Kimberly Garrison

You can post any questions at the COMMENTS link or e-mail Kimberly at kimberly@phillynews.com. Here are this week's SHOWNOTES:

The turn from Barbie to more realistically proportioned women is a positive trend

MUCH HAS been written lately about women's body image, reality advertising - the kind that puts more realistically proportioned women on the pages of fashion magazines - and the Barbie doll.

Along with images seen in the media, the 46-year-old Barbie doll apparently has had an unrelenting influence on the psyche of the American woman, especially when she's looking at herself in a mirror.

For the record, lets set a few things straight.

What is 'body image'?

The short definition of body image is the way you perceive your physical appearance, how you feel about it and how you think others see you.

Who's got a bad one?

American women suffer from serious body image problems. About 80 percent of American women are dissatisfied with their appearance and nearly half of all American women are on a diet at any given time, according to the experts.

Pick up the latest women's magazine, or take a look at Oprah or Tyra's new shows to confirm that women of all ages spend a lot of time tearing themselves apart.

A Barbie reality check

If Barbie were a real woman, she would be 7-foot-2 and possess these unlikely measurements: 40-inch bust, 22-inch waist and 36-inch hips, according to the magazine Marie Claire.

This Western ideal for women is rarely seen in nature, nor is it the desired aesthetic in many parts of the world. Among Brazilians and Africans - and in our own hip-hop culture, for example - the butt is all the rage.

Check my reality

Sure, like most red-blooded American girls, I grew up playing with Barbie dolls. My mother saw to it that I had a generous, multi-cultural collection in shades of vanilla, chocolate and caramel.

Yet somehow I remain undamaged by Barbie or by the prevalent images in mainstream media, which for the most part never acknowledge my type of beauty.

Call me strange, but I just never cared about fitting into society's ideal. It never occurred to me to compare myself to a doll or the models in magazines. My mother says I've always happily danced naked to my own drummer.

My race, body and image are the antithesis of the dominate culture. Thankfully, I don't share the negative self-image that seems to rule the lives of so many women.

I have always had the proverbial "thunder thighs," full hips and generous derriere. I've never done anything but celebrate my unique qualities and "shake what my momma gave me."

I therefore applaud the Dove "campaign for real beauty" and the new Nike ad that proudly boasts, "Big Butt, Thunder Thighs, and Tom Boy Knees." I've always been a Nike fan, but they get mucho props for this gutsy move. I particularly like the ad's in-your-face invite that those who don't like the lady's butt can kiss it.

The women in these ads are a better reflection of the products' customers. It's high time that so-called "ordinary" women were celebrated.

Maybe some young or older women who suffer from a dysmorphic body image will see these new ads and be encouraged to embrace their authentic selves. Maybe these ads will trigger a new revolution where women stop torturing themselves with endless surgeries and starvation.

It is my hope that women of every size, shape and race will read this and be inspired to come to a place of genuine self-acceptance and self-love.

Perhaps Maya Angelou said it best in her poem, "Phenomenal Woman":

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.

I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size

But when I start to tell them,

They think I'm telling lies.

I say,

It's in the reach of my arms,

The span of my hips,

The stride of my step,

The curl of my lips.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me. *

Here's the fifth Philly Fitness and Health Podcast. Is Golf Fitness an oxymoron? Not at all, says a fitness trainer named Kevin who began playing golf in order to understand his clients and is now specializing in Golf Fitness. Also Kimberly answers the question of the week and provides her Tip of the Week. Be fit, be strong and be your best with Philly Fitness and Health.

You can post any questions at the COMMENTS link or e-mail Kimberly at kimberly@phillynews.com.

Metabolic Syndrome puts adults at risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Do you have at least three of the symtoms below:

1. A thick waist
2. High Blood triglycerides
3. Low HDL (that's your good cholesterol)
4. High Blood Pressure
5. Elevated blood sugar

Some experts estimate, 25% of the adult U.S. population have the condition. Are you at risk? Be sure to check with your doctor on your next check up.

Let's start the wellness revolution this Thanksgiving

THE OTHER night, I was riveted by the PBS program "RX for Survival: A Global Health Challenge," based on the book by journalist Philip Hilts.

The series poignantly demonstrated the importance of clean water and good nutrition, and it assessed some of the biggest threats to world health, including HIV/AIDS, SARS - and obesity.

Does this mean obesity is threatening to destroy us, one forkfull at a time?

That's precisely the case - also stated in the book, "Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World," by Greg Crister. He says, "[Being] overweight will kill far more Americans each year than any terrorist would dare dream of taking out."

In fact, if immediate action is not taken, obesity experts such as James O. Hill, an author and University of Colorado professor, predict that by 2050, nearly all Americans will be overweight or obese. This would surely break the proverbial bank and totally collapse our health-care system.

That's why, this Thanksgiving, I suggest we begin a grass-roots wellness revolution that I'm calling "Put the Fork Down!"

Let's all do our part to lower the burgeoning health-care cost of obesity by taking one less bite, foregoing seconds, and walking for at least 30 minutes after the holiday meal - and every day thereafter.

There are compelling reasons why we should change the emphasis of this gluttonous holiday from food to fitness. Approximately 2 million deaths occur every year due to physical inactivity, according to the World Health Organization. A sedentary lifestyle ranks as one of the 10 leading worldwide causes of death, disease, and disability.

Along with inactivity, portion distortion is a major risk to your health. But you have control over that knife and fork: starting today, you can decide to eat appropriate portions.

Let it go to waste, not waist

Portion control doesn't mean you have to cut out your favorite foods. It simply means reducing the serving size. For example, eat half of what you normally would this Thanksgiving, and vow not to go back for seconds.

Here are some guidelines on what your daily diet should include (see chart for how much of these foods constitutes a serving):

Here's the sixth Philly Fitness and Health Podcast. This week Chef Christina Dimacali of Clean Your Plate and Williams Sonoma shares tips on indulging without overdoing it during the holiday party season. Also Kimberly answers the question of the week and provides her Tip of the Week. Be fit, be strong and be your best with Philly Fitness and Health.

Kegel exercises are an easy way to prevent the problem

TWO MONTHS ago in a coffee shop, I struck up a conversation with the gentleman next to me, who happened to be a urologist. I was astonished when he told me that Depends adult diapers are the No. 1 selling product in drugstores.

Reacting to my puzzled expression, he explained that around 17 million American men and women suffer from urinary incontinence, with health care costs of about $27 million annually.

Wow, I thought, that's a major health problem. Sure, I've noticed more and more commercials advertising pads, pills and other products, primarily to women with bladder control problems. However, I had no idea of the magnitude of the problem.

Women suffer from urinary incontinence at twice the rate of men. Pregnancy, childbirth, menopause and aging are contributing factors that increase a woman's risk for this condition.

What is urinary incontinence?

It's simply the inability to hold your urine until you reach the bathroom. There are six types of urinary incontinence, according to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse:

• Stress incontinence.

Do you leak urine when you laugh, exercise, cough or lift something? The trauma of vaginal delivery is often a contributory factor, as well as vaginal surgeries, lowered estrogen levels and aging.

• Urge incontinence.

Symptoms of this condition (also called overactive, hyperactive or irritable bladder) are frequent urination (more than eight times in a 24-hour cycle), followed by an involuntary loss of urine.

Enlargement of the prostate in men, hysterectomy complications, damage to the central nervous system, anxiety, depression and aging are possible causes.

• Functional incontinence.

This typically is found in people with physical or mental disabilities. Diseases such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's, or severe depression are often the root cause.

• Overflow incontinence.

Leakage may occur when something obstructs the bladder from emptying completely. Common causes are tumors, scar tissue, nerve damage, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and some medications (anti-depressants, anticholinergics, sedatives and calcium channel blockers, to name a few).

• Mixed incontinence.

This is a combination of urge and overflow incontinence symptoms.

• Transient incontinence.

Often temporary, it can triggered by severe constipation, medications, urinary tract infections, depression and limited mobility.

Find help, help yourself

If you suspect that you have one of the above conditions, see your primary-care doctor, a urologist or a urogynecologist. But whether you're having a problem or not, there's something you can do to help yourself, too: the simple exercise known as Kegels.

The good news is that urinary incontinence is often a treatable condition which can be overcome by strengthening the pelvic-floor muscles. These muscles support your bladder. When they become weak, your bladder loses its tone, sagging down out of the pelvis toward the vagina.

All women should do Kegel exercises daily before and after childbirth and during pregnancy.

What are Kegels?

The cool thing about Kegels is that they can be done almost any time or place - at your desk, in the car, while shopping.

The easiest way to locate your pelvic floor muscles is to stop the flow of urine while urinating. The muscles that are engaged when you do this are your pelvic floor muscles.

Now that you know where they are, contract and release the pelvic floor muscles a minimum of 25 times, three times a day (except while urinating). Many experts recommend working your way up to 100 repetitions, three times a day.

Once you've mastered the exercise, you might want to invest in vaginal weights and develop a variable resistance program. Vaginal weights are tampon-shaped and come in 20- to 70-gram sizes. Once available only by prescription, they can now be bought online. Consult your gynecologist before using them.

Need another reason to do Kegels? Perhaps the best reward for performing these exercises are better sex and stronger orgasms. *

The body absorbs calcium well in kale and bok choy, according to a recent report in Consumer Reports On Health. So, if you're lactose intolerate get more of those greens plus sardines, salmon, and shellfish in your diet.

Here's the latest Philly Fitness and Health Podcast. This week Vincent Iovine of Iovine Brothers Produce talks about how he lost 115 pounds and the techniques he uses every day to keep it off, even though he works a few steps away from every kind of delicacy imaginable at the Reading Terminal Market. Also Kimberly answers the question of the week and provides her Tip of the Week. Be fit, be strong and be your best with Philly Fitness and Health.

HOW MANY pounds do you expect to gain this holiday season?

By some estimates, the average American could gain a whopping 7 to 10 pounds.

A widely cited, 2000 study by the National Institute of Child Health and other researchers suggested a gain of only 1.06 pounds.

I'm not buying that.

I've seen people gain 3 to 5 pounds during a seven-day cruise - or a weekend binge.

A six-week holiday pig-out can easily pack on 7 to 10 pounds.

An average holiday meal - without seconds - adds up to more than 4,000 calories (see chart on Page 42).

When you consider all those parties and all the overeating opportunities, you can see how it would be possible to pack on the weight. Remember, one pound has 3,500 calories.

So, what can you do to save yourself from temptation but still get your party on?

Try these 10 strategies: