On news stands today you can find People magazine's newest issue....People's 100 Most Beautiful issue. I don't know about you, but I always love to see who they pick. Some of their choices seem fairly obvious from year to year, but I have to say I was initially surprised when they revealed that Christina Applegate was their cover choice and the most Beautiful person of the year. Don't get me wrong I think she is beautiful, but usually their cover pick conveniently coincides with someone who is a real current "it" person in Hollywood. Yes, Ms. Applegate stars on the hit show "Samantha Who", but that show has been out a while and is not exciting news. I went over to People.com to read the article that accompanies the cover and it was immediately obvious why they chose her to grace the cover. Christina is a breast cancer survivor. This past year Ms. Applegate underwent a double mastectomy in July followed by breast reconstruction this past November. This made me smile. Finally, someone acknowledged for a REAL triumph! I applaud her for her courage to speak out about this terrible disease and her desire to give hope to others that might be suffering the same diagnosis. I think sometimes we all need to see the proof of the light at the end of the tunnel. My other congratulations to People magazine for taking a chance and not only putting the next "pretty face" on the cover, but putting an important story behind it. Congrats to both!

Breast cancer is an important issue that affects women of all ages. Make sure to perform monthly self breast exams and communicate with your doctor if you find any changes. See the video below for Dr. Walden's breast cancer screening and awareness tips!!