By Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – The author of "Fight Fat After Forty" will be appearing in Buffalo Tuesday morning. Dr. Pamela Peeke, a national expert on women's health, will be the keynote speaker at the kickoff breakfast of the Western New York Women's Health Task Force.
Diet, nutrition, stress and improving the self image of women are the focus of Peeke's work. She is the medical correspondent for Health Week on PBS. Peeke says women must watch how much they eat and what they eating in order to control their weight.
"I always find it fascinating when a woman says 'I sat down to dinner and ate exactly what Herb had.' Why were you doing that? You are five foot three, he's six foot two. You shouldn't be doing that," Peeke said. "He is a different species -- they are called men."
Peeke says it's difficult for women to metabolize and work off certain foods, especially after the age of 40.
"If a woman is able to curtail her starch intake at dinner time and instead try it as a treat once or twice a week, rather than every single night, she would do much better," Peek said. She does not need those extra calories. By starches, I mean bread, pastas, rice and potatoes."
Peeke says the greatest stress for a woman is "care giving" -- without caring for herself. And for women beginning menopause, Peeke says they need keep fit and eat right. The doctor suggests 30 to 45 minutes of cardio a day, like walking, plus weight lifting twice a week and eating plenty of dark leafy green vegetables.
Peeke will be speaking Tuesday morning at 8:00 at the Hyatt in downtown Buffalo. There are a limited number of tickets remaining, but can be purchased at the door for $25. A series of forums will be held this spring by the Western New York Women's Health Task Force. It was formed by the Niagara Health Quality Coalition to improve women's health in this region.