Is this coming to an employer near you? For employees at Clarian Health, feeling the burn of trying to lose weight will take on new meaning. In late June, the Indianapolis-based hospital system announced that starting in 2009, it will fine employees $10 per paycheck if their body mass index [BMI, a ratio of height to weight that measures body … Read More
Stupid Quote Of The Day
Rep. J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.): “Folks, that’s the bottom line: It’s government-paid health care,” . “It’s a bad bill for a bad time, and it’s coming under the false pretenses of trying to do something for children.” Statements like that are why the Republicans lost control of Congress in 2006, and why Hastert is no longer House speaker. He’s talking, … Read More
Policy Trumps Facts: Part XXVII
Yet another example emerges of the Bush Adminstration keeping you in the dark: A surgeon general’s report in 2006 that called on Americans to help tackle global health problems has been kept from the public by a Bush political appointee without any background or expertise in medicine or public health, chiefly because the report did not promote the administration’s policy … Read More
Yeah! It’s THEIR Fault!
New study says you’re fat because your friends make you eat. Obesity spreads through social networks, according to the study, so if your friends put on weight, you’re more likely to put on the pounds, too. Your family members or spouse can also influence you; as they get heavier, you’re more likely to gain along with them. But, your friends—even … Read More
Socialized Medicine? No, Just Good Sense
Anonymous Liberal’s takedown of John Stossel is too good not to reprint here: In his latest column, John Stossel mocks Michael Moore and explains why our health care system would be so much better if we just allowed the free market to work its magic. He writes: America’s medical system has problems, but profit is the least of it. Government … Read More
Once You’re Out Of The Womb, You’re On Your Own
It’s amazing how Bush can care soooo much about fetuses, and so little about children: The White House said on Saturday that President Bush would veto a bipartisan plan to expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program, drafted over the last six months by senior members of the Senate Finance Committee. The vow puts Mr. Bush at odds with the Democratic … Read More
Cult Of Personality Trumps Health Care
Unbelieveable: Former Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona told a Congressional panel Tuesday that top Bush administration officials repeatedly tried to weaken or suppress important public health reports because of political considerations. The administration, Dr. Carmona said, would not allow him to speak or issue reports about stem cells, emergency contraception, sex education, or prison, mental and global health issues. Top … Read More
No, I Am Funny — You’re Just Old
As I get older, it’s natural that the average age of my peers gets higher. Which explains why I’m not as "funny" as I used to be. The truth is, I’m just as funny as always — it’s just that my geriatric peers don’t "get" my jokes. And here’s scientific proof: A new psychology study at Washington University was no … Read More
Another Old Wive’s Tale Laid To Rest
It turns out …you can stand in front of an operating microwave.
The Cost Of Ignorance
Heather points to this upsetting story: A couple says their vacation was ruined when an RV park owner told them they weren’t welcome after discovering their 2-year-old foster son had the HIV virus. Last week, Dick and Silvia Glover went to the Wales West RV Park in Silver Hill, Ala., with their foster son Caleb. When the boy was banned … Read More
But Can I Bill For It?
Guess what? When you space out, you’re actually problem-solving: Daydreaming might feel like the ultimate waste of time, but it’s just the opposite. Recent research from Dartmouth College suggests that during daydreaming, your brain may actually be processing important issues that aren’t relevant at that immediate moment — anything from strategizing about tonight’s dinner to wondering about your kid’s mysterious … Read More
Red vs Blue
Some interesting facts about red vs blue states: The Commonwealth Fund report, "Aiming Higher: Results from a State Scorecard on Health System Performance," examined states’ performance across 32 indicators of health care access, quality, outcomes and hospital use. Topping the list were Hawaii, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. Bringing up the rear were the Bush bastions of Kentucky, Louisiana, … Read More
The Jesus Diet
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At Last, An Invention Worth Buying
HP is making digital cameras with "slimming technology". That’s right — as a standard feature in some of their cameras, the subjects will look subtly thinner. C/Net explains how for the geeks out there. Pretty smart feature.
Heather & Jeff Maggs Do Not Need To Be Quarantined
AP: A man with a form of tuberculosis so dangerous he is under the first U.S. government-ordered quarantine since 1963 had health officials around the world scrambling Wednesday to find about 80 passengers who sat within five rows of him on two trans-Atlantic flights. The man told a newspaper he took the first flight from Atlanta to Europe for his … Read More