What are the biggest challenges to regular exercise and a healthy diet that you face? How are these challenges going to change for you over the next five years?

The biggest challenges to regular exercise is finding the time!!!! For example, I work 8-5 but prior to my day, I have to get 3 kiddos ready with one under the age of 1, which includes bottles, milk etc..., I have to drop them at school and then I have go drop the baby at the daycare.  After work, I have to go pick up the baby from daycare followed by another daycare to get the older kids, go home, cook dinner, do homework with kids, give baths and getting ready for the following day.  As you can see it is very exhausting and there is no time for me at all.  But it is all temporary.  The kids do get older and more independent where I will be able to change in the upcoming 5 years.  I can see myself improving my stress and including exercise in my daily life as the kids get older.  I will have the spare time with no excuses of why I cannot include that regimen in my life.  Most adults complain there is no time and that is very true.  Times have changed where the majority of family members have two working households.  Exercise is important and my non activity is affecting my self esteem, weight, and most importantly my health.  I hope change is near because I truly want to start and need all the support to make a change for my family and for my self.

Dana Anderson

What can be done to change societal images of menopause, aging and older women?

We have to embrace aging in society through Internet, TV, and Magazines due to our tech savvy world.  It is important that we provide images of beauty in each phase of our life so it can be accepted everywhere and woman don't have to take extreme measures to feel accepted because of their age or aging bodies.  We have been created to go through the changes for a reason, it is how are bodies are designed.  I truly blame the media and most families for leading society today to a multi-billion industry in trying to keep us young.  Images we see are not necessarily the same when we look at our reflection in the mirror.  Women will dye their hair, botox their wrinkles and sliced and suctioned all over just to keep up with the "new, young, and hip society".  Why are we so obsessed with looking so young?  I believe it is all due to how we are raised and the images that our mothers portrayed to us of themselves.  I always make sure that I let my daughter know that she is beautiful the way she is.  With all her curves and kinks, she is a beautiful young girl and I also walk around very secure in my own body and educate my daughter it is all about remaining healthy, not young.  In regards to menopause, we have to look at the word itself and pause for a time in our life to discuss the changes a woman goes through so as these changes come, we can embrace each stage with knowledge of what is going in our bodies and why these changes are happening. We are now slowly starting to see programs and shows that discuss all these health factors to woman, so that as a society we can understand what our mothers, sisters, aunts, and grandma's are going through.  Education is simply the key to all things in life and I believe it is up to our doctors and health advisers to inform us on what is to come in life like menopause. Discuss it amongst family and friends as we do pregnancies.  It is truly a shame on how the Western culture views it's woman, because in most cultures, the older a woman are more she respected ,admired and protected.  We have to learn how to love ourselves and embrace our changes, otherwise the divide between the young and old will continue to grow apart along with our views of each other.

Many people equate STDs with immorality, promiscuous behavior and low social status. What are you thoughts on this statement?

It is a social stigma for people to relate STD's to someone being promiscuous, fast or from a low class social status which is absolutely not the case.  Many STD cases also come from very well educated, financially stable, married and single people.  It all boils down to how well we take care of ourselves and the choices we make in our sexual lives. Some partners may not have that choice as I watched the video about the "Silent Partner in a Marriage" the woman where married and only slept with their husbands, however, the case was not the same when it came to there husbands where they slept around and eventually passed HIV and many other STD's to their wives.  The men never cared to protect themselves or their wives due to their selfishness and accepted cultural behaviors.  It disgusted me how till this day in many countries, woman are treated as second citizens to men and have no say about there life, goals, beliefs, or even a choice to say no. Men and woman today all around the world are thinking twice before having sex without a condom, but it does not necessary indicate they will use one.  As much as we would like to place faith in our spouses or partners, it is very important that we must get checked yearly for any problems to help protect ourselves and others and making sure we are educated as soon as possible.  Women can have their well exams yearly and for men yearly physicals to ensure that no problems are present in that department.  We should not point fingers at where an STD came from because we can't, just remember that an STD does not discriminate.  It can happen to anyone, anytime, and anywhere.

Dana Anderson