Celebrity Health Challenges

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• Governor Chris Christie lashes out about his weight.

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Christina Applegate’s Empowering Message
Emmy Award-winning actress Christina Applegate faced a grim health prognosis when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2008. Christina confronted her health challenge with both grace and grit, becoming an advocate, an entrepreneur and a mother in the process, all while maintaining a steady film and television career. Today, Christina remains cancer-free and stands as a beacon of hope for other women struggling with a breast cancer diagnosis.

Christina discusses how her foundation, Right Action for Women, educates women and provides aid to high-risk individuals who do not have health insurance or the financial flexibility to cover the high costs associated with breast screenings.

Taking the Right Action:
“This is not your grandma’s disease. This is not even an over 45 disease. I have a few women that I talk to over the phone that are going through this. Every single one of them is under the age of 35,” Christina says.

Encouraging Self-Esteem:
Christina discusses her creative involvement with FabKids, a unique, personalized fashion line targeted toward adolescent girls. See how finding stylish outfits for your daughter can be easy, affordable and fun!

“We love to take the trends that are happening in women’s wear but make them kid-appropriate,” explains FabKids head designer Denise Kalinowski.

• Enter the code DOCTORS50 for an exclusive 50 percent discount off your first order at FabKids!

Toni Braxton’s Off-Stage Health Challenge

Six-time Grammy winner Toni Braxton is one of the most successful female R&B recording artists of all time. Selling more than 60 million records, she rose to fame in the early ‘90s and went on to add Broadway star and actress to her resumé; however, Toni recently faced a new obstacle in her life after being diagnosed with lupus, a mysterious, autoimmune disorder that attacks a wide range of body parts, from joints and skin to the brain, blood vessels, kidneys and other vital organs. In Toni’s case, lupus primarily affects her heart.

Lupus affects approximately 1.5 million Americans and women are two to three times more likely to develop lupus than men, particularly women of African-American descent.

The Family Fitness Challenge

The Doctors collaborated with USA Weekend and USA Today to launch the annual Family Fitness Challenge, a program specifically formulated to inspire families across the country to eat healthier, shape up and lose weight. Click here to learn more!

The Doctors and USA Weekend

The Doctors has an exciting partnership with USA Weekend magazine as the exclusive medical contributors to its weekly HealthSmart column!

• Latest: Immunizations.
• Check out USA Weekend for more information.
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Toni recounts her symptoms and the extensive testing that was conducted before receiving an official diagnosis of lupus.

Toni’s strong family ties have helped her cope, which is chronicled in the hit WE tv reality show Braxton Family Values.

Carter’s Kids
HGTV host Carter Oosterhouse founded Carter’s Kids, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating and promoting awareness of fitness and self-esteem for America’s youth.

Sponsored by Lowe’s Home Improvement, Carter’s Kids constructs new playgrounds in underserved areas of the country and gives children a reason to go outside, be active and reduce the rates of childhood obesity with play.

“Childhood obesity is the main problem that we see every day, so if we can give kids something attractive to play on, I mean, the smiles are from ear to ear with these kids,” Carter says.

A School in Need:
See how the students of Alliance College-Ready Middle Academy #7 in South Los Angeles are affected by inadequate outdoor activity.