An Evening With 13 Grandmothers
Keeping up with the world of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and that pack of people whose profile pictures seem to follow me everywhere I go online was keeping me from engaging with some of the people I'd known for decades.
My family didn't always have deep discussions but we talked openly about death -- thanks to Dr. Jack Kevorkian.
In these times of tight budgeting, the U.S. government, foundations and private companies are exploring a new idea: awarding prizes for the development of innovative drugs, vaccines and tests for the world's biggest health problems.
When obesity, heart disease, cancer and other food-related conditions are epidemics costing hundreds of billions of dollars and a great many lives, the president needs to lead, not follow. He should set an example. So far, it's been in the opposite direction.
In recent years, attacking boomers for what we haven't done has become a popular blood sport. I find this disturbing (and wearying) for two reasons.
With my son leaving home, it's as if my job description suddenly hit planned obsolescence, and like that aging salesman who's walked gently to the door with a gold watch in hand, I'm unclear of my relevance in this new era of child development.
I am not one who normally embraces personal challenges like running a marathon. Marathon running is a cliché goal, right up there with climbing a big mountain or sailing around something. But I am buying into the cliché.
More than 60 percent of American women are considered overweight. That's a lot of people to exclude from medical treatment.
What if drug companies, instead of competing to get there first and make the most money, were more forthcoming with their research results? Would this find cures and better treatment options more quickly than the current way of doing things?
Wealth is not just about amassing material riches, such as living a celebrity lifestyle with all of the goodies, but living well with what you have.
You probably recall playing outdoors with your friends and siblings until it got dark, but that doesn't happen today. How can we fight the 'nature deficit disorder' afflicting our kids? How can kids get outdoors after school if they don't have safe places to play?
Because I seem to be the poster child for chemotherapy side effects (i.e. I've experienced ALL of them), it didn't come as a complete shock to me that hair loss was next on the list.
Why should parents take more chances of their children getting sick because we are squandering their best medicines to fatten animals faster? Is this really what Montanans elected their sole congressman to do?
One of the most troubling aspects of the ongoing outbreak in Europe is that it involves a strain of E. coli that often flies under the radar in the United States.
Most of these fad diet plans are ineffective (and some of them seem downright dangerous), and they all overlook one important aspect that can affect what and how much we eat: sleep.
What we badly need is a national conversation about our work environments and the technologies that make us feel isolated, anxious, and bored, despite all their promises of social connection.
So in honor of Pregnancy Awareness Month -- an organization that promotes these same tenets -- here are some of the things that moms-to-be should know about breastfeeding as they get closer to their due date.
A growing number of people are becoming more than concerned about their health; they are becoming obsessed with it.
Though my childhood was a fairy tale of sorts, my relationship with my mother has not been without its difficulties. I left home almost 10 years ago and have not been back for more than two weeks at a stretch. Now she wants me to blog with her and I confess it's not my favorite of her many zany ideas.
Maria Rodale, 2011.06.14
David Katz, M.D., 2011.06.14
