crystal paul is a democratic strategist and dr. rajor health nation.com and a contributory the "today" show. good afternoon to both of you. doctor, first lady michelle obama has made this her signature issue as the first lady within the white house. >> that's right. >> do you think that we are beginning to see signs that the public health attack on obesity is beginning to have an affect? >> well, i certainly hope so. we just heard that the rates have plateaued. i don't think this is anything to great our elves for. as you said, one-third of americans are obese. that's a staggering number. we're talking about obese, if you add the overweight people, that's two-thirds of our population. this is a health care crisis even though the rates have plate plateaued, it's still a huge number of people getting stick from diseases associated with obesity whether cancer, diabetes, heart disease. as they age it is going to get worse. we're already spending billions of dollars on health care and the costs are going to rise as the people age. the thing

"today" contributor dr. raj, contributing medical editor from health magazine has tips to keep our hearts healthy and strong through the decades. good to see you. >> good to see you, al. >> with 80% preventable, the leading cause of death between men and women, why are so many of us dying? >> unfortunately we are in a country now where the majority of people are overweight or obese, a huge risk factor for heart disease. we are not eating properly, taking care of ourselves. it is preventable in the majority of cases. >> we need to start early. let's start with your 20s. this is a time nobody's thinking about heart disease. you say we should bel. >> studies have shown that early habits can affect your long-term risk. if you have a good risk profile in your 40s you probably won't get heart disease. start early on, even in childhood. starting at any age is never too late. in your 20s focus on exercise. get into a good routine. start good habits early. don't smoke. this is the age where a lot of young people pick up

there are tests and treatments for it. >> dr. raj, now we know the difference. thanks. up next, how to protect yourself from identity theft including a list of what documents to shred. plus a happy milestone for elizabeth smart. her kidnapping and rescue made headlines more than a decade ago. now she'sengaged. details after this. are america's softest... no wonder people want to share them with the ones they love. ♪ ♪ start your own chain of sharing. ♪ send a kleenex brand share package for free today at kleenex.com. kleenex. softness worth sharing. might seem... ♪ ...impossible. no, no... well how about the purp? ew! ♪ yeah. wow. unless you have eggo® waffles. they're quick and easy to make, and there's something about them... that just makes people move. [ male announcer ] golden crispy outside, warm and fluffy inside. who says breakfast together can't be done? [ male announcer ] eggo® waffles. simply delicious. you bet. wow. man: do your simple return with the turbo tax federal free edition, and now get our free one-on-one expert tax advice live by phone or chat. get

dr. raj is a "today" contributor and contributing editor to "health" magazine.py new year. >> happy new year to you. >> everybody's resolution is to exercise more. you've got another reason why you need to do that. >> at health.com we did a poll that showed women who exercise feel more energized, the vast majority after just exercising a half hour, 45 minutes a day. >> even if you don't have that time you can still squeeze out something. >> absolutely, even ten minutes a day helps you feel more energized for two to three hours. go for a brisk walk with a friend is better. even ten minutes a day makes a significant impact on your mood and energy level. >> something as simple as stretching can help. >> stretching is very important first of all it can prevent injuries, stretching before and after exercise but just stretching on its own can actually get the blood flowing through the muscles, get your nerves moving and energize you. you don't need to go to a gym. using your own doorway in the house, hold on to the doorway can get everything moving. >> during your wor

once you get her going. >> you crank me up and i can't quit. >> paula deen, and dr. rajatest, mohammed ali turns 70 today. and then the most adorable baby photos you will ever see, besides your baby's, but first, these messages. ...98, 99, 100! ready or not, here i come! ♪ found ya! you always find me. you always hide here. [ male announcer ] tim and richard smucker have always loved the taste of just-picked fruit. so it's no wonder why today smucker's makes the world's best jam. for five generations, with a name like smucker's, it has to be good. needs long term relief. eucerin calming creme. it soothes dry, itchy skin with a triple-acting formula. no wonder calm, comfortable skin starts with eucerin. nyquil tylenol: we are?ylenol. you know we're kinda like twins. nyquil (stuffy): yeah, we both relieve coughs, sneezing, aches, fevers. tylenol: and i relieve nasal congestion. nyquil (stuffy): overachiever. anncr vo: tylenol cold multi-symptom nighttime relieves nasal congestion... nyquil cold & flu doesn't. so i used my citi thank you card to pick up some accessories. a

second, along with the great leadership of dr. raj shah, we are transforming our approach to development. we have made a long-term commitment to rebuilding usaid as the world's premier development agency. under the usaid forward reform agenda, we have strengthened aid's capacity to elevate development as a pillar of civilian power. we've built up the policy, planning, and learning bureau. and i especially liked that initiative because we need to be constantly a learning organism. what can we do bern? what can we learn from others? it is now a thought leader on development. adopting an outstanding system for monitoring and evaluating our work around the world, reinvigorating our investments in science technology and innovation, and stepping up our focus on democracy, human rights, and governance. we're also consolidating our administrative services when it makes sense from a business and operations perspective. you know, it no longer makes sense in a world of constrained resources in countries to have separate warehouses for state depa

dr. raj is here to help. she's the contributing medical editor for "health" magazine.'t the deal here. in winter it's the fact that we are in closed quarters because it's cold outside and that increases your exposure to germs. there are things you can do to fend them off. >> first you say watch what you eat. >> diet can make a difference. first of all have protein to help the white blood cells grow and be strong. that helps us fight infection. antioxidants are great. brightly colored fruits and vegetables can help fight off and increase immunity. finally, omega 3 fatty acids are great for the heart and good for your immune system. fish, flaxseeds. >> what about vitamin c? >> lots of controversy. studies have been conflicting in terms of preventing the cold. but shortening the duration, that has been proved. it's great to get it naturally through fruits. oranges, grapefruit. it may shorten the cold and maybe lessen symptoms a little bit. >> this is the one we heard. have a bowl of chicken soup. it can't hurt. >> right. >> you say it's not the chicken soup but the warm l

second, along with the great leadership of dr. raj shah, we are transforming our approach to development. we've made a long-term commitment to rebuilding usaid as the world's premier development agency. under the usaid forward reform agenda, we've strengthened aid's capacity to elevate development l as a pillar of civilian power. we've built up the policy, planning and learning bureau, and i especially liked that initiative because we need to be constantly a learning organism. what can we do better, what can we learn from others. it is now a thought leader on development, adopting an outstanding system for monitoring and evaluating our work around the world, reinvigorating our investments in science, technology and inthough vegas and stepping up our focus on democracy, human rights and governance. we're also consolidating our administrative services when it make sense from a business and operations perspective. you know, it no longer makes sense in a world of con trained -- constrained resources in countries to have separate warehouse