It’s no secret that overweight kids are typically not the most popular kids on the block. Nor is it news that kids can be mean, forming groups of “haves” and “have-nots,” gossiping, ostracizing their chunky classmates.
Cell Phones and Cancer: A Scientist’s Persuasive New Book
Dr. Devra Davis’s new book Disconnect — the result of an investigation into the data on cell phones and cancer, as well as the wireless industry’s efforts to stave off regulation — is convincing enough to give you pause …
CDC: 20% of Gay Men Are HIV-Positive, but Nearly Half Don’t Know It
Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that 1 in 5 sexually active gay and bisexual men in America are HIV-positive but that 44% of them don’t know it.
Why Are Black Bikers More Likely to Die in Crashes than Whites?
Motorcycle accident–related fatalities account for 1 in every 8 deaths on the road. And a new study suggests that blacks are at higher risk than whites: for every two white motorcyclists who die in accidents, three of their …
Did Johnson & Johnson Bury Data on Ortho-Evra’s Health Risks?
It’s should be common knowledge that the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Ortho-Evra birth-control patch has more risks than the birth control pill (it’s on the label) — because it exposes women to higher levels of hormone, it carries a …
Study: Vitamin C May Boost Mood in Acute Care Patients
For years now, a link between vitamin C and mood has been gaining traction in the field of nutritional research. A 2002 study in the journal Biological Psychiatry, for example, found that high doses of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) …
Will the Government’s Drug Take-Back Do Anything to Reduce Misuse?
Uncle Sam wants your drugs! This Saturday the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is sponsoring a nationwide prescription drug “take-back,” at 4,000 locations around the country.
Which School Lunch Bill Is Best?
Congress may decide this week between two bills aimed at improving school lunch nutrition. Everyone from Alice Waters to Jamie Oliver to Michelle Obama has gotten on the school-lunch bandwagon — a key target in the battle …
‘Formula Powered’? Lactivists Tussle with Old Navy
Tons of parents — myself included — buy their kids’ wardrobes at Old Navy. The clothes are cheap, cute … and controversial. This month, lactivist (translation: lactation activists) mommy bloggers hit fast and furious in …
How the First Nine Months Shape the Rest of Your Life
In this week’s TIME cover story, author Annie Murphy Paul writes: “What makes us the way we are? Why are some people predisposed to be anxious, overweight or asthmatic? How is it that some of us are prone to heart attacks, …
What the FDA’s Restriction of Avandia Means for Diabetes Patients
Now that the Food and Drug Administration has decided to strictly limit the use of the diabetes drug Avandia, what does that mean for patients?
Study: America Is Officially the Fattest Developed Country in the World
If you tuned into the season premier of the Biggest Loser last night — during which the reality show’s trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels toured the country collecting obese people — you got the message: Americans are …
For Women Who Want to Stay Slim, a Heavy Roommate Might Help
The myth of the dreaded “freshman 15,” it seems, is greatly exaggerated. That’s the average amount of weight that college freshmen supposedly gain after moving into dorms where beer and pizza are more plentiful than fresh …