Consumerist
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dead frogs
Walmart Refunds For Dead Frog Found In Salad
"Oh my God, I see eyes!" screamed Carla Hill after opening a bag of greens from Walmart. More » -
pre-existing conditions
Skinny Toddlers Also Can't Get Insurance?
We guess we should have seen this one coming. After news broke of the uninsurable fat baby last week, MSNBC found a similar case on the other end of the spectrum. A Colorado family with a 22-pound two-year-old says that United HealthCare told them their daughter Aislin is too small to qualify for insurance under their guidelines. More » -
outbreaks
Tiny Turtles Spread Joy, Salmonella
Turtles remain a popular pet with kids. In 1975 the U.S. banned the sale of ones smaller than 4 inches, but the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) estimates almost 2 million were being kept as pets as of 2006. They're also responsible for one of the slowest outbreaks of salmonella we've seen in recent years. More » -
health
People Ate More After Calories Got Posted At Fast Food Joints
Calorie posting is supposed to help people make healthier eating choices, but study of fast food joints in poor New York neighborhoods saw customers eating more calories after the calories went up on the sign. More » -
pre-existing conditions
Fat Little Babies Can't Get Insurance?
Up until yesterday, 4-month-old Alex Lange was considered uninsurable by Rocky Mountain Health Plans because he was above the 95th percentile for height and weight for his age—that gave him a pre-existing condition of obesity, and earned him a stamp of rejection. More » -
websites
Swine Flu Self-Assessment Saves You Worrying
Do you have H1N1 flu? Probably! Aaaugghh! But before you haul your feverish butt to a clinic or a doctor, consider taking this free online flu self-assessment test from Emory University. It probably could have been combined into a one-page flowchart, but that's not as much fun as pressing YES/NO buttons. More » -
health care
The Best States For Health Care
A new report has been published that ranks the quality of health care for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It's not looking too swell for people who live in the South. More » -
safety
The 10 Riskiest Foods That Aren't Meat Or Poultry
This list of the 10 riskiest foods might surprise you at first, because there's no mention of any sort of meat or poultry. But that's because it's from the FDA, which doesn't regulate those two food categories. When it comes to produce, dairy, eggs and seafood, here's what to watch out for, listed in order from most outbreaks to least. More » -
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smokin'
Would You "Smoke" E-Cigarettes?
With smoking banned just about everyplace except for that tiny spot behind the loading dock, more committed nicotine fiends are turning to e-cigarettes, battery-powered, cig-shaped devices that you can dangle off your lip just about anywhere. Proponents say they offer a healthier alternative to tobacco for smokers who have trouble quitting. But health concerns have led to warnings from the FDA that the fakes contain cancer-causing ingredients. Oops.
Inside: Poll - Would you "smoke" e-cigarettes? More » -
medicine
Find Flu Shot, Cheap Generics With Medtipster
Medtipster is a website that locates nearby sources of discount generic versions of prescription drugs, as well as flu and other immunization shots. You enter the drug (or shot) you're looking for and your zip code and it spits out a list of nearby pharmacies. Currently they don't list H1N1 vaccination sources, but they say they're going to add that info as soon as it becomes available. More » -
lax security
Doctors Across Tennessee Keep Faxing Patient Records To A Solar Panel Company
For three years now, reports The Tennessean, the owner of a solar panel company in Indiana says "confidential medical faxes" have been sent to him by doctors throughout Tennessee. His fax number is apparently very similar to the one for the Tennessee Department of Human Services, but although he's contacted the errant doctors' offices, as well as reported it to the DHS and to the state's governor's office, they keep coming. More » -
health insurance
Blue Shield: Bleeding From Your Breasts Is Not An Emergency
One day, a California woman woke up to discover her t-shirt soaked in blood. The source? Her breast. She immediately went to the emergency room, and the cause of the bleeding was eventually found to be a benign tumor. However, her health insurance denied the claim, stating that she "reasonably should have known that an emergency did not exist." Yes, copious amounts of blood flowing from your nipples is really something you want to wait out. More » -
choose your own adventure
How Would Health Care Reform Affect You?
Consumers Union has put together a breakdown of the health care bills in Congress to let you see how they would affect you, based on your age and what kind of insurance you currently have (if any). It's an interesting tool to see what the various proposed changes are. More » -
videos
344 Now 224 lb Reader Featured On TV, In Newsweek
Reader Tyler Weeks, who started a blog to chronicle his journey from 344 pounds to his current weight of 224.6, was recently featured in Newsweek and on his local CBS news station for his weight reduction success story. Nice job! Here's the video. More » -
privacy
Great, Your Doctor Is Talking About You On Facebook
Apparently the new generation of med students aren't as concerned as you might like them to be about sharing your medical information on Facebook or Twitter, says Time. More » -
your health
Homes With Cats 8 Times More Likely To Contain MRSA
You may have thought you could only get MRSA at hospitals and the beach, but apparently researchers have discovered that it can be transmitted via pets and lead to repeat infections, reports the New York Times. One recent case involved a baby elephant and 20 human caretakers at the San Diego Zoo last year, but at the domestic level it looks like cats (and dogs, but not to the same degree) somehow contribute to cycle of infection at home. More » -
it's not easy being green
5 Food Tips For A Healthier Planet And Body
Is it possible to have a healthy — and sustainable — diet? Maybe. The Daily Green has some tips on how to find locally grown food, limit your use of packaging, and pick for the right organic foods, among other things. According to the site, some good organic choices include "certified organic peaches, peppers and spinach," rather than "organic broccoli, since conventional broccoli is quite low in residue." Of course, paying for all of that personal and planetary health is another story.
Top 5 Food Choices to Keep the Planet (And You) Healthy [The Daily Green]
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the more you know
Practice Good Hygiene Or Be Shamed By The White House
We at Consumerist understand the importance of washing your hands and practicing good hygiene. We're also big fans of publicly humiliating people who endanger us with their gross germs. That's why we love this video of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius stopping a press briefing and scolding MSNBC reporter Chuck Todd for sneezing into his hand, instead of his elbow. More »
health
New York, 3:59 AM
Mon Nov 9
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