfNet's Experts Database at one time or another to find expert sources. We're pleased to announce that we have moved the Experts Database onto our new, interactive online community, ProfNet Connect. With ProfNet Connect (http://prnewswire.com/profnetconnect), you can search tens of thousands of expert profiles and user-generated content, including videos, audio, photos, forums, blogs and more. These added profile elements and the improved search functionality are sure to help you quickly find the right experts for your article. To find an expert via ProfNet Connect, just log on to ProfNet as usual and click on the "Search Experts" tab – you will be redirected to ProfNet Connect without having to register or log in separately. (Note: The ProfNet query service remains unchanged. You can still submit queries to distribute to our members via our query feed e-mail. ProfNet Connect simply replaces the Experts Database and adds additional layers of information you may find helpful when looking for sources.) Ready to give it a try? Log on to ProfNet at http://www.profnet.com and click on "Search Experts." Questions? Drop us a line at [email protected] Need to submit a query? Go to http://budurl.com/profnetquery
EXPERT ALERTS:
**1. HEALTH: DESPITE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT PROVISIONS, INSURANCE ALONE WON'T MAKE EMPLOYEES HEALTHIER. Sean Forbes, president of Virgin HealthMiles: "Our federal government is attempting to force broader access to the current supply of health services, but not addressing what's driving dramatic increases in demand. Unmanaged, preventable health care costs are rising at more than 10 percent annually and represent one of the largest drains on corporate income statements. We need to be proactive in our avoidance of future preventable claims costs. Effectively structured and implemented employee preventative health programs are proven to drive down health care costs by eliminating the precursors of chronic conditions before they develop; and they create healthier, happier and more productive employees. But unless we shift our focus to a data-driven, actively managed approach to prevention, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that has so bitterly divided our country will risk being minimally effective at best, or fail outright at the hands of unsustainable entitlement costs driven by preventable claims." Forbes is located in Boston. News Contact: Kathy Wilson, [email protected] Phone: +1-781-652-0499
**2. HEALTH: EMPLOYERS, INSURERS CONVENE TO TACKLE OBESITY. Christine Ferguson, J.D., co-chair of the Fifth Annual Obesity and Wellness Congress and director of the STOP Obesity Alliance, is available to offer insight on important topics that will be featured at the upcoming Congress in Washington, D.C., including the fallout of incentives and the importance of including prevention and intervention in obesity treatments: "Many of us spend at least eight hours a day, five days a week at work -- more time than we spend anywhere else. Pair that with recent statistics that show a great majority of us spend those hours in offices sitting at desks, being sedentary and staring at computers all day, and it's not hard to see why the numbers of overweight and obese adults in America have reached epidemic proportions. The workplace can play a big role in solving the obesity epidemic, according to a recent STOP Obesity Alliance survey, which found 92 percent of employers at larger companies and eight out of 10 employees, no matter their weight, said weight management programs belong at work." Ferguson is located in Washington, D.C. News Contact: Kimberly D. Wise, [email protected] Phone: +1-202-609-6015
**3. HEALTH: THE DEMAND FOR PURIFIED WATER IS AN OPPORTUNITY AND A CHALLENGE. Alan Leff, Ph.D. and VP of quality and production for Primo Water Corporation, is an expert in water quality, purification processes, reverse osmosis and bottled water: "Child-health advocates are urging parents to avoid sodas and send water to school with their kids. Many of those parents choose bottled water because they're picky about how it tastes, but there is no healthier beverage choice than water. An Associated Press investigation last year found school drinking water in almost 30 states contained lead and other toxins. Many states cannot afford to fix the old plumbing blamed for much of the contamination. The demand for purified water is an opportunity and a challenge: how to serve responsible parents who want purified water for their children and still address the growing problem of plastic in landfills, roads and waterways." News Contact: Jay Rickerts, [email protected] Phone: +1-336-724-1766
**4. NUTRITION: HEALTHY FAMILY EATING DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A CHORE. Robyn Flipse, a New York metro-area registered dietitian, can give practical advice on how families on-the-go can achieve healthy eating without depriving themselves of well-loved treats such as pizza, chips and soda. She can also provide tips to incorporate exercise into a hectic schedule: "In my practice, I work with parents and kids striving to overcome obstacles to stay on the healthy track. Many kids are running from school to sports and extracurricular activities, and it's a challenge to incorporate healthy foods. I help my clients plan and understand sensible nutrition for each member of the family, including tasty meals that allow for the occasional treat, like a sugary drink or ice cream for dessert. Sensible eating and exercise don't need to be chores." Flipse has spent her career in dietetics as a counselor, teacher, writer, media spokesperson and consultant to the food and beverage industry. She has become an important resource for easy-to-understand nutrition information and user-friendly suggestions to help make good eating habits part of daily living. During her more than 25-year career, she has contributed to many publications, has become a member of three specialty practice groups of the American Dietetic Association, and has served as a media representative for both the New Jersey Dietetic Association and the American Academy of Family Physicians. News Contact: Amy Schneiderman, [email protected] Phone: +1-212.462.8730
**5. PARENTING: DON'T BECOME A BULLY TO FIGHT BULLIES. Bobbi DePorter, founder of SuperCamp life-skills and academic summer-enrichment programs, says last week's incident in which a father threatened the bullies of his disabled daughter points to a problem -- parents taking matters into their own hands: "Bullying is reaching epidemic proportions. Kids bully other kids. Parents bully their own kids. And now, parents are bullying other kids. Parents are role models for their children and they have a responsibility to model positive behavior and values. Combine this with conversations about their family's values, and it can make real change." DePorter is the author of more than a dozen books, including, "The Seven Biggest Teen Problems and How to Turn Them into Strengths (An Insider's Look at What Works with Teens)." She is based in Oceanside, Calif., near San Diego. News Contact: Michelle Tennant, [email protected] Phone: +1-828-749-3200
**6. PHOTOGRAPHY: BETTER CHILDREN'S PHOTOS ARE JUST A CLICK AWAY. Tamara Lackey, acclaimed lifestyle and children's photographer, best-selling author of "The Art of Children's Portrait Photography," and creator of the DVD and book, "Capturing Life through (Better) Photography," offers parents a handful of simple tips and tricks to help them capture their children beautifully using only a point-and-shoot digital camera. Translating nearly a decade of professional experience into easy suggestions for the "everyday" photographer, Lackey's tips will help parents improve on what they are already doing with their digital camera to help them get the very best out of every possible snapshot: "I am a parent and I know what it is like to experience those once-in-a-lifetime family moments and to want to capture them perfectly. My tips and tricks are designed to help parents preserve those moments as they happen and as they should be remembered, and to give them more confidence in their creativity. Examples include using silly expressions instead of 'Cheese!' to get children to smile, having kids mimic their parents to transform picture time into a fun game, and choosing a photo-taking location that reflects the child's personality (e.g., a bustling street or a quiet park)." Lackey is available to offer tips to best capture kids, whether it be on the soccer field, in the school play or bringing home that first A-plus homework assignment: Lackey: [email protected] Phone: +1-619-234-0345
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/PRNewswire -- Sept. 24/
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