Truth be told, we’ve actually had a rather mild winter here in Iowa this year, but within the last week it has started to look a little more familiar. With more snow in the forecast and lower temps ahead, some of you may start to feel the effects of the winter blues, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Here are some ways to keep the dark days of winter from dragging you down:

Let there be light! Getting exposure to sunlight can be a powerful way to boost your mood.

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One day as my focus faded from studying, I thought about how much I had been sitting that day, and how many hours I spend sitting every day. After logging in eight hours of sleep (if I am lucky), I am left with 16 waking-hours. On average, I can tally nine of these hours in a chair, whether sitting in class, studying or eating. Even when you size-up my 30-minute workouts and lighter daily activities, the majority of my days are spent motionless. We all experience this excessive sitting, and I challenge you to think about it as more than a necessary act – or lack thereof. As I’ll share below, excessive sitting is now being considered a major risk factor for the development of chronic conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

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That many popular children’s breakfast cereals are high in sugar is not new news. What’s alarming is that over the years food manufacturers have done little to change that and may in fact be packing even more of the sweet stuff into those kid-alluring, colorful boxes.

A study released last week by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that among 84 cereals, at least three that are marketed to children contain more sugar in a one-cup serving than a Hostess Twinkie. An additional 44, the study revealed, serve up more sugar in a cup than three Chips Ahoy! cookies. The three worst offenders: Kellogg’s Honey Smacks, Post Golden Crisp and General Mills Wheaties Fuel. Even more cavity-inducing is my guess that few kids limit themselves to just one cup of cereal per serving.

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This Sunday marks the end of National Hunger & Homeless Awareness Week,a national endeavor created by the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Student Campaign against Hunger and Homelessness to promote education, action and awareness about these two critical issues. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2010 annual report to Congress, each night there are approximately 770,000 people in the nation who are homeless. The U.S. Department of Education reports that an additional 700,000 children are without a place to call home and who go to bed hungry nightly. An estimated 50 million Americans live in food-insecure households.

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Each year, the Iowa Cancer Summit brings together representatives from health care, academia, public health and the private sector, along with cancer survivors, caregivers and others, to provide a dialogue on best cancer control practices across Iowa. This year’s summit will occur October 3-4 at the West Des Moines Marriott. Seats and a limited number of registration scholarships for students are still available.

The theme for the summit is “Collaborating for the Future: Unveiling Iowa’s New Cancer Plan,” which has been revised for 2012-2017. In addition to learning about the plan’s components and strategic projects, participants can explore national perspectives on cancer control, related public policies and legislation, cancer’s impact on diverse populations, the role of education and primary preventive health care, community-based screening efforts and more.

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Public health professionals work to enhance the health of populations and communities. A campus event this Thursday, Sept. 15, starting at 5 p.m. in the Student Education Center, is designed to help build a community of people interested in public health: Des Moines University’s Master of Public Health Student Club will host a Networking Night for DMU students in all programs who are interested in public health. With special guest DMU President Angela Walker Franklin, Ph.D., the event will be a wonderful opportunity for students to meet each other, learn about the profession and related campus organizations, and interact with faculty and members of the Iowa Public Health Association and American Public Health Association.

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