March 06, 2010

Overcoming Abuse and Adversity

Weve all seen headlines or read statistics about child abuse. But what happens to the children once they're placed in foster care? Well talk to a woman who spent years in the system, who shares her story. Then, have you ever lost a million bucks? Shockingly, millions of Americans do just that over their lifetimes, simply by making some critical money mistakes. Find out what they are. And - two-thirds of Americans are overweight. So what is the cause of the strain on our waistlines? Would you believe economics?

Episode Segments:

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Lost in the System Childrens rights advocate Margaret Iuculano, author of My God Box, shares her story of a childhood that included abuse and numerous foster homes. She said many abused children slip through the cracks, languishing in foster care as their abuse cases meander through the courts. She talks about the failings within the foster home system and what concerned citizens can do to help.
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Breaking Your Nest Egg Making the wrong financial choices can be more costly than most Americans realize. Jeffrey Blyskal, Senior Editor of Consumer Reports outlines the results of a Consumer Reports analysis that compiled a list of 12 common financial mistakes which can cost an average consumer a total of $1 million. Nearly half of the potential pitfalls were related to retirement planning.
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The Fattening of America Over two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. Dr. Eric Finkelstein, health economist and co-author of The Fattening of America believes that Americas growing waistline is a by-product of our economic and technological success. He said that business and policy makers need to devise strategies to make it cheaper and easier to be thin.
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Links to Related Websites:

Order “My God Box” On Amazon.com Labeled an ‘incorrigible’ child, the author was pulled from school and her friends, and banished from the family home. I received a special gift—from the Holy Ghost enlighting me but more importantly I received a ‘calling’ to help others.” My God Box is the revelation of how Margaret shattered the victim mind-set; a self- defamatory attitude that actually made her more of a victim than the devastating circumstances of her life.

“The Fattening Of America” At Amazon.com Eric Finkelstein is a renowned health economist who has spent much of his career studying the economics of obesity. Now, with the help of coauthor Laurie Zuckerman, he skillfully reveals the economic drivers behind America's growing obesity epidemic, its impact on society, and what can be done to get the epidemic under control. The Fattening of America outlines the issues we must address in order to confront obesity and provides sensible strategies for reducing this burden. It explains how successful obesity prevention strategies can create an economy that helps America slim down and save money.

Guest(s) Appearing on this Episode

Margaret Iuculano Margaret Iuculano is a wife, mother, successful entrepreneur and child rights activist. She grew up in San Diego and worked for 15 years in the software consulting industry before purchasing her own software training and consulting company. Margaret served as CEO for 6 years before selling the company. She has been involved in several other entrepreneurial adventures, including designing and opening a wine bar and redeveloping a historic building. Margaret lives in Tampa, Florida, where she is actively involved in creating awareness about the issues facing foster children in the US. She hopes to build a group home that provides a safe, secure environment for the aging out of foster care children, so that they can become successful adults. Click here to visit her website