Michelle Obama 'Scared' President Obama Into Quitting Smoking

dinsdag 24 september 2013

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
by Maressa Brown 2 hours ago

When President Obama took office, he was thought to be many things -- a revolutionary, a change-agent, and a smoker ... Ick. But POTUS recently said that he's kicked the nasty habit -- and it's all thanks to FLOTUS Michelle Obama.

Obama was overheard yesterday telling a United Nations official, "I haven't had a cigarette in six years ... that's because I'm scared of my wife." Ha, oh jeeze. Whether or not that six-year timeframe is 100 percent true is up for debate. In 2009, Obama said: "I've said before that as a former smoker I constantly struggle with it. Have I fallen off the wagon sometimes? Yes. Am I a daily smoker, a constant smoker? No." Well, even if that's the case, it's still good news. And proof that Michelle has done a fab job encouraging her husband to lay off the death sticks.

Sounds like she called in for backup to get the job done. Last year, Michelle explained that Barack's motivation to squash his smoking for good was their daughters, Sasha and Malia. FLOTUS told iVillage:

I know that his ability to ultimately kick the habit was because of the girls, because they're at the age now where you can't hide. I think that he didn't want to look his girls in the eye and tell them that they shouldn't do something that he was still doing.

Interesting. So President Obama's "scared" of not just his wife but his daughters? Ha, hey, whatever it takes! Everyone has different reasons for finally quitting, but I wouldn't be surprised if one of the biggest, most common motivators is doing it for a loved one ...

I've been hounding reminding my parents for a couple of years now that there's no way my husband and I are going to be comfortable with them smoking the way they do and being around their future grandchildren. (Even if they do it outside, they're bound to bring the smell into the house, which I just can't see myself tolerating.) I'm not counting my chickens, but I think what I've been saying may have finally started getting through to at least my mom, who started using an e-cigarette just this week. Fingers crossed it's the first step in the right direction!

Like Obama, she may joke at some point that I bullied or "scared" her into quitting, but if she's no longer a smoker then, it'll have been well worth it! 

What have you done to urge loved ones to quit smoking -- or what have loved ones done to help you?

Image via jurvetson/Flickr

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Maressa Brown

has enjoyed reporting and writing for a variety of entertainment and women's magazines and websites. More often than not, you'll find her blogging, hitting the gym, reading, researching something on her iPhone, laughing, chatting at an above-"normal" volume, or getting her caffeine fix.

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You Can't Stop Your Teen From Smoking But This Person Can

maandag 26 augustus 2013

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
by Emily Abbate 4 hours ago

443,000: the amount of people that smoking kills every year in the United States alone. It's a lot. It's scary. And as a parent, it's natural to want to do everything you can to prevent your child from being part of this statistic. However, new data reveals that you may not be the person that can stop your teen from picking up the cancer sticks. The person who can? Their doctor.

According to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, teens are less likely to try smoking if they received some sort of counseling from their doctor or another health provider. I'm not talking about a marathon sit down meeting, either. The study says that even a "very minimal intervention" from a doctor's office like a mailing of pamphlets can make a major difference.

Hmmmm. I don't know if I 100 percent believe getting a pamphlet in the mail would prevent a teen from smoking over a one-on-one with Mom and Dad. Regardless, it doesn't matter what gets them to stop -- it's just that they do.

Sometimes that's a hard theory to accept as a parent, though. When it comes to what's best for your child, you want to be the person who helps instill good values in them. The reality? As this smoking study indicates, that's not always how things work out. What's important is that your child has access to the right information at the right times. What's important is the simple fact that they're learning about the things that are good for them, not necessarily who they're learning it from.

Besides, we can all relate to that natural inclination that so many teens have to want to discover the world and find things out for themselves. When Mom and Dad tell them what's best, even if it is for health reasons, that curiosity still lingers. It's part of growing up. As a parent, the best thing you can do is keep an open dialogue and let them know that no matter what their decisions may be -- you'll be there to talk it out with them in the end.

Do you think this study is legitimate? Do you think your teen listens to others before you, sometimes?

Image via Fried Dough/ Flickr

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Lindsay Lohan Doesn't Have to Quit Smoking to Prove She's on the Mend

woensdag 21 augustus 2013

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
by Maressa Brown 2 hours ago

Lindsay Lohan may have sworn up and down to Oprah that she's turning over a new leaf and striving to lead a clean, sober life post-rehab, but that hasn't stopped her from lighting up. Since her OWN interview aired, the actress has been photographed smoking cigarettes at various locations, my favorite of which has to be on an NYC sidewalk right after taking a Soul Cycle spin class. HA! 

So much for embracing a completely healthy lifestyle! But hey, baby steps, right?

I mean, let's be real here. While it would be awesome to think Lindsay might have walked out of rehab Adderall-, alcohol-, coke-, and nicotine-free, I'm actually not at all surprised that she's still having at the cancer sticks. It just wouldn't be realistic to expect LiLo to have dropped every single crappy habit she's battled over the past, what, 10+ years already. You can't expect someone who is battling various addiction demons to take on too much at once.

More from The Stir: Is Lindsay Lohan Headed for a Breakthrough or Breakdown? (VIDEO)

When you have much bigger, more immediately pressing health issues/concerns to contend with -- like Lindsay does -- I don't see any point in freaking out about the slightly (key word -- cigarettes are still disgusting) less detrimental, more minor vices. One thing at a time! It's a little bit like trying to lose weight by eating frozen meals or 100-calorie snack bars. No, they're not ideal, whole, super-nutritious foods, but if they can help you learn basic portion control and calorie-counting, at least it's somewhere to start.

Sure, doing a "full clean sweep" and completely trading all of her toxic vices for green juice, chia seeds, and meditation straightaway would have probably been a bit too ambitious for Lindz. Of course I hope she'll kick the cigs at some point, but in the meantime, we should take heart in the fact that it looks like the worst thing she's doing right now is smoking her brains out. Which is totally gross, but it's not like it's going to keep her from moving on with her life. As long as she stays far away from falling back on the bottle and/or anything else illegal, she's in better shape than she was before!

How do you feel about LiLo continuing to light up?

Image via JDH Images/Splash News

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Maressa Brown

has enjoyed reporting and writing for a variety of entertainment and women's magazines and websites. More often than not, you'll find her blogging, hitting the gym, reading, researching something on her iPhone, laughing, chatting at an above-"normal" volume, or getting her caffeine fix.

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reacties | | Read More...