FOR RELEASE THE WEEK OF JAN. 30, 2000:
My 17-year-old daughter is obsessed with her weight. Her sense of self-worth seems to be entirely focused on whether her weight is up or down. I know many of us women worry a lot about our weight, but is there a point where it's abnormal--and how can I tell if my daughter has reached that point?
Unfortunately, it IS normal for teenaged girls to be obsessed with their weight, says Laurel Branen, University of Idaho associate professor of family and consumer sciences and a registered dietitian. "With magazines, television shows and movies portraying emaciated women as normal and normal-weight women as obese, it's hard to be female in the U.S. without being concerned about weight." And that, says Branen, makes it problematic to distinguish between normal concern and an eating disorder.
For an official diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, a person must refuse to maintain a normal body weight and must exhibit an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight. Disturbed body image--"feeling fat" even when emaciated--is the third symptom. For females, the absence of three consecutive menstrual cycles is the fourth.
Because anorexia nervosa produces severe psychological and physical consequences, it's important to identify a problem before it progresses into a full-blown eating disorder, says Branen. Early signs include excessive exercise, avoidance of eating with others, withdrawal from family and friends, mood swings and rapid weight loss.
Branen suggests that your daughter talk with her school counselor or a local therapist. "They can help her with her weight preoccupation, improve her sense of self-worth and teach her other coping mechanisms besides dieting," she says.
My Siberian elm drops so many seeds every spring that the neighbors are complaining mightily. One neighbor says he thinks there's a product I could apply that would stop the tree from setting seed. Is he right?
Unfortunately, no, says Yvonne Carree, University of Idaho extension forestry associate. There's no product registered for home use that will prevent messy trees like Siberian elm and maple from producing copious amounts of seed annually. "Every tree's goal is to produce seed to ensure the next generation," says Carree. "Some are just more enthusiastic than others."
The best you can do is to find out as much as you can about a tree's growth, form and seed characteristics before you plant one in your yard--and before your neighbors start complaining.
Are raw and lightly marinated seafoods such as sushi and ceviche safe to eat?
Consuming raw fish is riskier than eating cooked products, primarily because parasites may be present, says Sandy McCurdy, University of Idaho extension food safety specialist. "Parasites are common in the digestive tracts of fish, and if fish are not gutted rapidly after harvest, the parasites pass into the flesh," she explains.
To minimize the risk, avoid eating raw or marinated seafoods unless the fish has been adequately frozen. Freezing fish to minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit for seven days will kill any parasites that may be present, McCurdy says.
Like many other foods, raw fish can also contain bacteria capable of causing foodborne illness. Consequently, people at higher risk of foodborne disease--young children, pregnant women, elderly and immuno-compromised people--should avoid raw or lightly marinated seafood of any kind.
McCurdy's precautions do not apply to pickled products--such as pickled herring--which she says are "not a problem."
We're shopping for a new stove and trying to decide whether to go with conventional elements or with a smoothtop. If we buy a smoothtop, will we also need new cookware?
That depends on the condition of your cookware, says Bev Healy, University of Idaho extension educator. "For best heat conduction on a smoothtop range, your cookware does need flat bottoms," she says. "But flat bottoms give you the best heat conduction and energy efficiency even with conventional elements, so if your cookware is severely warped, you should probably replace it no matter what type of range you decide to buy."
If you haven't purchased cookware for awhile, be prepared to be impressed, says Healy. "Cookware has been greatly improved. The new non-stick finishes are very durable and make cleanup a breeze. They're great for lowfat cooking, too."
[READERS: Do you have a question about your home, yard or garden? Send it to HomeWise, University of Idaho Ag Communications, Moscow, ID 83844-2332 or email it to homewise@uidaho.edu. Mention of proprietary products or firms does not constitute endorsement by the University of Idaho Cooperative Extension System or imply approval to the exclusion of other suitable products or firms.]