Obesity isn't just an American problem; in Britain, doctors have begun administering the diabetes drug metformin to the unborn babies of morbidly obese mothers-to-be to reduce the fetuses' weight.

The reason: dangerously overweight pregnant women create excessive amounts of insulin, which results in "sumo babies" weighing 11 pounds or more. These extra-large newborns have twice the chance of becoming obese adults, and their numbers have risen by 50 percent in the past four years. Obese pregnant women are at a higher risk of dying while pregnant, and their babies are more likely to be stillborn.

"I don't know how many more signs we need in Western society before we really get serious about our health," says Gordon Filepas, author of Lean And Healthy To 100 (www.adviceformychildren.com), a guide for achieving optimal health based on studying cultures where long lives are the norm.

"Are we really treating unborn babies for obesity?"

In his research, Filepas found many common practices and characteristics in especially healthy cultures. They include :

• Calories: It's not necessary to count calories; people in healthy cultures don't! Once you give your body what it needs, you'll naturally consume fewer calories. This puts significantly less stress on the digestive system and reduces the potential of ingesting toxins.

• Heavy on nutrients: Human beings evolved as hunters and gatherers who took every opportunity for caloric intake. In the process, a wide spectrum of nutrients became the norm, and that is what bodies still crave today.

• Focus on whole and unprocessed foods, fats, and oils: Examples include fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans and grains. Meat, which is usually the main dish in Western culture, is often treated as a side dish in the cultures Filepas studied.

• Limited toxins: This includes few, if any, pollutants from processed food, water and other beverages, medicine and air.

• A sense of purpose: Individuals from these cultures feel like they are making a difference beyond earning money, and tend to work long days, six days a week.

• Innate exercise: Virtually no additional form of exercise is needed beyond their daily activity.

• Alcohol: Every culture has alcohol. Healthy populations drink regularly, but in moderation. And, they take a greater sense of responsibility for their health.

• Traditional cooking methods: This means low-tech methods, absent of microwaves.

Finding a lifestyle that naturally promotes excellent health became an obsession for Filepas after the deaths of his father and brother in a three-month time span. He wanted to ensure he and his wife and three sons would be together for years to come.

"I tell my friends, family and anyone who will listen: Whatever you hear about health in America, do the exact opposite and you'll be much healthier than the average American," he says. "Americans are bombarded with confusion and misinformation about health; it's a life-or-death situation."

About Gordon Filepas

Gordon Filepas spent 20 years researching Lean And Healthy To 100, interviewing physicians, attending seminars, and reading medical journals and other health-related literature. He is the founder of TGM Partners, a consulting and investment firm. Filepas says he was motivated to learn more about the requirements for optimal health following the deaths of his father and brother within three months of each other. He hopes to ensure the good health of his family, including his wife of 25 years and three sons.

Des Moines, May 7, 2012–Iowans who choose to represent themselves in small claims court will find it easier to do so with the help of new, easy-to-use forms. The Iowa Supreme Court approved a large number of new forms to help Iowans navigate the ins and outs of a small claims court case, from beginning to end. The court also updated some existing forms by making them easier to understand and use.

"More and more people are going to court without the assistance of lawyers. Representing yourself is never an easy thing to do. However, the new forms should help," said Iowa Court of Appeals Judge David Danilson, who is co-chair of the committee that designed the forms. "These forms are all a person needs to complete a routine small claims case without the aid of a lawyer."

The small claim process is a low-cost, simple process for resolving civil disputes without going through extensive court proceedings. In a small claims case, a person can file a suit for nearly any civil claim against another party, such as for breach of contract, damages suffered in an accident, and landlord tenant disputes, so long as the claim is for $5000 or less. Small claims cases are tried before a judge, not a jury, and without strict regard to the technicalities of rules of procedure. More information about small claim procedures is available on the Iowa Judicial Branch website at: http://www.iowacourts.gov/Representing_Yourself/Civil_Law/Small_Claims/.

The new and updated forms may be used starting today. Lawyers and litigants currently using the old forms may continue to do so through June 30. Beginning July 1, 2012, the new forms must be used exclusively in all small claims cases. The forms are available on the Iowa Judicial Branch website at: http://www.iowacourts.gov/Court_Rules_and_Forms/Recent_Amendments__New_Rules/ .

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Davenport, IOWA (May 2012). David Plowden's Iowa will open at the Figge Art Museum on Saturday, May 12 and run through August 19, 2012.   The product of a collaboration between Humanities Iowa, the Figge and several other museums in the state, the exhibition features over fifty black and white photographs that showcase familiar as well as never seen images of Plowden's beloved Iowa.

Iowa has been a subject of David Plowden's photography since 1983 when a commission by Smithsonian magazine to photograph corn first introduced the native of the East Coast to Iowa. Since this initial visit, Plowden has returned to Iowa time and again, seeking to convey his impressions and experience of Iowa as a uniquely American "place."

"The notion that home is a place integral to a person's sense of self is not a novel concept. Identifying a geographic region as the Middle-West or the heartland implies that it is a place central to a country's identity - the very heart of America. In Plowden's own words, it is not possible to understand America without a visit to the Midwest," says Figge Associate Curator Rima Girnius.

Mr. Plowden will be featured in at 7pm Art Talk at the Figge on Thursday, May 17.  During the Art Talk, Associate Curator Rima Girnius will interview Mr. Plowden about his long career, and his photographs on display in David Plowden's Iowa.  The Figge will host a public reception for the exhibition prior to Mr. Plowden's talk.  The reception begins at 6pm.  The reception and Art Talk are free with membership or paid admission.

The Figge Art Museum is located on the riverfront in Davenport at 225 West Second Street. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, Sundays 12-5 p.m. and Thursdays 10 a.m.-9 p.m. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit our website, www.figgeartmuseum.org.

ROCK ISLAND, IL (05/07/2012)(readMedia)-- More than 75 Augustana students from all academic areas shared their advanced research projects on Saturday, May 5, at the Celebration of Learning. This on-campus research symposium annually gives students an opportunity to show off their academic accomplishments to their families and the Augustana community.

Among the students involved:

Peter Wiese, a senior from Davenport, Iowa, majoring in neuroscience and mathematics. Wiese presented two research projects. The first project was titled Using Conditioned Place Preference to Investigate Rewarding Stimuli in Young Chickens. Chickens are readily used as models in learning, as they demonstrate a variety of behaviors and the ability to learn at a young age. The objective of our study was to determine if young chicks would have a stronger preference for social contact with other chicks or a food reward. Our experiment tested this question by exploring whether chicks could be conditioned to prefer a certain environment over another based on a learned association. Using a conditioned place preference paradigm, chicks were exposed to a colored environment paired with one of two rewards. We predicted that chicks would spend more time in the environment paired with the stimulus that they found most rewarding. Our results showed that, in contrast to previous studies, the chicks preferred the red side of the box, independent of conditioning. We are currently considering reasons as to why this occurred.

The second project was titled Parametric Equations for Video Games. Danmaku, or "manic shooters," are a genre of video games that feature intricate patterns of bullets that the player must avoid. The motion of the bullets is determined by parametric equations of varying complexity. Using a game engine, we will explore how various patterns can be produced through the use of parametric equations using both polar or Cartesian coordinate systems.

Celebration participants presented their research through a poster display or an oral presentation. Many students expounded on the results of their Senior Inquiry, a multiple-term research project required for most academic programs. Other students shared honors capstone projects or student-faculty research findings. Because of the advanced level of research involved, most of the presenters are upperclass students.

Anne Earel and Stefanie Bluemle, Augustana reference librarians and the event's co-directors, said the Celebration of Learning provided an outlet for students to showcase their accomplishments.

Presentations topics varied greatly and included anthropology, biology, physics, geography, gender studies, theater and more.