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The health care products industry is possibly one of the most profitable in the market place today. Every year millions of weekend warriors spend millions of dollars on exercise equipment, health club memberships and weight loss products. Every year, those same well intentioned individuals either give away their expensive exercise equipment, or sell it on garage sales for next to nothing in order to make room in their over crowded garage.

Many are discouraged by the current failure rate that plagues many that venture into living a healthier and better life. This toppled with the high cost of all the “get healthy” paraphernalia that is typical of weight loss enthusiast, is preventing many from taking a step towards a healthier life style. But the truth is that in order to loose weight one does not need to purchase expensive exercise equipment at all.

One of the healthiest and most rewarding exercises available to the average person is walking? Walking can provide one with the ability to loose unwanted pounds in a healthy way. To make walking more palatable, try walking at a park or by the beach if at all possible. Adding a change of scenery to ones walking routine can get rid of the “walking blues” by providing a stimulating environment that can certainly invigorate.

Another way that you can spice up your walking is by talking your dog along with you. Taking your canine friend with you can certainly be a win-win situation for the both of you, since your dog will benefit from walking. Additionally, if you happen to be the owner of a large breed dog, bringing your dog with you can provide protection for you. This is especially important if you are a female and if you will be walking in an area while it is dark, or when there are not too many people around. If your dog is the type that likes to pull and lead the way, visit a Dog Directory and look for information on dog trainers or dog training, so that you can train your dog not to pull you any more.

The fact of the matter is that aside from having a physical disability, there is not a valid reason for getting involved with walking as a form of exercising and weight loss or control. So get up on your feet and out the door, and get in good shape before it is too late.

For regular readers of this blog, I have disappointing news. The Cancer Blog is now retired. That means that, while it will still be available for reading and searching, new posts will not be added. Our Cardio and Diabetes blogs are also being retired, which I mention here because some readers bookmarked more than one of the Life Sciences group.

The choice to stop publishing these three blogs is a business decision, and has nothing whatsoever to do with their quality. I am, and everyone here is, deeply grateful to the bloggers whose dedication to these sites gave so much information and inspiration to thousands of people. These three blogs are among the longest-running properties in our network, and it is sad to let them go.

Thank you to our many readers for visiting us, and sharing in the community here.

Brad Hill
Programming Director, Weblogs / AOL

Experience Project is launching a new online cancer support network , The Cancer Support Project, on October 1st, 2007.

Experience Project is built around dynamic groups of users who come onto the platform, share narratives and personal stories about their life experiences, and then connect with others who are going through the same experiences. Experience Project will never ask for your name; you can keep your identity completely private while meeting new friends who can understand you.

The central goal of The Cancer Support Project is to provide a hub for emotional and psychological support for all experiences involving cancer, including experiences as a survivor or a caregiver, something that is not currently widely addressed as many sites focus on sharing information regarding therapies. The Experience Project will also be launching a Facebook application within The Cancer Support Project to enable people to show their support and raise cancer awareness via Facebook, MySpace, blogs and web pages.

The Cancer Support Projectwill be launching on October 1st, but you can check it out now. I know I will be checking it out for sure!The Cancer Support Project is located here.

Tags:cancer support, Cancer Support Project, CancerSupport, CancerSupportProject, caregivers, Experience Project, ExperienceProject, survivors

Luciano Pavarotti, possibly the most famous classical singer on earth, received a final sendoff this past weekend in his hometown of Modena, Italy. Pavarotti died last week of pancreatic cancer. More than 100,000 people filed through the cathedral and plaza, more than 700 guests attended the funeral mass and millions watched the live broadcast on television.

Pavarotti underwent surgery for a malignant pancreatic mass in July 2006. A month later, after his surgery, Pavarotti told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, "I was a fortunate and happy man. After that, this blow arrived. And now I am paying the penalty for this fortune and happiness."

One could not be surprised that Pavarotti felt this way. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly cancers, with a five-year survival rate here in the U.S. of less than 5%, although surgery can improve survival greatly. Pancreatic cancer is also one of the most underfunded research areas in cancer. For more information about what you can do to increase funding for pancreatic cancer research and raise awareness of this deadly disease, please see PanCAN's action page.

Tags:activism, awareness, funding, PanCAN, pancreatic cancer, PancreaticCancer, Pavarotti

In the last decade, we've seen studies that try to link mobile phone use to all kinds of cancer, the most common type being brain cancer. The thinking is that the radiation output from these devices affects the brain when those phones are held close to the head for extended periods.

Well, here's one to shoot this theory down, I guess. In Australia, authorities there have said that mobile phone use does not cause cancer, and talking on a phone in the car is no more dangerous than having a passenger aboard. Wow-- those are heavy hitters.

For many of us, those ultra low-power Bluetooth headsets are the solution for not holding that cellphone near your head for along periods of time. You?

Tags:cancer, cellphone, mobile, phone, risk