At one point or other, most of us have said something like, “I’d give my left nut if I could….” That always seems like a pretty safe comment. After all, chances are pretty slim that we’d actually have to sacrifice a testicle for whatever it is we want. And even if we did, we’d still...Continue reading
Category: Health
Why Does U.S. Expectancy Lag Behind Other Countries?
If you look at the raw data on life expectancy at birth in industrialized countries, you’ll notice right away that Americans are pretty close to the bottom of the pile. And while life expectancy in the US has increased over time, we haven’t kept pace with other high-income countries. The fact that Americans live shorter...Continue reading
Could You Be Twice the Man You Think You Are?
I recently did a post on how parents of overweight and obese children routinely underestimate just how overweight their kids are. A recent study from Ireland has found that overweight adults are at least as clueless (or in denial) about their own weight. And they get less and less accurate over time. Over the course...Continue reading
Think Twice about That Milk Mustache
In a development that will surely upset dairy farmers and the milk lobby, researchers have found a link between dairy consumption and prostate cancer. The headlines you may see talk mostly about whole milk, but skim milk and low-fat milk are potentially problematic too. The findings were based on the the Physicians’ Health Study, which...Continue reading
American Men (and Women) Have Shorter Lives Than Counterparts in Other Rich Nations
On average, Americans die sooner and experience higher rates of disease and injury than people in other high-income countries, says a new report from the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. The report finds that this health disadvantage exists at all ages from birth to age 75 and that even advantaged Americans — those...
For Men Only: Eating Chocolate is Better for Men Than Women
In news that will undoubtedly make women around the world extremely jealous, researchers in the United Kingdom have found that eating dark chocolate does a better job of protecting men than women from heart disease, blood clots, and stroke.
Literary Convention and the Slaughter of Innocent Children
As we try to absorb the tragic events at the school shooting in New Town, Connecticut, various sages have come out of the background to tell us what it all means, and what we can do about it. Gun control advocates – long ignored by our political leaders – have told us, reasonably enough, that...
Nutrition Roundup–Turning the Grocery Store into a Health Food Store
It seems like there’s a new study just about every day that talks about the almost magical healing properties of whatever food is trendy. Here are a few food items that may still be a little bit under the radar. As with anything having to do with your health, be sure to speak with your...Continue reading
Smoking: There’s Bad News, Really Bad News, and some Good News
When we talk about the many dangers of cigarettes, we tend to think of a grizzled, three-pack-a-day smoker who’s been puffing for a few decades. Time to throw out those old stereotypes. The bad news: A new analysis of data from the famous Nurse’s Health Study (which tracked 101,000 American nurses for more than 30...Continue reading
Want to Live Long and Prosper? Start Pumping Iron When You’re Young
If you were weak as a teenager, you’re at increased risk of becoming ill and/or dying from a number of factors, including obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden studied more than 1 million Swedish 16-19-year old males and gave them strength tests at the beginning of the...Continue reading