Untitled Document

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Good morning! Here's today's summary of news coverage of Auburn University.
NOTE: Any errors in text are due to formatting by the publication.

Total Clips: 9

	Date	Outlet
Keeter to join AU staff as director of public affairs	09/14/2006	Opelika-Auburn News
Darden House becomes wellness center	09/14/2006	Opelika-Auburn News
Officials restrict shoal bass fishing	09/14/2006	Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
Aquaculture key to filling seafood needs	09/14/2006	Press-Register Online
T-shirts, lemons and toilet paper	09/14/2006	Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
AU Announces Staff changes	09/14/2006	WRBL-TV Channel 3
USA President Moulton responds to letter on earmarking	09/14/2006	Press Register
Two years after Ivan, old Alabama beach park hotel to be razed	09/13/2006	Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
Reducing sodium, good start	09/13/2006	Atmore Advance


Keeter to join AU staff as director of public affairs 09/14/2006 Opelika-Auburn News Staff Report		Return to Top
Brian C. Keeter will join Auburn University as director of public affairs effective Monday. Keeter comes to Auburn from the U.S. Department of Transportation where he has served as the Federal Highway Administration's associate administrator for public affairs since 2004. In that position, Keeter developed and implemented communication strategies for the federal agency and served as its spokesman. "We're pleased that Brian has decided to return to Auburn and direct the university's public affairs efforts," said AU President Ed Richardson. "We were looking for someone with a very special set of skills coupled with an extensive knowledge of Auburn, and Brian possesses both. With the experience and knowledge that he brings to the position, he will be a very valuable member of the Auburn team." Keeter earned his bachelor's degree in communications from Auburn and also holds a master's in mass communications from the University of South Carolina and an Advanced Public Relations Professional Certificate from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining the highway administration, Keeter was a vice president with Powell Tate/Weber Shandwick Public Affairs in Washington, D.C., for four years. "We are looking forward to having Brian join us here at Auburn," said Deedie Dowdle, AU's executive director of Communications and Marketing. "Though he will work out of the president's office, he will certainly be a valuable asset to the university's coordinated communications, focusing on key presidential communications that will complement the campus-wide efforts." OCM will continue to oversee the broad-based electronic communications, publications, creative, marketing, broadcasting, advertising, news writing and dissemination, promotions, events and editing services for the campus.In another move, David Granger, currently AU's media relations manager, is leaving the main campus after nine years to accept a position of assistant to the chancellor at Auburn University Montgomery, effective Oct. 1. "I’m extremely pleased to have someone of David's competence and experience joining Auburn University at Montgomery's leadership team," said AUM Chancellor John Veres. "David will be instrumental in informing the communities we serve about the many exciting AUM and joint AU-AUM initiatives we are currently undertaking. He'll be a considerable asset to our efforts in the years ahead." "This opportunity is a terrific one for David and we are very happy for him," said Dowdle. "Although this office will sorely miss his day-to-day skills, he will continue to work from time to time with us to increase collaboration between AU and AUM on communications activities, bringing the campuses closer and expanding the good news we both have to share."
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Darden House becomes wellness center 09/14/2006 Opelika-Auburn News Tamiko Lowery		Return to Top
This story includes how AU is involved in the operation of the wellness center. While the clean lines and architectural integrity of the historic J.W. Darden House in Opelika gives motorists a glimpse of Southern charm, foundation board members say it is more than just a pretty facade. What was once the former home of the area's first black physician has since turned into the J.W. Darden Community Wellness Center. "It seems fitting that the home of such a well-known physician has become a place of wellness," said Lee Wilkins, chair of the health and wellness committee and Darden Foundation board member. Still in its infancy, the J.W. Darden Community Wellness Center at 1323 Auburn St. in Opelika will not be open on a daily basis but instead host special health care events such as an upcoming Health Fair Sept. 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., where area residents are welcome to voice their health care concerns and take advantage of free health care screenings. Since the Health Fair at Darden House is free to the public and estimated to cost $8,000, a healthcare fundraiser is set for Sunday at 2 p.m. at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church on South Uniroyal Road in Opelika. Area gospel choirs will come together to perform in concert fashion. The East Alabama Medical Center Mass Choir, Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Choir and the Greater Peace Baptist Church Choir will take center stage with the Bryant Sisters and Soloist Nigel Andrews, who will also serve as master of ceremonies. DVDs and VHS tapes of the concert will be sold at the event. Marianne Baker, an EAMC Parish Nurse and Darden Foundation board member, helped coordinate the concert. "We are just so thankful that the faith community is really pulling together to support the Darden Wellness Center," Baker said. "All the proceeds from this concert will help the Darden Wellness Center continue to offer health screens and education to the community." Although there's no cost to attend the concert, a "love offering" will be welcome. Renovated over the past few years, the Darden House has become a historic marker that once housed a visionary man. "Dr. and Mrs. Darden would be happy to see their home once again used to improve the health of people in the community," said Dr. Yvonne Brown-Phillips, director of the J.W. Darden Foundation. "This will carry on their legacy of caring for the community." Major partners of the health fair include the J.W. Darden Foundation, EAMC and Auburn University. "We just wouldn't be able to provide this service without our partners - EAMC and Auburn University," Brown-Phillips said. "Both have supported the Darden House since the renovation phase, and we are grateful for their support as we start the Wellness Center." The wellness center idea began in 2005 after a group of AU social worker students canvassed the neighborhood surrounding Darden House to assess health care needs. After an overwhelming response by residents, wheels started turning toward wellness. "Our goal is to have it open three days a week if not five days," Wilkins said. "We have a lot of plans for Darden. We want it to be used daily. We're just not there yet. For now, we plan to have a men's health fair and a women's health fair soon and in-between fairs, we'll offer free health care seminars once or twice a month." Baker says healthy living begins at home. "If we can teach parents about proper health care, they can teach their children and so on and so on," she said. "There are people out there who don't even know they need to go see a doctor. There is a lack of education about healthcare. We want to focus on preventative care. The more they know, the better they’'l be prepared to deal with heart attacks and diabetes." A variety of healthcare screenings will be offered at the Health Fair including cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and bone density. Free health care information will also be available on quitting smoking, cancer, HIV/AIDS, oral health, foot health and Sickle cell disease. Spanish-speaking translators will be on hand to communicate vital health care information. "While we cannot provide comprehensive medical care at the Darden Wellness Center, it is our hope that through regular screenings, people will be better able to manage conditions they may have, such as high blood pressure and diabetes," Wilkins said. "Some conditions are preventable as well, so we will be providing information on how to reduce the risk of diabetes, hypertension, stroke, HIV and more." AU nursing students will administer cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar screenings at the Health Fair while AU pharmacy students will check for bone density. The Opelika Lions Club will conduct vision screenings, the AU Speech and Hearing Clinic will test for hearing and a LifeSouth Bloodmobile will be anchored for blood donations. Antique cars and activities for children will also be available at the Health Fair. Wilkins pointed out that Alabama ranks second in the nation for obese adults and seventh for obese children. "Healthy eating habits and exercise are important for the overall well-being of both children and adults," Wilkins said. For more information about the Health Fair, call Wilkins at 528-2097 or Brown-Phillips at 745-5870. For concert fundraising information call Marianne Baker at 524-6404.
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Officials restrict shoal bass fishing 09/14/2006 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer BRYAN BRASHER		Return to Top
This story mentions the AU's partnership with the Ala. Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources in a conservation project. The list of places on earth where you can find a unique fish species known as the shoal bass is limited to a handful of secluded areas in Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Conservation officials in Alabama don't want that list to get any shorter -- so they're about to hang a great big off-limits sign on the beautiful olive-colored fish. Beginning Oct. 1, the harvest of shoal bass will be prohibited in all Alabama waters, including the Chattahoochee River and its tributaries. Anglers will still be allowed to target the fish, but live specimens must be handled with great care and released immediately. 'The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources partnered with Auburn University to do some studies on shoal bass populations in these Chattahoochee tributaries,' said Doug Darr, aquatic education coordinator for Alabama DCNR. 'What they found is that in places where shoal bass were once common, their numbers have decreased dramatically. That's the reason for this new regulation.' What is a shoal bass? Though similar in shape to the more common largemouth bass, shoal bass have a distinctive coloration that varies from dark olive green to light green on their backs, with white bellies and 10 to 15 dark blotches along each side of their bodies. Shoal bass are known as 'habitat specialists' because they require rock shoals and swift water to survive. Shoalies are native only to Alabama, Georgia and Florida in the Chattahoochee, Flint and Apalachicola river drainages. 'A lot of people probably don't realize that these fish are found in these few places and nowhere else,' Darr said. 'That makes them special. It certainly makes them well worth protecting.' A majority of the natural shoal habitat has been lost along the main stem of the Chattahoochee River because of the construction of dams for hydropower and commercial navigation. Therefore, most of the remaining shoal habitat is in the river's remote tributaries -- the kind of tributaries common on the Alabama side of the Chattahoochee from the River Bend area north to the upper end of West Point Lake. Because shoal bass are hard to reach and not particularly prized as a food fish, Alabama conservation officials believe a low number of the fish are being harvested for consumption. That means the rule may have a greater effect on tournament bass anglers who have always practiced catch-and-release with shoalies. Weigh-in wows Competitive bass anglers have gone to great lengths to reach shoal bass in the past, often making 30-mile runs upriver from tournaments held out of Lakepoint State Park in Eufaula, Ala. Some have gone as far as buying jet boats to pursue shoal bass in secluded creeks that are too shallow for standard bass boats. Despite the supposed low numbers of shoal bass in these areas, the results have often been eye-popping. In 1997, professional angler O.T. Fears III made the trek up river during a major tournament on Lake Eufaula and brought back a five-fish limit of shoal bass that weighed more than 25 pounds from the rock shoals on the Phenix City side. Tournament officials weren't immediately certain what the fish were and debated for several minutes before finally allowing Fears to weigh in his catch. In 2002, Phenix City angler Joe Wikoff landed a 6-pound, 9-ounce shoal bass that still stands as the lake record on Lake Eufaula. Wikoff and his son Shawn have routinely brought in big shoal bass to anchor their catch in tournaments on the Chattahoochee River. But the days of shoal bass wowing the crowds at weigh-ins in Alabama are about to be over -- at least for a while. 'Right now, there doesn't seem to be a problem with the shoal bass population in Georgia waters,' Darr said. 'But when you talk about the Columbus/Phenix City area, you're sort of walking a tightrope. 'Fishermen need to remember that it will be illegal to possess a shoal bass in Alabama -- no matter where the fish is caught. If you're fishing a tournament out of Eufaula and you travel up river to catch a shoal bass in Georgia waters, you still can't bring that fish to the weigh-in.' Temporary ban State conservation officials like Darr are hopeful that the regulation will be temporary. Alabama DCNR plans to catch brood fish from the Flint River this fall in hopes of raising shoal bass fingerlings at state hatcheries during the spring. If the project is successful, thousands of shoal bass ranging in size from 6 to 8 inches will be stocked at various Alabama shoals and monitored for several years. Once these populations become self-sustaining, the no-harvest regulation will be lifted. Darr said the overall health of the shoal bass population on the Chattahoochee River could also be helped greatly by the much-talked-about Riverfront Development Project in the Columbus/Phenix City area. By breaching the small dams that interrupt the river's flow between the two cities, new prime habitat for shoal bass could be created, Darr said. 'Historically, shoal bass were quite common in those areas before the river was impounded,' he said. 'There is no reason to think they wouldn't be again once those dams are removed or breached.'
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Aquaculture key to filling seafood needs 09/14/2006 Press-Register Online		Return to Top
Story contributed by P.J. Waters,extension aquaculture assistant with AU Marine Extension and Research Center. Aquaculture key to filling seafood needs Grown vs. caught fish, shrimp and oyster supplies are growing to meet demand Wednesday, September , 006 How much fish and other seafood do you eat a year? If you answered 'a lot,' you are not alone. The average American now consumes as much as 6.6 pounds of seafood every year. This average has been on the increase for years and shows no real signs of slowing down. Why should it? Fish and shellfish are a very healthy protein source -- most everyone agrees on this -- and it tastes good. Have you ever wondered where it comes from, or where it might come from in the future as this demand grows? Aquaculture is a likely option. The term 'aquaculture' has been increasingly used, but what does it mean? In general, it indicates an aquatic animal (fish, shellfish, etc.) was farm-raised or grown as opposed to caught in the wild. Examples of products that are grown include catfish, salmon, clams, oysters and shrimp. Both freshwater (aquaculture) and saltwater (mariculture) animals can be and are grown for the food market. More than percent of the global fish and seafood supply are from aquaculture. Where are these farms you may ask? They are all over the world. Look at the label next time you are at the market, it will tell you. Much of it is imported into the U.S. Some estimates show that Americans import 70 percent of all the seafood they eat, and of this 0 percent is farm raised. Trade deficit is another common term, and, in the case of seafood, we import $8 billion more than we export every year. With the growing demand for aquatic protein sources not only in this country but around the world, as much as 0 million additional tons are thought to be needed in the next years. Aquaculture will be a key supply source to fill this demand. It is already playing a significant role as a seafood source around the globe. With proper management practices that are vital to the future of aquaculture, it can provide consumers with an additional source of aquatic protein that is produced both efficiently and in an environmentally friendly manner. (P.J. Waters is an extension aquaculture assistant with Auburn University Marine Extension and Research Center. Sea Grant writers may be contacted at 8-690.)
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T-shirts, lemons and toilet paper 09/14/2006 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer Larry Gierer		Return to Top
Sitting at the front desk in the Auburn University student union, sophomore Marquez Hughey can see a nearby drop box filling up. It's one way he knows that this Saturday's football battle against LSU is not just another game. "That's for those trying to sell tickets. Auburn students love football, but they love money, too," he said, smiling. But it's not the only way the microbiology major knows that this is no Mississippi State game. "Everyone just seems excited," he said. "You can hear the students talking about all the parties and making all kinds of plans. We're getting a lot of calls from non-students wanting to find out stuff like where to park. It's more calls than usual." Some of those folks might be reporters. Kirk Sampson, Auburn's assistant athletics director for media relations, knows it's a big game because 500 press credentials have been issued, some 150 more than for the season opener against Washington State. Among those expected to attend the fight between No. 3 Auburn and No. 6 LSU are the Washington Post, New York Times and Boston Globe. "We're full," Sampson said. Other Auburn folks have their ways of knowing the difference between a big game and just another contest. Tiger Rags is a store popular with Auburn students and alumni that carries a wide variety of Tiger paraphernalia. Among the merchandise the business offers is a special T-shirt for each home game produced in its back shop. "People have been asking for the LSU shirt since last week," said store manager Trilbey Walker, a graduate of Pacelli in Columbus. This week's shirt shows Auburn's mascot Aubie cooking an LSU Tiger on a grill. The front says "Today's Special: Feline Mignon." The back reads "Get In My Belly." "We're doing about 1,000 of them," she said. And how many for next week's contest with Buffalo? "Probably a lot less," she laughed. The ideas for the shirts are decided at a summer brainstorming session, the staff meeting with Mike Lester, an artist from Rome, Ga. But shirt requests aren't the only way Walker measures the size of a game. "When it's a big game like this, you get all kinds of calls requesting a shirt they saw a coach wear or whatever. Sales skyrocket. That includes online." One fan checking out the T-shirts Wednesday was Auburn accountant Elizabeth Talley. "There's just something about a big game like LSU," Talley said. "Personally, I can just feel it in the air. People like to drive by the practice field." Including Talley. Tiger Rags isn't the only Auburn store looking forward to Saturday's game. A popular spot for many an Auburn fan is Toomer's Drugs, where the soda fountain sells fresh lemonade. Michael Overstreet, Toomer's manager, said he's ordered 40 cases of lemons for the weekend, and figures all of the 4,600 lemons will be gone by Monday. "This is a big one," he said. "You just can't go anywhere in Auburn without talking football and this game." Trey Johnston certainly can't. His family has owned Johnston and Malone Bookstore since 1953. He is a 1979 Auburn graduate. He was asked whether the LSU game that has become so important each year has surpassed other big rivals like Georgia and, of course, Alabama. "No," he replied, "but they have developed a huge rivalry of their own. Now, this is a game everyone gets excited about each year." No matter where he goes, he said, people will say, "Hey, Tiger man, what's going to happen?" "In this case," Johnston said, laughing, "I tell them I know a Tiger will win. I hope the Auburn Tiger." As the RVs begin to pull into the city Wednesday evening, Johnston knows his business will begin to pick up steadily. "I've already told my staff to get their game faces on." His store will close for the game, reopening that night only if Auburn wins. "If we lose, everyone will be mad and just mess the place up," he said. Cleaning stuff up is a big part of Lee Scott's job. An Auburn graduate, she is a landscaper working with the school. She was spreading mulch Wednesday around the base of trees that, if Auburn wins Saturday, will be filled with toilet paper, a school tradition. "The mulch is good for the trees," she said, "but most of all, it makes it look pretty. We like to have everything looking nice when a big football crowd is coming here." She will be performing various tasks over the next couple of days and said her job will get tougher. "For a game like this, a lot of people come early and mill around. The more people, the more difficulty," Scott said. "But I love it. Football's a religion here and I'm a believer. The excitement over a big game like this -- you can just feel it."
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AU Announces Staff changes 09/14/2006 WRBL-TV Channel 3 Staff		Return to Top
There are some staff changes coming at Auburn University. Brian C. Keeter will join Auburn University as director of public affairs, effective Monday, Sept. 18, according to a release from the university Wednesday. Keeter is coming to Auburn from the U.S. Department of Transportation. At the DOT, Keeter has served as the federal highway administration's associate administrator for public affairs since 2004. In another move, AU's media relations manager David Granger is leaving the main campus after nine years. On Oct. 1, Granger will step into a new role as the assistant to the chancellor at Auburn University at Montgomery.
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USA President Moulton responds to letter on earmarking 09/14/2006 Press Register Sean Reilly, Washington Bureau		Return to Top
AU is mentioned in this story about earmarked funding. WASHINGTON -- In a recent letter, University of South Alabama President Gordon Moulton implicitly defended the school's reliance on paid lobbyists to seek congressionally "earmarked" money but failed to specifically answer most of the questions posed by U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., about the practice. USA was among 113 colleges and universities nationally from which Coburn had sought detailed information on their quests for earmarked projects and what those projects -- often labeled "pork" by detractors -- have accomplished. Among a half-dozen questions, Coburn asked for a list of all appropriations received since 2000, what each of those appropriations had accomplished and how each school set standards to achieve "quality" results. Coburn, who chairs a federal financial management subcommittee, made the request in late July. In Alabama, Auburn University and the three University of Alabama campuses were also asked to provide information. In his two-page reply, dated Aug. 31, Moulton acknowledged using lobbyists to seek federal money but did not furnish a list of earmarked appropriations received since 2000. While saying the school has "aggressively" sought state and federal funding for numerous initiatives that have an impact on the health and economic well-being of the area, he also did not directly answer the standards question or explain how USA had benefited from each earmark. Instead, as a "representative" example, Moulton highlighted the Mitchell Cancer Institute, which has received almost $33 million in federal appropriations, together with $38 million in private contributions and pledges and $24 million in state and local funding, according to his letter. When fully in business, Moulton wrote, the institution "will address a shortage of research-based cancer treatment" on the Gulf Coast and contribute to the nation's quest for a cancer cure. USA spokesman Keith Ayers could not say Wednesday why Moulton did not fully answer Coburn's questions. "We try to give an overview of what we attempt to do for the people who live in the Mobile region," Ayers said of the letter. At present, the school has no plans to provide further information, he said. A Coburn spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday. In a Tuesday news release, Coburn said more than half of the schools nationwide had provided at least a partial response to his questions, 10 had said they're making a good-faith effort to comply, and 38 had "provided no response whatsoever." Auburn University is listed in that last category. On Tuesday, spokesman David Granger said the school hoped to provide a response by Wednesday. He did not return a follow-up phone call Wednesday seeking confirmation. In a Sept. 1 letter, University of Alabama System Chancellor Malcolm Portera discussed some of the larger earmarked projects for the University of Alabama in Huntsville, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the main campus in Tuscaloosa but said it was impossible to assemble a full list in time for Coburn's initial deadline of that same day. In his news release, Coburn said he plans to hold hearings on schools' use of earmarked funds by early next year. As is true for many colleges and universities, USA's use of lobbyists has become increasingly costly in recent years. Its in-house lobbyist, Happy Fulford, currently earns $176,000 annually, Ayers said recently in an e-mail. Last year, the school spent an additional $300,000 on three contract lobbying firms in the Washington, D.C., area, according to disclosure reports filed with the Secretary of the Senate. All employ former staffers of current or retired members of the Alabama congressional delegation. USA has dropped one of those firms this year, Fulford said recently.
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Two years after Ivan, old Alabama beach park hotel to be razed 09/13/2006 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer		Return to Top
**This story also appeared in the Decatur Daily, Gadsden Times, and on WSFA-TV (Montgomery), WBRC-TV (Birmingham), WLOX-TV (Miss.), WMC (Tenn.), WAFF-TV (Huntsville) and WREG-TV (Memphis). Two years after Ivan, old Alabama beach park hotel to be razed Associated Press GULF SHORES, Ala. - Two years after Hurricane Ivan, Alabama conservation officials can finally demolish the state's storm-wrecked hotel at Gulf State Park. With an insurance dispute settled, state Conservation Commissioner Barnett Lawley said Wednesday that the contractor, Virginia Wrecking Co. of Loxley, could begin demolition of the building next month, but a timetable hasn't been completed. Ivan, with winds up to 130 mph, struck coastal Alabama and the Florida Panhandle early on Sept. 16, 2004, causing widespread damage, including to the old beachfront hotel. Lawley said the hotel has been patched after numerous hurricanes and tropical storms and cannot be saved. He said the new hotel will be built at a location back from the beach, higher off the ground and nearer the highway than the old one. The Conservation Department's damage estimate for the park after Ivan was more than $41 million - a figure that was not based on actual cash value. It was based on the cost of replacing the existing facilities to meet more stringent international construction codes. But the department will receive only about $10 million, including about $5 million from the state insurance fund and the rest in FEMA payments. The department earlier received about $4 million in flood insurance claims. Under the state rebuilding proposal, the 144-room hotel would be replaced with a $100 million, 350-room hotel and convention center. It would be run by a private company, West Paces Hotel Group, with Auburn University hospitality industry students also working at the site. A Montgomery County lawsuit that challenges the Conservation Department's plans for the hotel is scheduled for trial in October. That case must be resolved before the state can begin rebuilding. The insurance dispute involved private reinsurance companies that do business with the state. Such companies offer coverage to protect insurers and government financial agencies against potential losses. The state insurance fund is administered by the Risk Management Division of the Alabama Department of Finance. Insurance arbitrator, Jim Ridling of Montgomery, appointed by Gov. Bob Riley to handle the dispute, approved an additional $900,000 from the state insurance fund. His decision also would require hundreds of thousands of dollars for additional claims to replace specific structures, including the 825-foot-long fishing pier, provided those structures are rebuilt within certain guidelines. Ridling allowed for $654,441 to rebuild the fishing pier. To qualify for recovery money under the order, Ridling requires the construction be started by at least Aug. 17, 2007, for some structures and Feb. 17, 2008, for others, including the pier. Lawley said the concrete and other demolition materials will be used for fishing reefs within the park, which qualifies for additional federal money under a grant program of the al Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Information from Press-Register,
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Reducing sodium, good start 09/13/2006 Atmore Advance Carolyn Bivins		Return to Top
AU professor and ACES nutrition health specialist Robert Keith is the source in the story. Many people assume that foregoing table salt is the simplest and surest way to control their blood pressure. Granted, it's a good first step according to Dr. Robert Keith, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System nutrition and health specialist and professor of nutrition and food science at Auburn University. There is, after all, a strong link between higher sodium diets and high blood pressure, a fact borne out in other parts of the world, especially in some Asian countries, where higher sodium consumption is linked with higher rates of hypertension. Studies have shown that reducing sodium in processed foods, home cooking and table use could result in a 10-point decrease in systolic pressure, one of the two scores that make up your overall blood pressure reading. Even so, like most first steps, reducing table salt intake will only take you so far. A possibly even bigger contributor is obesity. Scientists have long stressed the high correlation between obesity and hypertension, especially in cases where obesity is associated with large amounts of abdominal fat. Indeed, considering the strong link between obesity and hypertension, it's easy to understand why there has been such a steep hike in hypertension among Americans in recent years. Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, and the enormously high levels of hypertension among the population appear to follow this trend closely. Roughly 25 percent of the adult U.S. population suffers from high blood pressure --- a problem even more widespread among the elderly, of whom 50 percent are sufferers. Simply put, the heavier we become, the more prone we are to hypertension. Nutrient intake also figures into the picture. Doctors have known for a long time that potassium, widely available in fresh fruits and vegetables, is a major player in blood pressure reduction. Consuming potassium-rich fresh fruits and vegetables at least five times a day, while reducing sodium intake, often results in a significant reduction in blood pressure. Even people willing to go half the distance by increasing their intake of dietary potassium can reap huge benefits. Just remember that there's a big distinction between fresh vegetables and canned vegetables, which tend to be high in sodium and low in potassium. For instance, a cup of fresh peas may contain several hundred milligrams of potassium and almost no sodium at all. On the other hand, if you use canned peas instead, you may get the just the opposite. Rounding out the story is calcium, another key ingredient associated with lower rates of hypertension. Studies have shown that people who fail to consume sufficient amounts of dietary calcium face a higher risk of developing hypertension. Keith says; remember to go light on the table salt, heavy on fruits and vegetables and nonfat dairy. Heeding this advice, coupled with weight control and regular exercise, will go a long way toward helping you manage your blood pressure.
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