The Freakonomics blog points us to a new service being offered by the Department of Health and Human Services called Hospital Compare.
health
The Ultimate Chain Restaurant Nutrition Guide: Who Is Hiding Information About The Food, And Who Isn't.
By 1.31.07
What does IHOP have to hide that Denny’s doesn’t? And what’s so mysterious about Krispy Kreme? Why is their info so difficult to find, while competitor Dunkin’ Donuts has extensive, easy to locate information on their website? These are the questions we found ourselves asking after evaluating 51 chain restaurants websites and their nutritional information pages. Or lack of them.
Cheap, Safe Drug Kills Most Cancers
By 1.30.07
Evangelos Michelakis of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, and his colleagues tested DCA on human cells cultured outside the body and found that it killed lung, breast and brain cancer cells, but not healthy cells. Tumours in rats deliberately infected with human cancer also shrank drastically when they were fed DCA-laced water for several weeks…DCA can cause pain, numbness and gait disturbances in some patients, but this may be a price worth paying if it turns out to
Specific Brain Injury Stops Smoking Addiction
By 1.26.07
In Clue to Addiction, Brain Injury Halts Smoking [NYT]
Hospitals Charge Exorbitant Markup For Generic Drugs
By 1.26.07
Hospitals are charging insane markups on generic drugs administered during observation stays.
Cell Phone Use Linked To Brain Tumors
By 1.25.07
- Long-term (10+ years) cellphone use has been linked with brain tumors. According to the study, people who had used cellphones for more than 10 years had a 40 percent higher chance than others of developing certain brain tumors. This news comes to us from the same British researcher who said that more research was needed to determine if there actually is a relationship between (long-term) cellphone use and cancer.
Study Finds Higher Levels Of Nicotine In Cigarettes
By 1.19.07
NPR has an interesting report on The Harvard School of Public Health’s findings that nicotine levels in cigarettes are rising, despite tobacco companies’ promise not to work to increase the levels of the addictive substance in their products.
Chemicals in Cosmetics You Should Avoid
By 1.19.07
Consumer Reports has an article about chemicals in cosmetics that are probably not that awesome for your health. They’re called phthalates and they are found in nail polish, body lotion, perfume, hair spray, and more.
Guy Loses 9lbs Playing Nintendo Wii
By 1.17.07
- Six weeks ago, I began what has become a huge obsession of mine. It is called the “Wii Sports Experiment” (Read my original announcement of this from Early December ’06). I outlined a 6 week game plan for myself, the idea being that I would continue ALL normal activity and eating habits, and simply add 30 minutes of Wii Sports to my day. For the past month and a half, I’ve stuck to these guidelines very strictly.
Dude lost 9lbs! Not a “miracle diet” (he actually didn’t diet at all,) but miracle diets are lame, anyway.—MEGHANN MARCO
Domino’s Press Release: “a Good Choice for a Healthy Diet”
By 1.17.07
- Resolving to lose weight in the New Year? Don’t skip your Domino’s pizza. In the January issue of Glamour magazine, in an article titled “What to eat to stay slim” two slices of Domino’s 12″ classic hand-tossed Vegi Pizza Feast(R) and a side salad were named as a healthy meal choice.
Red Robin Spins Bullshit When Pressed To Reveal Nutritional Info
By 1.17.07
Red Robin doesn’t want you to know what you’re eating. The family restaurant has no nutritional information on its website, and when you ask for it, they tell you a whole bunch of PR nonsense.
School District “Doubles As A Giant Pizza Hut”
By 1.17.07
Childhood obesity epidemic? What? ” As the nation’s only school district now licensed to make pizza under the Pizza Hut name, Corona-Norco gets all the supplies from Pizza Hut: frozen dough, sauce, cheese, pepperoni — even the oil squirted onto the dough.
Taco Bell e. Coli: It Was California Lettuce
By 1.15.07
One likely problem is the proximity of ranching and farming operations in parts of California. Cattle and other animals harbor the bacteria, which is shed in their feces.
Save Money On Gym Membership By Working Out At Walmart
By 1.14.07
They’ve got everything you need: free weights exercise bikes, treadmills, and even fishing poles! (Taffeta not included) — BEN POPKEN
Save Money By Exfoliating With Baking Soda
By 1.12.07
Let us know how that works out. —MEGHANN MARCO
Pay Your Health Insurance Way Before It’s Due, A Cautionary Tale
By 1.11.07
Getting health insurance held up by bureaucratic red tape is one thing… but magnetic tape?
Milk Cancels Health Benefits of Tea
By 1.10.07
- Research has shown that tea improves blood flow and the ability of the arteries to relax but researchers at the Charite Hospital at the University of Berlin in Mitte found milk eliminates the protective effect against cardiovascular disease.
