A recent article in the Chicago Tribune reported that the federal government intends to increase access to methadone and buprenorphine. These are drugs currently taken by hundreds of thousands of Americans to fight opiate addiction. These medications help control drug cravings and withdrawal symptoms. The government has spent $94 million to allow health centers to serve 124,000 … Read More
Everyone knows the drill: within seconds of entering a doctor’s office for a routine check-up, someone sticks a thermometer in your ear, pumps up a blood pressure cuff, records your respiratory rate and takes note of your heart rate. These are your vital signs; if any one of your vitals is abnormal it serves as an … Read More
Many parents grapple with the same question: If my child is overweight, should I talk to her about it? A new study offers a degree of guidance regarding this issue; the conclusion is “no.” Published in the Journal Eating and Weight Disorders, the study concluded that parents’ comments regarding weight, even though well-intended, often lead to … Read More
The Big Book, essentially the “bible” for Alcoholics Anonymous was first published in 1939. From that year until the present day, spirituality, in the form of developing a working relationship with a Higher Power, has been considered an essential component of addiction recovery in the 12 step program. Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith, the founders … Read More
We write often about the epidemic of opiate abuse throughout our country. The mass addiction, broken families, the death toll rising. But one key group of victims that has seemingly gone by the wayside until now: babies, those unfortunate infants born to mothers who are opiate addicted and therefore, are brought into this world with … Read More
At this year’s Academy Awards ceremony, Lady Gaga sang a song entitled “Until It Happens to You.” The song shed light on the very real problem of rape on college campuses across America, a message made even more dramatic by the many female rape survivors appearing on the stage with the singer. I respect any … Read More
On Tuesday, March 15, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took an important step in combatting the deadly prescription painkiller epidemic in the United States. In a first-time move, our nation’s top federal health agency issued guidelines for the dispensing of morphine-like, addictive drugs, such as Vicodin and OxyContin. The agency directed the guidelines … Read More
Bariatric surgery is becoming more and more common, with approximately 200,000 people electing to undergo this procedure each year. Bariatric surgery has one goal: weight loss. This is accomplished primarily through restriction of gastric capacity, which means people simply cannot eat as much as before. Another strategy is restriction combined with bypassing a portion of … Read More
Throughout her tenure as one of America’s most iconic dolls, Barbie has exhibited great versatility in her hairstyles, outfits, and professions. However, in one important area she has not deviated one millimeter from the traditional Barbie script: her body. From top to bottom, Barbie’s chest has remained shockingly large, her waist extremely small, her legs impossibly long, … Read More
We know the best way to combat eating disorders is prevention through awareness and education. The National Eating Disorder Association set apart a special week in February designed to do just that: to place the spotlight on eating disorders in order to improve public understanding of their causes, dangers and treatments. This year’s theme is “3 … Read More
