Disgraced Mary

By Kelly McFadden

In a loud voice she exclaimed, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"
Luke 1:42-45

Teen pregnancy is one of the most difficult things a young girl can go through. Some choose abortions so they don’t have to face their parents or friends with news that they are pregnant. Others who carry the child drop out of school and face the challenge of being shunned by family and friends. Let’s face it. Pregnant unwed teens are not looked upon with a great deal of respect, even in this more “tolerant” day and age, let alone throughout history.

Liver disease deaths jump 25% in England: study

AFP Relax

Deaths from liver disease have risen 25 percent in England in less than a decade, mainly due to increased alcohol consumption, a study revealed on Thursday.

Alcohol-related liver disease in Britain, notorious for its binge-drinking culture, accounted for over a third (37 percent) of the deaths, according to the National End of Life Care Intelligence Network report.

Obesity, hepatitis B and hepatitis C have also boosted the rate of liver disease deaths between 2001 and 2009, the authors of the government-commissioned study said.

The steep increase in liver disease deaths comes as mortality rates from other major causes of death, such as cancer and heart disease, are falling.

"Liver disease is the only big killer on the rise," said Andrew Langford, chief executive of the British Liver Trust, adding that higher alcohol prices and taxes on high-fat foods could help save lives.

Some 90 percent of victims are aged under 70, the study said, and a rising number of those dying are in their forties. Three-fifths of the victims are men.

There are three times as many deaths from alcoholic liver diseases in the poorest areas of the country than in its richest, the study found.

Britain was named binge-drinking capital of Europe in a 2010 study of the European Union's 27 nations.

A survey by EU pollsters Eurobarometer found that while the British are not Europe's most regular drinkers, they drink the most in one sitting.

Excessive drinking costs Britain £2.7 billion ($4.3 billion, 3.2 billion euros) a year, according to government figures, and has been described by Prime Minister David Cameron as "one of the scandals of our society".

Cameron is reportedly expected to announce a consultation on introducing a minimum price per unit of alcohol in the next few days.

http://ph.she.yahoo.com/liver-disease-deaths-jump-25-england-study-