Special Coverage: Health and Wellness

Obama's Health Care Reform Plan Is Based on the Clintons' Failed 1990s Model

Marie Cocco, Washington Post Writers Group. December 4, 2008.
Look only to the Detroit automakers' current economic straits to understand why.

From the blogs

Obama Must Use Health Care to Fix the Economy ... Here's How

by Steve Benen, Washington Monthly

The financial crisis isn't an excuse to push off health care reform until the economy grows. In fact, it's quite the opposite.

World AIDS Day: It Is Time to Stop 'Aidsism'

by Susan Blumenthal, M.D., Melissa Shive, Huffington Post

We must put an end to the discrimination that people living with HIV/AIDS experience every day.

Cholera Outbreak in Zimbabwe a Humanitarian and Water Crisis

by Abigail Brown, Water For The Ages

Just one more painful reminder that the call for clean, safe water for everyone is a must.

Would Passing Universal Health Care Kill the GOP?

by Nicholas Graham

Signs point to yes.

Daschle as HHS Secretary: A Look at the Pros and Cons

by Melissa McEwan, Shakesville

I'm okay with this selection -- and that's exactly as noncommittal a reaction as it sounds.

New Theory on Mental Illness Misses Bigger Picture

by Jay Neugeboren, Huffington Post

Why is it so much easier to find funds for studying mental disorders than it is to find funds to help the people who live with those disorders?

Poised for Health Care Reform

by Julia Eisman, Stand Up for Health Care

"With the Obama victory, the question is no longer whether we'll pursue comprehensive healthcare reform, but when and in what form."

The Dangers of McCain's Plan to Sell Health Insurance Across State Lines

by Ella Hushagen, Stand Up for Health Care

A recent study shows that treating health insurance like an item on eBay would reduce costs for the healthy and raise them for everyone else.

Karl Rove Thinks He's Smarter Than 2,900 Doctors Regarding McCain's Health

by ZP Heller, Brave New Films

Rove twists NY Times medical reporter's findings in McCain's favor.

To Your Health (The McCain Medical Records Song)

by Max Bernstein, Huffington Post

A new animated music video from Max and the Marginalized

Why It Can Take a Year to Get a Mammogram in the U.S.

Abby Christopher, AlterNet. December 4, 2008.
More radiologists are shying away from breast imaging, creating longer waits that may be leading women to put off or forgo screenings.

Sex Ed for Seniors

Sue Katz, Consenting Adult. December 3, 2008.
Yes, seniors have sex. We need to create resources for them to learn about safer-sex practices.

Renowned Psychiatrists on Drug Company Payrolls

Bruce E. Levine, AlterNet. December 2, 2008.
Money from pharmaceutical companies has corrupted much of the psychiatric profession.

Obama's Plan to End the HIV/AIDS Crisis

Kaytee Riek, RH Reality Check. December 1, 2008.
Obama promises to leave behind ideology-driven debates over how to spend money, and instead put common sense and science first.

Health Care: It's Time for a Major Overhaul

Alexander Zaitchik, AlterNet. December 1, 2008.
A huge coalition of progressive and union forces is gearing up for political battle on the health care front.

Weekly Pulse: What Obama's Cabinet Picks Will Mean for Our Health

Lindsay Beyerstein, The Media Consortium. November 28, 2008.
Your weekly guide to the progressive media's best reporting on health and health care.

Disturbing Diabetes Trends

Barbara Hesselgrave, Miller-McCune.com. November 27, 2008.
The incidence of type 2 diabetes has almost doubled in the last decade. And Hispanics are disproportionately affected.

Worried Sick: How Vulnerable Are You Really to Heart Attack, Stroke or Breast Cancer?

Maggie Mahar, Health Beat. November 27, 2008.
Americans are bombarded with messages that death and danger are just around the corner. Reality is usually much different.

Work: The Key to Anti-Aging?

Jeremy Laurance, Independent UK. November 26, 2008.
Relaxation is important, but retirement may well be overrated.

Health Care Game-Changer Underway?

David Sirota, Campaign for America's Future. November 25, 2008.
America is a decidedly center-left nation, especially on the issue of health care. Obama now has a budget imperative to reform it immediately.

Cigarette Consumption Down 28 Percent in 10 Years

Marie Cocco, Washington Post Writers Group. November 25, 2008.
It's hard to believe that as recently as 2000, people could smoke on planes.

Why the Economic Crisis Shouldn't Mean Putting Off Health Care

Monica Sanchez, Campaign for America's Future. November 24, 2008.
We can't afford not to tackle our health care crisis.

Stem Cell Research Heads for a Renaissance

Rick Weiss, Science Progress. November 24, 2008.
New stem cell therapies may be a step closer to being tested in humans.

Meditation May Protect Your Brain

Michael Haederle, Miller-McCune.com. November 22, 2008.
Research is confirming the medicinal effects that advocates have long claimed for meditation.

This Week in Health

Lindsay Beyerstein, The Media Consortium. November 21, 2008.
A roundup of this week's best independent, progressive reporting on health.

Revealed: Gulf War Syndrome is Real, Caused by Pills and Pesticides

Kim Sengupta, Independent UK. November 20, 2008.
A groundbreaking study has found that pills given to U.S. and British troops to counter nerve gas is one of the causes of Gulf War Syndrome.

Industry and EPA Collaborated to Hide the Truth about How Natural Gas Drilling Is Threatening Drinking Water

Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica. November 20, 2008.
One of the greatest threats to our water and our health may come from a process involved in natural gas drilling. But EPA is keeping mum.

"Cure" for AIDS Stumbled Upon?

Todd Heywood, RH Reality Check. November 18, 2008.
Doctors in Berlin are reporting that a man may have eliminated the virus from his body after a bone marrow transplant.

How to Provide Healthcare for All Kids

Donna Norton, Huffington Post. November 17, 2008.
Children are the least expensive population to insure -- there's no good reason why we can't cover all kids now.

The Dangers of Do-It-Yourself DNA Testing

Niko Karvounis, Health Beat. November 14, 2008.
Pay $399 and spit in a tube, and you can have your genome mapped. But is it healthy to track your genetic lottery, disease by disease?

How Crying Can Make You Healthier

Roger Dobson, The Independent UK. November 14, 2008.
We all know a good cry helps to soothe our minds. Now doctors are discovering that tears may help to heal our bodies, too.

Are Toilets a Good Measure of a Country's Health?

Laura Orlando, In These Times. November 13, 2008.
A new book argues toilets and sewers are the key to improved sanitation and health. But reality is more complex -- and toxic.

Overworked, Vacation-Starved America Ranks #1 in Depression, Mental Health Problems

Silja J.A. Talvi, In These Times. November 13, 2008.
U.S. workers' lives are beginning to look a lot like they did 100 years ago when 14-hour days were the norm.

U.S. Still Losing a Brigade's Worth of Vets Every Year to Suicide

Penny Coleman, AlterNet. November 11, 2008.
Obviously, the most immediate and reliable way to prevent soldier suicides is to get troops out of harm's way -- bring them home.

Raped in the Military? You May Have to Pay for Your Own Forensic Exam Kit

Penny Coleman, AlterNet. November 11, 2008.
This outrage gives "supporting the troops" a whole new meaning.

Where Should Health Care Rank on Obama's List of Priorities?

Maggie Mahar, Health Beat. November 10, 2008.
If health care reform is done in a way that contains costs and lifts quality, it will take time and serious seed money.

Bioethics: Advice for the Next President

Bernard Lo, M.D., Science Progress. November 10, 2008.
The president and the nation need expert, thoughtful, balanced advice on difficult bioethical issues.

Why Do Women Often Feel Colder Than Men?

Kate Wighton, The Independent UK. November 10, 2008.
New research is suggesting that we all feel the cold differently.

Michael Pollan: Eating Is a Political Act

Mark Eisen, The Progressive. November 8, 2008.
Michael Pollan discusses food production, consumer choices, the future of organics and climate change.

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What To Eat

Marion Nestle is arguably one of the foremost experts in public health nutrition. If you have questions about food policy, prices or any other aspect of healthy eating, chances are her blog has answers. Check it out!

SafeCosmetics.org

Personal care products like shampoo, deodorant and makeup often contain cocktails of toxic chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects. Learn what's lurking in your cosmetics and find out what you can do about it by visiting safecosmetics.org.

Breast Cancer Fund

Only 10 percent of breast cancers are genetic. That means the disease is largely preventable. Learn about the risk factors in your life and find out how you can take action by visiting breastcancerfund.org.

Reform Plans

Find out how Obama and McCain's health care plans compare at reformplans.com.

Families USA

High-quality, affordable health care should be a right for all Americans. For 25 years, Families USA has been fighting to make this a reality. Visit their Web site to learn more and to take action on a variety of consumer health care issues from private insurance to prescription drugs.

Health Policy Watch

To follow the debate on health care policy and get in-depth ideas on achieving universal coverage, visit healthpolicywatch.org.