Kicking cigarettes; antibiotic use; helmets on the slopes; men's ...

Thursday is the annual Great American Smokeout, designed to entice smokers to make a plan to quit. In case you missed it, catch this Oregon woman's story of smoking, addiction and quitting.

Also this week is Aware in the Square, a downtown Portland event on Friday designed to educate the public about proper use of antibiotics.

In other personal-health news:

WEAR A HELMET: Those awaiting ski and snowboard season, take note: A new analysis of medical literature shows wearing helmets while on the slopes significantly cuts the risk of head injury and the severity of inj head injuries that do occur.

The findings by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine researchers concluded that helmets save lives. Findings also debunk the argument that wearing helmets promotes a false sense of security and dangerous behavior. Read an abstract from the original study, published in the journal Trauma and Acute Care Surgery.

MEN'S HEALTH: Gentlemen, start your ... mustaches. CBS News reports on a campaign called Movember, which aims to raise awareness of men's health issues -- prostate and testicular cancer in particular.

"By encouraging men to grow mustaches -- or "Mo's" -- throughout November, the creators of the campaign aim to change the face of men's health and spread awareness," according to the news organization's Web site.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation and the LiveStrong Foundation partner for the campaign, which aims to fund research on the diseases and men's support programs:
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FAST FOOD: Sure, fast-food joints have healthful sounding menu items like oatmeal and grilled chicken these days. But the restaurants America loves have not become healthier.

A study led by Katherine W. Bauer, assistant professor in Temple University's Department of Public Health and Center for Obesity Research and Education, found that the average calorie content of foods offered by eight of the major U.S. fast food restaurants changed little between 1997 and 2010.
Read more.

REFLEXOLOGY & CANCER: Reflexology, a type of foot massage, can help cancer patients manage their symptoms and perform daily tasks, a new study led by University of Michigan researchers finds.

Funded by the National Cancer Institute and published recently in Oncology Nursing Forum, it is the first large-scale, randomized study of reflexology as a complement to standard cancer treatment, according to lead author Gwen Wyatt, a professor in the UM College of Nursing.

MENTAL HEALTH: Sure, you get an annual physical exam. But have you ever considered routine mental-health exams? The New York Times' Ann Carrns explores the topic.

- Katy Muldoon; twitter.com/katymuldoon
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Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2012/11/kicking_cigarettes_antibiotic.html

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