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egular readers of eDoc’s Health Tips have learned that sensible eating habits and maintenance of ideal weight are important keys to staying healthy. There are instances, however, that in spite of best intentions, weight loss becomes an unachievable goal. In many people who have had no success with conventional methods…

Last week’s Health Tip discussed osteopenia, the stage of bone density between normal and the disease state of abnormally low bone mass known as osteoporosis. While treatment with medications is usually warranted in someone with osteoporosis, this is not always the case with osteopenia. This has to do with the…

Most people are aware that osteoporosis is a disease characterized by “thinning” of the bones. The reduced bone density in osteoporosis is associated with a susceptibility to fractures, especially of the hip and spine. In the U.S., it is estimated that 10 million individuals, mostly women, have this condition. It…

Flu season is in full swing this year, with thousands of Americans suffering from its symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has estimated that an average of 36,000 people in the U.S. die from influenza or from its complications each year. Influenza is particularly hard on the elderly, people…

As most people know, heartburn has nothing to do with the heart. It is typically caused by gastric reflux, the regurgitation of acid from the stomach into the lower portion of the esophagus (the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach). The name comes from the similarity in symptoms…

Most of the sources that provide information on preparing for ski season focus on building physical endurance and strengthening specific muscles groups. I certainly have no arguments with a gradually increasing cardiovascular exercise program that incorporates some interval training, particularly for those in whom skiing represents a one or two…

Everyone has seen the dates posted on various food products – “Use-By …”, “Best-By …”, “Sell-By …”. What do these different categories of food dating mean and are there exceptions to these designations? With the exception of infant formula, food dating is not required by the Federal government. Several states,…

It’s cold and flu season. Your co-worker in the next cubicle has a mound of Kleenex on his desk, obviously nursing a cold. Following a sneezing fit, you can practically see the germs coming over the cubicle wall seeking someone else to infect. With the common wintertime illnesses, what is…

The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) is a consumer-advocacy group whose stated mission is to “support parents’ efforts to raise healthy families by limiting commercial access to children and ending the exploitive practice of child-targeted marketing.” Each year, they announce their worst toy of the year, which has the…

Illness from influenza has already been confirmed in 48 states. This is the earliest that the nation has recorded this much activity in a decade. Unusually intense flu activity has been reported in a number of southern states including Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas. The type of flu being…