Archive for the ‘Straightforward’ Category
Heroes in Pain
We’ve received a lot of response about last week’s show, “Heroes in Pain,” which focused on the epidemic of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a condition that torments so many lives, including soldiers who’ve put their lives on the line serving our country. Some viewers expressed concern, and even disappointment, with the show’s original title, “Heroes to Monsters?” Our intent was to acknowledge the question so often cited in the media, not to make a statement, and to emphasize the severity of the pain and suffering our guests say they experience. In doing so, we unintentionally offended some of our viewers, and have therefore changed the title to more accurately reflect the show’s content.
I’m glad the show stirred so many of you to respond. Our goal is, and always will be, to call attention to the challenges our returning soldiers face, including PTSD. I really wanted you to hear firsthand the effects that PTSD can have on war heroes and their families, and I’m grateful to our guests for being so candid and honest about their experiences. I hope other media outlets will join us in talking openly about these challenges and our need as a society to respond with compassionate action. Two of my three sisters married fighter pilots (Vietnam era), and my nephew flew many missions as a Navy fighter pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan, so the lives of our veterans hits very close to home. (more…)
Putting Obesity out of Business
I’m worried about kids today for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that so darn many are getting overweight and out of shape. Today, one out of three children under the age of 12 is now considered medically overweight. And the tragedy is that we know that very few of those children ever lose that weight. Seventy percent of those children will become overweight and obese adults and endure all the problems both psychological and physical that come with it. Diabetes and heart disease are exploding among the overweight and obese — so much so that experts now say the lethal effects of obesity are literally greater than cigarette smoke. Are you hearing that? Today, obesity is our number one public health issue above all others. (more…)
Should Kids Have a Say?
I have a question that the shows airing Thursday and Friday made me really think about.
First, here’s a quick overview of the family I had the privilege to meet and work with. I wonder what you would have told them: Not long ago, 26-year-old Kristin wrote that she and her five — count ‘em five — sisters were convinced something really disturbing was going on with their mother, Carole, who until recently, had been very close with them. Carole, according to her daughters, seemed to be adopting some new and troubling behaviors: being secretive, getting spray tans (significant because it was something they say she would never do), shopping for sexy clothes at stores targeted to much younger women and uncharacteristically, taking a mysterious weekend trip to Las Vegas, supposedly with her girlfriends. (more…)
And Now, the Other Woman
You ready for a little controversy? OK, you ready for a lot of controversy? Then get ready for Monday’s show, because you may be yelling at the screen for this one, but it is important and really interesting!
On the show, I’m going to be interviewing the fabled “other woman.” Five of them, in fact, and all of them members of the online group “Mistresses Anonymous.” All of them openly talk to me about why they became mistresses to married men. They also talk about what they have to endure as mistresses. And I have to tell you, what they have to say is so intriguing that I think this show easily could have gone three hours in length. (more…)
Helping Teenage Girls Survive Bullying
Each week I get thousands of letters from you, and I’m always amazed how many of them are about girls who are being bullied by other girls. It’s a subject that almost never makes headlines in the news media. Occasionally, female bullying is fodder for such Hollywood teen comedies as Mean Girls. But the truth is that the girls in those movies are caricatures, created to get laughs more than anything else.
No one who writes me is kidding around. The stories I read from girls (or the parents of girls) who’ve been bullied range from heartbreaking to terrifying. That’s why I’m soon going to do a very important show on this topic. Here’s what I want to know: Are we at a point where girls bullying girls is getting as bad as — or even worse than — boys bullying boys? And why is there such bullying in the first place? Is it hormonal? Psychological? Are girls that competitive? Is there some insecurity driving the bullying?
Let me hear from you, especially if you have your own bullying story. I’d love your input before we tape the show. If you agree, we might even use your story. Thanks.
