My dear, nobody's fat in Aspen

At a conference on obesity in Aspen, Colo., last fall, I chatted with a local woman who was in her 50s, I'd say. (Though, on second thought, I know that extreme wealth goes a long way in helping people look younger, so maybe she was in her 60s. And now that I think about it, considering there are $20-million homes in those mountains, I guess she could have been in her 70s.)

Anyway, this great-looking octogenarian and I had just heard a presentation on the growing rates of obesity in the country, and she was truly shocked at the numbers of overweight Americans. "In Aspen," she said with a straight face, "we just don't have obesity."

I walked around town that evening, and, by golly, she was right. Everywhere I looked, nothing but svelte. Now a new comparison of multinational data shows that places like Aspen (let's not forget Beverly Hills) reflect the extreme end of a finding that as women in developed countries go up the education and income ladder, they shed pounds.  The findings appear in the latest volume of the "Handbook of Development Economics," edited by USC professor of economics John Strauss. You can see more details in the press release.

In rich countries, wealthier women are better educated, and better-educated women weigh less, researchers found. (But in poor countries where malnutrition is rampant and underweight is a major problem, wealthy, better-educated people weigh more.) In the U.S., the body-mass index starts dropping with increased education early on. Women ages 22 to 75 who have no more than a fifth-grade education have a BMI of about 29. If they get a high school diploma, their BMI drops to about 28 and it starts plummeting with every year of college, to just over 25 if they get a bachelor's degree. For American men, BMI doesn't begin to drop until after the high school diploma is in hand, and even then drops less dramatically than for women.

Multiple studies have shown a link between decreased economic and social resources and higher rates of obesity. A study the Feb. 10 issue of ScienceDaily, for example, found in that addition to being related to individual characteristics, obesity is also related to the average income level of a neighborhood.

So, at long last, could this be the simple solution we've all been waiting for? Want to lose weight? Move to Aspen.

--Susan Brink

Alicia Silverstone in "Clueless," Photo by Elliott Marks

The Green Fairy, explained (Hint: Think 140 proof)

The ingredient thujone, credited (or blamed, depending on your point of view) with giving absinthe its psychedelic reputation, was apparently overrated. We suspected it, now we have proof. (Get it?) An analysis of old bottles of the stuff has found that they contained relatively small concentrations of thujone, a chemical found in various plants, most notably wormwood.

The drink, a favorite of the late-19th-century bohemian crowd in Paris, was believed to expand the mind, making it a favorite of artists such as Van Gogh, Degas and Picasso. Alas, it was also blamed for violent episodes, illness and "absinthe madness," which was not nearly as much fun as you might think. Symptoms included facial spasms and dementia.

The new analysis, to be published in the May 14 issue of the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, concluded that the likely culprit in all this was ethanol. Some of the old absinthe was 70% alcohol, making it 140 proof. Gin, vodka and whiskey, by comparison, are usually 80 to 100 proof.

The stuff obviously packed a wallop. Banned for many years in France and elsewhere (including the U.S.), the beverage is making a comeback -- and a couple of brands can even be legally obtained at fine outlets near you. Of course, with a nickname like the Green Fairy and with an entire ritual as part of its preparation, how could it not be popular?

But beware: Though thujone may amount to little more than an exotic-sounding herb, the alcohol itself isn't to be trifled with  -- as anyone who has ever had one too many whiskeys can attest.

-- Tami Dennis

Photo: Carlos Ramos / For The Times

Marriage on the rocks? K-Y to the rescue!

"With the nation's divorce rate hovering around 50%, there is clearly a need for couples to better connect," declares a news release from K-Y Brand personal lubricants.

K-Y's new contribution? A product, YOURS+MINE, that is "designed specifically to increase intimacy and communication between couples." The man uses a blue lubricant containing a substance that  is "invigorating." The woman uses a purple lubricant  providing a sensation that is "thrilling." And when the two mix? A new sensation "ignites" between the two of them.

Reading about this reminded me of those chemistry classes in middle school (and in that context, I found the word "ignite" a tad disconcerting, I'll admit). Remember that experiment where you'd take a tube of polymer A and a tube of polymer B and you'd add them together and get a foamy mushroom thing frothing out of a plastic cup?  Is the product like that? That would get couples talking, all right.

Unfortunately, business being business, Liz Cermak, worldwide vice president, intimate health products, for the Johnson & Johnson group of consumer companies, said she could not divulge the active chemicals that go into the products nor the atomic events that occur when the two mix together. She did confirm, however, that we're not talking about frothing mushrooms. Instead, when the lubricants move between man and woman, the man gets to feel what the woman's been feeling and the woman gets to feel what the man's been feeling.

And the his-and-hers tubes glow in the dark.

--Rosie Mestel   

Image: Courtesy of K-Y^® Brand

Those last 10 pounds may be only a song away

We don't know about you, but when that alarm clock buzzes at 5 a.m., we bounce out of bed, throw on our workout clothes, grab a protein bar and head straight to the gym. OK, maybe that's not the scenario every day. Perhaps some mornings we need a little extra boost.

So did Heidi Roizen, but she did more than cut out pictures of Jessica Biel and tape them to her refrigerator. She wrote upbeat pop songs about slimming down, such as "I'm a Hottie Now," "The Incredible Shrinking Woman," "Think I'll Go to Saks" and "Skinny Jeans," then put them on a CD titled "SkinnySongs." Here are sample lyrics from "Skinny Jeans":

Skinny jeans, skinny jeans, you're still hanging 'round

In the back of my closet and that's bringin' me down

this morning, I woke up, and made me a vow

skinny jeans, gotta get back, into you somehow

"I sat down and said, what would motivate me to lose weight?" she says, explaining the genesis of the album. "It was the image of me fitting into those jeans again, feeling great about myself, all these kinds of positive things. For a lot of women -- yes, we know the health benefits, but they're not as visually exciting as fitting into skinny jeans."

Roizen, a former Silicon Valley venture capitalist, hooked up with producers, musicians and singers (five are featured on the CD) and created "SkinnySongs" to help others stay inspired on their path to weight loss and health -- think of it as something to listen to on the way to the gym to get pumped up for your workout. "I know how to diet and exercise," she says. "It's getting the motivation to do it day in and day out, and not turn to chocolate chip cookies when you're having a bad moment." Roizen says it took her a little less than a year to lose 36 pounds via this byzantine regimen: "Eat less and exercise more."

She concedes that the music isn't for everyone. We thought some of the songs were a little jingle-y -- something you might hear in a commercial featuring an attractive woman drinking a slimming shake while twirling around. But whatever works -- and it might be a nice alternative to getting yelled at by your boot camp instructor.

-Jeannine Stein

The roots of alcoholism ... in the genes?

Young people often begin drinking alcohol because of environmental factors, such as peer pressure. But genes appear to be a significant factor in determining whether drinking progresses to problem drinking and alcoholism, according to a new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

The study of 3,546 female twins, ages 18 to 29, examined how genes and environment influence drinking at different stages of life. The researchers found that genes accounted for about 30% of the timing of the first drink and for about 47% of the speed at which women progressed to alcohol dependence. But environmental factors, overall, seemed more influential, particularly earlier in life.

"That's good news in terms of modifying these behaviors and reducing the risk of developing alcohol dependence," says the study's lead author, Carolyn E. Sartor. "Genetics are not destiny, and our findings suggest that there are opportunities to intervene at all stages of alcohol use."

Most of the young women in the study curtailed their drinking before it advanced to problem drinking,  maturing out of the behavior as they encountered lifestyle changes such as career moves, relationship commitments or starting a family. Those who don't may have genes that predispose them to alcoholism. Heavy partying into the late 20s may be a clue that a problem is developing, Sartor says.

"What once was perceived as partying a little too much is now being recognized as a potentially serious problem."

A summary of the study is available online in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. The full report is available for a fee.

*UPDATE: And here's more about young people and problem drinking. My alma mater, the University of Iowa, has announced it will schedule an additional 100 courses on Fridays beginning this fall to discourage students from starting their weekends on Thursday nights, which are also known as thirsty Thursdays.

University of Iowa administrators decided on the new schedule after a study published last year by the University of Missouri showed that students with Friday classes consumed half as much alcohol as those who ended their week earlier. Of course, faculty and staff members don't enjoy Friday classes, either, so officials offered each department $20 per student per class that's switched to Friday.

"It's not going to stop students that really want to go out, but the university is at least taking a stand," faculty member Mary Trachsel told The Daily Iowan.

-- Shari Roan

Photo: Thomas Unterberger / Associated Press

Germy shoes

Oh. My. Gosh. There are germs on my shoes. In fact, if my shoes are like an average pair of shoes, each may contain something like 421,000 bacteria on the outside and 2,887 on the inside. Among the bacteria residing on my shoes are the common gut bacterium Escherichia coli as well as Klebsiella pneumoniae and Serratia ficaria. All can cause sickness.

The data come from the laboratory of Charles Gerba, a professor at the University of Arizona. He's the same microbiologist who showed us that the toilet seat is one of the cleanest places in a bathroom and that the filthiest area in the home is the kitchen -- and within it, the kitchen sponge, which is a festering zoo of microbial life. Check out his academic web page and you'll see a long list of studies he's done investigating microscopic life forms in sewage, estuaries, tap water, clams, day-care centers, swimming pools, restaurant dishcloths and diapers in landfills.

In the study, 10 volunteers wore washable shoes for two weeks, and at the end of it, their shoes were swabbed for bacteria, then washed and tested again. "More than 90% of bacteria collected on worn shoes can be eliminated with one wash cycle," explains a news release from the Rockport Co., which makes machine-washable shoes and commissioned the report.

Want to see a video of the study results? Go to "Life of a Shoe," which "demonstrates how vulnerable shoes are to bacteria," as the company puts it in a news release. ( I hope the shoes didn't get sick.)

Compelling cinematography, but I am not going to start laundering my shoes. After all, we live in a world teeming with bacteria -- and though we can, and do, get sick from some of them sometimes, we can be exposed to a lot of bugs with good health. In fact, some microbiologists believe the modern-day pursuit of cleanliness is creating new problems, such as rising rates of allergies.

I won't put my shoes on the table, though. (It's unlucky, right?)

--Rosie Mestel

Photo: daviddesign (via Flickr, Creative Commons license)

Editor's picks: (Some of) The best from around the Web

Check out these stories ...

* Mouthwash helps eliminate bad breath. No, it makes the stink worse. Does not. Does too. Newsweek looks beyond the posturing by various products to explore what oral rinses can and can't do.

* When she fell getting off a doctor's examination table and needed assistance to right herself again, Danielle Carter was mortified. The New Jersey woman resolved to lose weight -- and she did, dropping 248 pounds in a year. USA Today tells her story.

* Afraid of saying the wrong thing ... in yoga class? It's understandable. Even the basic "Om" is rarely used outside studio walls. But Yoga Journal doesn't want you to feel intimidated, alienated or any other -ated that might get in the way of a yoga practice. Here's what "Om"  -- and other chants -- mean and, almost as important (for some), how to pronounce them.

These are just some of the stories available. Feel free to send in your own worthy links (unless you stand to make money off the publicity).

-- Tami Dennis

Photo: John Doman / St. Paul Pioneer Press

From puff dad to buff dad

Ah, the heartbreak of weight gain for new dads.

While weight gain during pregnancy is a pesky problem, it’s usually associated with the maternal side of the equation. But dads need a fitness plan, too, says Mike Levinson, a personal trainer and nutritionist who went from buff dad to puff dad when he gained 50 pounds after the birth of his son. Levinson details his journey back to health in his new book, "Buff Dad."

In Levinson’s case, after the birth of his first child, workout equipment was slowly relegated to the back of the closet, and good nutrition was replaced with handfuls of Goldfish crackers and baby cookies. Every time the baby took a bite, he took a bite of his own. When it came down to the choice of an extra hour of undisturbed sleep at 6 a.m., or going to the gym, sleep won.

The former amateur bodybuilding champ fought back though and lost 60 pounds by adopting a diet and fitness plan designed to increase naturally occurring testosterone levels in the body. The plan is based on the premise that testosterone helps build muscle, which burns more calories than fat.

Levinson adopted a diet rich in what he says are testosterone-boosting foods, including lean beef, beans, broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts, and supplemented that with daily 30-minute cardio and strength-training sessions. Judging from the photos in the book, the plan certainly worked for him. Whether it will work for other new dads or end up in the back of the closet along with the unused exercise equipment is anyone’s guess. The book is available at amazon.com.

--Janet Cromley

What is this woman holding?

A tube worm from the bottom of the mid-ocean vents?  Some Dr.-Seuss-inspired bagpipes?

Silly! It's a giant, fiberglass model of the ileocecal junction (part of the human gut where the ilium joins the colon) in a person with Crohn's disease. What else would it be? 

The colon is the creation of Raleigh, N.C., resident Andrea Stevenson Won, who designed it not for kicks, but as a commission for a display at a medical meeting. Just goes to show: There are more ways to make a living in medicine than I knew of.

Trained as a commercial sculptor, Won got tired of fashioning toys. In her new life, she's done anatomical restorations for patients: helped make a partial foot while interning at the Duke University Anaplastology Clinic, made fingers and faces, just finished a pair of ears. She's crafted little model hearts and done digital face reconstructions for museum exhibits.

And then there is her latest project: A huge model of the cartilage of the nose. The cartilages are normally about an inch -- the ones in Won's model are two feet long.

Who, you ask, could possibly want one of those? The buyer is a rhinoplasty surgeon. With those nice big cartilages he can show people very clearly  where he makes his cuts.

Hmm. How tempting: to quit the office grind for a glamorous life fashioning humongous body parts --hearts! livers! stomachs! spleens! "There's money to be made in making giant colons, but it's a tiny field," Won cautions. And then there's the tanking economy: "Many people might consider a giant heart to be a luxury item."

Oh well. Back to the trenches.   

--Rosie Mestel

Photo: Andrea Stevenson Won / Biomodal

Should personal gene tests involve doctors?

The Senate voted Thursday to approve anti-discrimination legislation to protect consumers from losing their jobs or health insurance based on genetic testing showing predispositions to serious diseases. The legislation is widely supported in order to free people to find out what their personal genome can tell them about their risks for cancer, obesity, heart disease, Alzheimer's, mental illness and many other conditions.

The bill provides a rare slice of clarity in the rapidly evolving, largely unregulated and highly commercialized world of personal gene testing. Elsewhere, genetic testing is plagued by issues regarding accuracy, adequate counseling of consumers and questions about the value of knowing what's in store for you regarding your health. Such issues were chronicled in detail recently in L.A. Times Health stories by Anna Gosline and Melissa Healy.

The latest controversy involves whether a doctor should have to write an order for consumers to obtain personal gene information through online services, such as 23andMe and Navigenics. Last week, New York state's Department of Health sent letters to several online gene-testing firms saying the companies cannot perform the mail-order gene tests on New York residents without a permit. State officials say the companies are offering medical tests, which subjects them to medical testing regulations. That would require the companies to acquire a permit to offer genetic tests, and the tests would have to be ordered by a doctor. Right now, consumers can order information on their genome with a do-it-yourself saliva test kit and without involving a doctor.

In an article on Forbes.com, some gene-testing companies protested the requirement, saying they are providing educational information to consumers, not medical information. If other states decide to take this route, it will surely put a crimp in personal gene testing. And if doctors are added into the loop for obtaining personal genetic information, it makes legislation guaranteeing privacy and prohibiting discrimination all the more vital.

-- Shari Roan

Photo: DNA slide at Johns Hopkins University, by Rob Carr / Associated Press

Performance-enhancing ... clothing?

Who needs performance-enhancing substances when you can wear performance-enhancing fabric? Researchers at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia's national science agency, have invented an "interactive" garment that plays specific, individualized tunes when athletes move correctly.

The garment is made of a stretchy spandex material and contains sensors that monitor movement. When a basketball player takes a shot, for example, the sensors transmit information to a laptop, which produces audible tones in sync with the arm and wrist movements. The idea is to give athletes audible, real-time feedback. Through repeated use of the device, the athlete eventually recognizes the pattern of tones associated with a successful shot, kick or throw, or can recognize when his or her mechanics are off. Moreover, remembering the unique tune or beat could help athletes maintain correct mechanics while under the stress of competition. An interactive sleeve is demonstrated on the CSIRO website. But the material could be fashioned into running shorts or even a whole bodysuit, as noted in an article in MIT Technology Review. 

Though unlikely to turn up on fashionistas, these garments could be used in many fields, such as entertainment, education, sports, military, rehabilitation and medicine, the creators believe. Maybe the clothing will turn up in toy stores. The first interactive garment was an "Air Guitar" shirt, a long-sleeved shirt that, depending on the movements of the wearer, produces a range of guitar chords from a remote computer. A fun new way to exercise, perhaps?

-- Shari Roan

Click to see video of interactive sleeve.

Photos: Courtesy of CSIRO

Working parents, you can feel less guilty

Ask kids what they want, and it may surprise you. It surprised Ellen Galinsky, president of the Families and Work Institute and author of "Ask the Children."  More than half of the parents whom she interviewed for the book, 56% of them, guessed that when kids were asked what they would wish for if they could change anything about their parents' work lives, the kids would wish for more time with mom and dad. In fact, only 10%  of the kids actually wished for more time with mom, and 15% wished for more time with dad.

Instead, 34% of kids wished their mothers, and 28% of kids wished their fathers, were less stressed out and tired. "Does this finding mean that children do not care about time?" she writes in the current issue of The American Psychoanalyst, with a special section on working parents and their children. "No. Children care about parents being less stressed because they do care about the time spent together." She talked to children in third through 12th grades, and those with working moms rated them as highly on parenting skills as those with stay-at-home moms.

Other articles in the issue include a discussion by Dr. Leon Hoffman, director of the Pacella Parent Child Center, of the near-universal feelings of ambivalence that working mothers feel. "Many mothers, while at work, wish they were home with their children, and while at home, wish they were back at work," he writes.

Ah, yes, those tugs and pulls. But knowing that the kids are happy with a little bit less of us, so long as we're relaxed and rested, can only help.

--Susan Brink

Photo: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times

Blended families: A recipe for academic distress

Hey, kids: Hate your half- or stepsibling? Sure you do. Well, here's something to like: You can now blame them for your lousy grades and trouble at school.

A Florida State University researcher has found that teenagers living with half- or stepsiblings have worse grades and more academic behavior problems than those living with full siblings. Such a home life is apparently harder for boys than for girls. Their GPAs are a quarter of a letter grade lower than their counterparts living with full siblings. But both boys and girls in blended families have more difficulty paying attention, finishing their homework and getting along well with teachers and students.

It's a complex issue, of course, with multiple factors affecting the behavior of all involved - stress, conflict, ambiguous family roles, competition for parental attention, etc. And get this: The school-performance situation doesn't generally improve over time.

But on the bright side, help is out there. Check out the the National Stepfamily Resource Center, the Stepfamily Network, some very practical advice at Step Family Tips ... and last (and definitely least), the lyrics to "The Brady Bunch," which the Florida State University news release describes as somewhat unrealistic. Perhaps not. But take hope and inspiration where you can get it, I say.

- Tami Dennis

Photo: Los Angeles Times file

Disordered eating rampant among women

A survey by Self Magazine and the University of North Carolina released Tuesday asserts that 65% of American women, ages 25 to 45, display disordered eating behaviors. The survey found that an additional 10% of women report symptoms consistent with the traditional diagnoses of anorexia or bulimia. The survey described disordered eating behaviors as including attempts to lose weight when you're already at a normal weight; cutting out entire food groups from your diet and skipping meals.

The survey has generated some interesting Web chatter -- and not just because it's questionable whether actions such as skipping meals can be called "disordered" behavior. Bloggers such as Rachel Richardson, writing on The-F-Word.org, calls Self Magazine "not so selfless." Richardson is a recovering anorexic and bulimic and her site is an eating disorders awareness forum that discusses issues related to body size acceptance.

"While I don't doubt the high levels of unhealthy relationships with food amongst a national cross section of women, I do have to point out that Self isn't exactly a paragon of body size acceptance. Every edition touts some kind of diet and weight loss plan, along with some half-naked airbrushed woman on its glossy cover."

Richardson cites such Self headlines as: "Drop Weight, Look Great and Never Go to the Gym,"  "Shortcut to your Best Body," and, my personal favorite: "Lose Weight Every Day!"

The survey author is Cynthia R. Bulik, a highly regarded eating disorders expert at UNC. Bulik will present the survey findings next month at the Academy for Eating Disorders' 2008 International Conference on Eating Disorders in Seattle. Perhaps by then the discussion will evolve to include the role of women's magazines in promoting unhealthy eating behaviors and misguided attitudes about body image.

-- Shari Roan

Photo: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

Give your workout a boost

Ladies, do you do that little tug, that not-so-subtle readjustment of your sports bra while exercising? Forgive us for being so forward, but perhaps your bra doesn't fit properly.

Don't worry, you're not alone. Ill-fitting sports bras are the bane of many fitness- and sports-minded gals, says D'Lynda Fischer, owner of Sporteve, a Culver City athletic store that caters only to women. Chafing, inadequate support, falling straps -- it's enough to derail the most accomplished athletes. That's why the store is hosting a bra fitting clinic May 1 at 7 p.m., where women will be measured and fitted for the sports bra that best suits them and their activity.

Amy Johnson of Moving Comfort will be doing the fittings, and other brands, featuring a range of sizes and styles, will be available, including CW-X, Enell and Pureline. And if that isn't enough, wine and cheese will be served.

"All you need is a good pair of shoes and a good sports bra," says Fischer, which pretty much sums it up.

Sporteve, 3849 Main St., Culver City. Please call for reservations: (310) 838-6588.

-Jeannine Stein

Bullying: it's not over when it's over

Bullies take their toll long after the vulnerable high school years. A new study reported in the journal Psychology in the Schools found that the consequences of social bullying—gossip, rumors, verbal back-stabbing—linger into the victims’ adulthood in the form of depression and anxiety.

The lead researcher, Allison Dempsey, says she was set on her course to study bullying by her home town experience. She graduated from Columbine High School in Littleton, Col., in 1998, the year before the 1999 shootings there that killed 12 students, a teacher, and the two shooters, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris. The two boys who committed the murders, it was later reported, were shunned by the school’s cliques.

University of Florida researchers studied 210 college students and found a relationship between being bullied in adolescence and later depression and anxiety in young adulthood. “Even though people are outside of high school, the memories of these experiences continue to be associated with depression and social anxiety,” said Dempsey,. “It was interesting to see these relationships still continue to exist even though they are in early adulthood now and in a completely different setting.”

The researchers found no gender differences in social bullying and later mental health consequences. And, in a surprising result, they found that for many young adults, a network of friends didn’t necessarily protect them from depression and anxiety. Some children, co-author Eric Storch, professor of psychiatry at the University of Florida, said in the press release, “…take the words and abuse more to heart and begin to believe what’s being said about them." Even if they have a supportive circle of friends.

The full journal article requires payment, but you can read the abstract, or find further details in the university's press release.

The problem is widespread. A story in the March 7, 2008, Los Angeles Times, "Meaner bullying is leading schools to find new tactics," reported on how some students, parents, teachers and school administrators are fighting back by reporting bullying incidents and trying to change school culture.

--Susan Brink

Drawing: Matt Groening

 

Men, women, sex and confusion

When things go wrong during amorous trysts, here's one reason why, hot from the labs of our vaulted ivory towers: According to new research, men frequently misread signals from women that they want to slow down, and women are often indirect in saying what they mean.

"When she says, 'It's getting late,' he may hear, 'So let's skip the preliminaries,' " says UC Davis professor Michael Motley, according to a release by the university. "The problem is he is interpreting what she said by trying to imagine what he would mean -- and the only reason he can imagine saying, 'It's getting late' while making out is to mean, 'Let's speed things up.' "

Motley's technical term for this, should anyone wish to bandy the term around at home: "faulty male introspection."

Motley's findings are based on surveys of male and female undergraduates. He investigated their reactions to 16 common "female resistance messages" -- and found that the subtle ones fall flat. Telling a man "let's be friends" as a brushoff was as likely to be interpreted as 'keep going' as 'stop,' " he found. Also unclear was the statement, "I'm seeing someone else." 

Men did clearly understand direct messages such as "Let's stop this," however. (The study wasn't examining cases of rape where a man might understand a message but choose to ignore it, according to the release.) And though women often opt for subtlety out of fear of hurting a man's feelings, Motley has also found that men tend to readily accept these more-direct messages.

The findings were published in the 2008 book Motley edited called "Studies in Applied Interpersonal Communication" -- a title not guaranteed, we fear, to send it zipping to the top of popular bestseller lists. It's due out any day.

--Rosie Mestel

Photo:  TommY Gunn, (from Flickr, Creative Commons license)

Editor's picks: The best from around the web

Check out these offerings from elsewhere in the online world:

In Slate, Darshak Sanghavi, a pediatric cardiologist at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, takes the populace to task for its sometimes skewed health priorities: "Last month, the London Independent ran a sensationalist story about cell phones causing brain tumors, and the Breast Cancer Fund released a comprehensive report on carcinogenic chemicals women should avoid. Other recent cancer-causing culprits in the news include "pesticides, power lines and solvents. This thinking cleaves to a popular motif: The natural world is less toxic and more healthful than the industrial one.... Unwittingly, we've seriously impreded cancer prevention with this not-so-useful distinction between the natural and artificial. It's distracted us from the uncomfortable truth that most cancers are caused by the natural environment around us."

The Washington Post offers a new outline for talking to kids about sex: "Changes in reproductive technology, a new openness about formerly closeted subjects and the flaunting of overtly sexual imagery in news and entertainment outlets have shifted the parameters of the traditional preteen birds-and-bees talk.... Today, experts urge partents to welcome questions on sexuality by the time their kids can ask why the sky is blue."

And the Boston Globe chronicles the growing evidence that exercise is good for the body - and the mind: "Monday mornings, Theo Baars' exhausting depression often tries to seduce him into just staying in bed. But then, he says, a staffer at Appleton House, a residence for people with psychotic disorders at McLean Hospital, comes into his room and says, insistently: 'You want to go work out.' So Baars, a 22-year-old surfer and musician drags himself to McLean's new gym and sweats through a half hour of presses and curls. And then, he finds, he doesn't want to go back to bed. And more: His confidence is pumped up."

Those are three of the more interesting articles I've found today. Found a story you like? Send it along.

- Tami Dennis

Photo: Abdullah AL-Naser (from Flickr, Creative Commons license)

The skinny: Why men won't get healthcare

Why don't more men see a doctor for regular check-ups? They fear disrobing. That's got to be it! Why else would someone ignore simple tests or a little advice that could ultimately save their lives or at least make them feel a whole lot better?

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, along with the Advertising Council, are poking a little fun at the male species while trying to draw attention to the fact that men are 25% less likely than women to have visited a doctor within the past year. And they pay a price for such waffling, with higher death rates from heart disease, cancer and lower-respiratory diseases. A new public service campaign, titled "Real Men Wear Gowns," urges men 40 and older to get regular, preventive healthcare such as cholesterol checks, blood pressure readings and BMI measurements.

"...despite their increased health risks men aren't taking preventive steps and are often only visiting doctors when they experience symptoms," says Peggy Conlon, president and CEO of the AD Council.

The campaign includes television, radio, print and Web public service announcements showing men wandering about their daily lives wearing nothing but hospital gowns. You know, those thin gowns with little ties in the back that flap open and, well ... Maybe if someone designed better exam-room clothing, more men would get checkups. How about a guaranteed-no-clothes-off exam?

-- Shari Roan

Photo: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

People don't starve themselves -- ads do. Really?

So France is pondering whether to fine and imprison people who use advertisements, products or weight-loss methods to encourage "excessive thinness." Fashion editors and designers are considered the target.

The move is part of a backlash against the fashion world's glorification of ultra-thin bodies, a response to the 2006 starvation deaths of two models. But much of this debate seems outdated.

As the National Eating Disorders Assn. says: Eating disorders are complex conditions that arise from a combination of long-standing behavioral, emotional, psychological, interpersonal and social factors. Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders Inc. adds: "Genetic factors account for more than half (56%) of the risk of developing anorexia nervosa. Work on the genetics of bulimia and binge eating continues." Both sites list an array of contributing factors.

Interesting, oui? And much more complex than the debate thus far. Check out the above organizations. Read through Helpguide's tips for recognizing anorexia. And, if you're so motivated, take a look at eating-disorder clinical trials sponsored by the National Institutes of Health.

You can still blame ads, but that could be a chicken-and-egg debate. Which comes first -- a propensity toward self-starvation or a fascination with those who appear to practice it?

-- Tami Dennis

Happy? Eh ... maybe later

Here's something to be hopeful about (if you're so inclined -- and, if you are, you might not be a baby boomer): Americans get happier as they age.

Do they also perhaps become more delusional? Perhaps. But that's not the take of a University of Chicago sociologist who recently reported the findings. Her view is that maturity eventually pays off, at least in terms of self-esteem and a sense of overall well-being. Times staff writer Shari Roan elaborated on some of the reasons for this in a story last year.

The new study, however, also found that the differences in happiness among genders and ethnicities tend to fade over time. At 18, white women were most content when compared with, in descending order of happiness, white men, black women and black men. To be honest, the white women weren't a perky lot. Only 33% of them were happy. But they might seem so compared with black men, of whom only 15% were happy.

But by their late 80s, black men and women faced a 50% likelihood of being very happy. White men and women showed similar results.

Here's the full article. And here's a shorter, more easily digestible version.

My favorite part: Baby boomers were less likely than similarly aged generations to report happiness. No one can be surprised by this. The researcher surmises their expectations were too high. But I don't know... I can think of other reasons -- how about you?

-- Tami Dennis

Photo: Jeanne Calment on her 117th birthday. She died at 122 in 1997. Photo by Jean Pierre Fizet / Sygma/Corbis

Socialized medicine and the presidential race

Are we headed toward government control of doctors, hospitals and healthcare? The term "socialized medicine" when applied to some proposed health plans implies that the U.S. is on that road. Now an analysis of candidates' plans finds that of all the plans out there, only one former presidential candidate's proposal comes even close to government-controlled and run healthcare — true socialized medicine — and he's no longer in the race.

According to the report by the Urban Institute: "Some single-payer proposals (like former candidate Dennis Kucinich's plan) would limit the ability of individuals to obtain, and providers to render, care outside the public system — potentially giving the federal government sufficient power to constitute the functional equivalent of socialized medicine."

The authors conclude that "no significant proposal seeks a government-run system and that inaccurate, fiery rhetoric is a distraction from much more important issues, such as how proposals affect cost, access, quality and choice."

But many Americans are ahead of the rhetoric. According to research reported in the Los Angeles Times on Feb. 25, few people are taken in by the boogeyman phrase. Robert Blendon, professor of health policy and political analysis at the Harvard School of Public Health, found that of the 67% of people who said they understood the meaning of "socialized medicine," 79% thought it was a good thing. He also found a political divide: 70% of Republicans thought socialized medicine would make the U.S. healthcare system worse; 70% of Democrats thought it would improve the system.

--Susan Brink

Credit: Ed Stein / Rocky Mountain News

Map to the L.A. stairs

This week we ran a story by Times staff writer Janet Cromley about public outdoor stairs in Echo Park and Silver Lake -- and a 16.2-mile walking route encompassing them that was created by writer Dan Koeppel.

Although the story included an Internet link to Koeppel's route, it didn't place the stairs on a map. Here's a map of some of them (and some farther afield) created by Los Angeles Times reader Matt Langdon of West L.A.

Thanks, Matt!

--Rosie Mestel

Jackie Warner ramps up the workout

Good news, fans of the Bravo show "Workout" -- Jackie's back!

We're talking, of course, about Jackie Warner, personal trainer extraordinaire, owner of the exclusive Sky Sport & Spa gym in Beverly Hills, and star of her own reality show.

We spoke with Warner for a few minutes by phone recently while she was in New York promoting the third season of the show that kicked off this week, along with the many other things she's got going on.

She kindly teased some highlights from this season, mentioning "faster pacing," "a lot more emotional," "I'm in a relationship," "you're going to see my mom again," and "some of the trainers who were problematic become more problematic this season." Excellent.

But enough with the gossip -- we wondered if Warner thought that having her trainers bare their emotional selves on national television helped or hurt the image people have of the profession.

"I think in areas where people aren't used to being able to hire trainers, the trainers look almost god-like," she says. "They're beautiful, and there seems to be a little bit of star quality." For the rest of us jaded souls, "You see their flaws, and you see them as very human."

We're still stuck on the fact that there are places in this country where you can't find a trainer. What's next -- towns where you can't get Starbucks?

Warner also promises that this season we'll witness more of the Sisyphean struggle to lose weight and get in shape and see more client-trainer interaction: "We see how they deal with each other, and it's not always good, it's not always the right fit. Some (clients) end up responding wonderfully, and some can't overcome their demons and addiction to food."

When Warner isn't filming she's a whirling dervish, designing a line of men's and women's workout wear, coming out with a new workout DVD (also available soon via ExerciseTV), and opening a gym in Hollywood. This one will feature classes, such as group cycling paired with resistance training, and maybe Japanese sword fighting. "I don't want things too shticky," she says. "I'm not into pole dancing or running on the treadmill in high heels."

Warner still trains clients for the hourly fee of -- are you sitting down? -- $400 an hour. "I get you started on a life change, and empower you to make it happen," she says. "I also give you tools. I'll find trainers in your area, call clubs for you. Of course I also give you a lot of tips and you learn a lot about nutrition. It's about making that spark go off in your head, so you are on a different life path."

Spark, shmark. We're not saying Warner isn't good at what she does, but for that kind of money we'd better end up with an exact replica of Eva Longoria Parker's body after an hour. Maybe we'll just sign up for the sword fighting.

"Workout" airs on Bravo on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. PT

Photo of Warner with client Deenie Castleberry by Vivan Zink

-Jeannine Stein

Distasteful reaction to listing calories on menus

This was NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams' reaction to the news yesterday that New York City chain restaurants would be required to post calories on menus beginning Monday.

"If the food and dietary police haven't done enough already, today they moved a step closer to ruining the experience of going to a restaurant for a meal."

New York City was the first U.S. city to enact a regulation requiring chain restaurants to list nutritional information on menus. The law was challenged by the New York State Restaurant Assn. But, yesterday, a federal judge said the action is reasonable in its goal of trying to reduce obesity. Williams wasn't the only person who is unimpressed. The National Restaurant Assn. said:

"Its flawed approach won't ultimately help consumers receive nutritional information that is useful to them."

But dietitian Keith Ayoob noted on his USA Today blog that other states are considering similar laws. There is no scientific data to show such laws make a difference in consumer choices. But, Ayoob said:

"At any rate, if you're watching your weight, you need to be informed about what you're eating in any restaurant. Unfortunately, these proposed laws only apply to major chains, not the local single establishment places that even more people patronize."

People like Brian Williams, who, I doubt, eats too often at Burger King. But he obviously worries about the rest of us.

"Enjoy your meal," he signed off, dourly, to viewers.

- Shari Roan

Photo: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times

Your kid on drugs? Trust, but verify

So your little teenage darlings have figured out how to cheat on the drug tests you've been giving them. They abstain for a few days before the test. Or they dilute their urine samples. Maybe they've stumbled on a dog-eared 1987 copy of Abbie Hoffman's "Steal This Urine Test" and found tips on how to avoid getting caught by Mom and Dad via bodily fluid evidence.

Parents, San Diego-based Confirm BioSciences is helping you regain control with a home-based hair follicle drug test kit called HairConfirm Prescription. Now, all you have to do is tiptoe into your teen's bathroom and pluck a few hairs from a brush. Or find a few fresh hairs on the pillow after your adolescent has left for school.

Unlike urine or saliva tests, which can confirm drug use within the last two or three days, the hair testing kit can give a drug profile for the last 90 days, including 12 types of legal and illegal drugs. One satisfied customer was quoted in the company's news release. "I can tell you first hand how easy it is for families to dismiss the visible signs of drug abuse in a loved one," said Leigh Lehmann, a HairConfirm customer who purchased the kit for a family member. "But numbers don't lie, and the detailed information provided by this product will help bring people together to deal with it. I wish I had done this years ago."

The kit costs $89.99. When it comes to monitoring your teen, it is, as the news release says, a "more dignified method to use."

--Susan Brink

Photo: Los Angeles Times file

Measles or autism? Not a choice

Public discussion of childhood immunizations has been set of late by their opponents. They contend, extremely vehemently, that the vaccinations can cause autism. The risk of childhood disease, many of these critics say, is a small one compared to the risk of autism.

Now one of the diseases behind those vaccinations has struck close to home, with the L.A. Times reporting Monday that a local child has been hospitalized with measles. Arizona and Wisconsin have reported outbreaks as well.  And the CDC recently urged measles vaccinations for unimmunized travelers to Israel, site of a recent 900-case outbreak.

Measles, if you'll recall, still kills hundreds of thousands of people a year, most of them under 5 and most of them in less-well-immunized -- and not-so-thoroughly-televised -- countries.

So far, however, there's been little public discussion of the repercussions of going unimmunized when the risk of childhood diseases becomes more than hypothetical. Opponents, feel free to weigh in on balancing that risk.

In the meantime, here are other parents of autistic kids, with views different from those commonly heard:

In Joy of Autism: "It is truly frightening how far certain parties are willing to go to prove that vaccines cause autism, which science has proven otherwise."

In Autism Vox: "... even with greater public access to such scientific evidence disputing a vaccine-autism link, the belief that vaccines or something in vaccines can be directly pointed to as a cause of autism has so far proven more than difficult to dispel."

And in Stop. Think. Autism., before she tackled Jenny McCarthy's recent comments on "Larry King Live," the author wrote that: "Parents, and the public, must see the danger in not vaccinating, the harm of placing blame on something that science continues to dismiss..."

-- Tami Dennis

Photo: Immunization before eighth grade in Garden Grove, Don Kelsen / Los Angeles Times

Sex at the L.A. public library

On Tuesday night, colleague Alan Zarembo invited me to attend a discussion at the downtown L.A. public library where we learned, among other things, that:

-- The average volume of a boar's ejaculate is 1.5 cups.

-- When copulating rodents are presented with morsels of cheese, the female gets distracted but the male does not.

-- A scientist, concerned that man-made fibers were harming human male sperm counts, conducted experiments with rats fitted with little polyester pants to track the effect on their fertility.

The speaker was Mary Roach, author of the new book "Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex" (Norton, 2008), a history of sex research. Questions from the interviewer weren't so hot, but Roach was fun and a font of interesting sex-science tidbits and anecdotes, such as her description of the camera-dildo used by landmark sex researchers Masters and Johnson to track the response of the vagina to penetration.

The audience seemed especially to like the story of Roach's participation, with her husband, in a British sex experiment: The pair were examined via ultrasound while having intercourse, Roach taking notes for her book all the while. And Roach even learned a fact from an audience member, one she lamented not including in her book: Scientists once had a theory that human semen "surfs" along the lining of the vagina toward its target.

In recent years, some sex researchers and sociologists have decried the increased medicalization of sexuality with its drug company-financed focus on finding drugs to solve sexual problems. Roach, too, expressed sadness about this trend. Drug studies, she said, aren't nearly as fun to write about as rodents wearing miniature polyester pants.

Roach's talk was part of the ALOUD program of the Library Foundation of Los Angeles. You can hear her in a recent NPR interview here.)

--Rosie Mestel

Photo: David Paul Morris/W.W. Norton via Bloomberg News

The real inside look at a workout

If there's one question personal trainers get asked ad infinitum, it's "What muscle groups am I working now?" It's second only to "Is our session over yet?"

You'll never have to bug your trainer again once you get a copy of "Anatomy of Exercise"  by Pat Manocchia (Firefly Books, 2008). The 192-page hardcover book by Pat Manocchia is subtitled, "A Trainer's Inside Guide to Your Workout," and that's meant literally. Alongside photographs and instructions for various strength training exercises (most using equipment) are anatomy cutaways that diagram exactly which muscles are being used. This isn't the first of its kind, but the book is a useful resource, especially for beginners. A chin-up, for example, targets the trapezius, the posterior deltoids, the teres minor, the triceps brachii, the teres major, and the latissimus dorsi. And yes, please study these because there will be a quiz.

Seeing how many muscle groups are engaged in even the simplest exercise is fascinating. A straight arm pull-down on a cable machine engages muscles from the thighs to the upper shoulders, and something called "the skater," a leg pull on a cable machine, lists 31 muscles used. For exercisers interested in targeting specific areas, this leaves out the guesswork.

Our one quibble with the book is those drawings of the male figure — the guy appears to have a bit in common with, ahem, a Ken doll. Kind of emasculating, even for an anatomical rendering.

— Jeannine Stein

Up close and personal: Blogging about infertility

"Infertility, once referred to as the 'silent disorder,' has found a voice," says Washington, D.C.-based writer Cheryl Miller in a fascinating essay titled "Blogging Infertility" in the latest edition of The New Atlantis.

Blogging, says Miller, has provided a powerful outlet for the infertile, providing unlimited support and information. For the public, she says, the multitude of infertility blogs offers a unique perspective on the condition but in a way that is sometimes so personal it borders on voyeurism.

"The openness and transparency encouraged by the Internet pose new challenges, particularly for something as intimate as human reproduction. Allowing the world to read about -- and comment on -- your political opinions is one thing. Allowing the world a front-row seat to witness your struggles to conceive is another."

Miller describes popular blogs such as Stirrup Queens, Coming2Terms and one of the few blogs written by a man, Maybe Baby. Maybe Baby is the story of Chicago writer Matthew M.F. Miller (no relation to Cheryl Miller) who, on Friday, announced that his wife, Constance, took her 10th negative pregnancy test in the last two years. On Monday, Miller blogged:

"Pregnancy isn't simple science, not for me and not for us, and no amount of science will ever change my mind about that."

He's writing a book, apparently the first male memoir on infertility, due out later this year.

-- Shari Roan

Photo: Frozen eggs in the USC Fertility laboratory, Bryan Chan / Los Angeles Times

Photo: Courtesy of Maybe Baby

A troubling dose of reality on TV

Cancer, sad to say, is about biology. It’s not about strong will or positive attitude. People who eat well, don’t smoke, exercise and think happy thoughts get cancer. “Sometimes you can play by all the rules and just have bad biological luck,” says Linda Garmon, producer of a 90-minute PBS documentary “The Truth About Cancer.” The show airs Wednesday, April 16, at 9 p.m. EDT and PDT. It’s followed by a 30-minute panel discussion moderated by journalist Linda Ellerbee, a breast cancer survivor. The panelists are all physicians—and all cancer survivors themselves.

The documentary tackles the tough question: Why does anyone still die of cancer? While the news media regularly report on the potential of stem cell research, targeted drug therapies and potential breakthroughs, the grim truth is that fewer than one out of 10 patients will survive five years once cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

In the decades-old war on cancer, there are still some devastating forms of the disease (ovarian, pancreatic) with distressingly low survival rates, treatments that have not significantly changed in decades, and no preventive screening tests to find them before they spread.

The documentary is an important view of the reality of a cancer diagnosis but could be a difficult show to watch for patients or families in the midst of finding out for themselves that the war on cancer is far from won. Garmon documents her own husband’s diagnosis with lung cancer, his decline and, finally, his death. A patient in the documentary, Jamie Kleiman, 38, has pancreatic cancer that has spread to other organs. She has a difficult time convincing her father that there’s no doctor anywhere who holds the secret of her cure. "I don't think there's anyone hiding the secret magic bean," she says. But her father holds the very American attitude that you can control your destiny, and if you fight hard enough, you can beat cancer. That's what Lance Armstrong did, after all.

But Kleiman has discovered the cruel difference between Armstrong's successful testicular cancer treatment and her own pancreatic cancer, unresponsive to chemotherapy. "He had the most sensitive cancer to chemotherapy," she says. "It had nothing to do with the fact that he was an athlete."

Cancer is not one disease. It takes hundreds of forms and once it spreads the war on cancer doesn't go well.

-Susan Brink

Children's Hospital of Abercrombie?

Clothing manufacturer Abercrombie & Fitch has raised the ire of parents and child health advocates on many occasions over the years for marketing aimed at teens and pre-teens that, critics say, is overtly sexual, objectifies young people, conveys negative messages about body image and encourages underage drinking and promiscuity.

Abercrombie's latest controversy involves a children's hospital.

It seems the Columbus, Ohio-based company contributed $10 million to the building of a trauma center at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus. The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and several other child health organizations nationwide are now urging the hospital not to name its trauma unit after Abercrombie. They contend that a prominent relationship between the hospital and clothier is inappropriate given Abercrombie's penchant for T-shirts for teens featuring slogans such as "Who needs brains when you have these?" and thong underwear for pre-teens printed with the words "eye candy."

"A&F advertising and products would seem to contribute to the sexualization of children and objectification of teens and yet they want us to believe they are interested in their health," says Dr. Sharon Lamb, a member of the American Psychological Assn.'s task force on the sexualization of girls.

Nationwide officials say no decision has been made on how to recognize Abercrombie's gift but that it will be recognized in some manner.

"Abercrombie & Fitch is one of many companies which have chosen to support the mission of Nationwide Children's Hospital to provide the best possible care regardless of a family's ability to pay," said hospital officials in a statement. "As a not-for-profit, freestanding children's hospital, philanthropy is central to our ability to fulfill that mission and we are grateful to all donors that choose to support our work."

- Shari Roan

Photo: Customers pose with Abercrombie & Fitch models. Mando Gonzales / For The Times

Editor's picks: Expensive drugs, cheap illnesses and ... cats

In other reports from around the Web...

Americans who rely on extremely expensive drugs to treat their disease or even save their lives are increasingly footing more of the bill for those drugs. As the New York Times explains, insurers are abandoning a flat-rate pricing structure in favor of a percentage-based one. For some patients, the result is medication that costs them thousands of dollars a month.

Most people may think that preventing a disease is cheaper than treating it. Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama seem to think so. We may all be wrong, says the Washington Post. In the long run, such strategies can be more expensive for a health-care system. John McCain, perhaps wisely, has not touted prevention as a cure-all.

And sure, you can pay up to $35,000 for a hypoallergenic cat. That doesn't necessarily mean it will prevent sneezing attacks in the hyper-sensitive, ABC News reports. Despite the much-hyped promise of allergen-free felines, some doubt the possibility of creating such an animal. Besides, when all is said and done, it's still a cat. Surely, you can find a human to ignore you for that kind of money.

-- Tami Dennis

Photo: Kevin Rivoli / For The Times

Losing weight like a man

Ask any woman who's ever dieted along with her husband, and she'll tell
you: Men lose weight easier than women do.

"It's their metabolism. It's their testosterone," said personal trainer Jillian Michaels. The co-star of NBC's reality show "The Biggest Loser" added that men simply don't carry their fat and hold on to it like women do.

Five seasons in to "The Biggest Loser," and a woman has yet to walk away with the prize, leading some critics to say that the scales are tilted -- literally -- in favor of men.
But that could change Tuesday night during "The Biggest Loser" season finale that begins at 8 on NBC.

For the uninitiated, the show sequesters a group of obese men and women with two tough-as-nails trainers -- and watches as the drama unfolds to see who can lose the largest percentage of their body weight.

This season, fans of the show were given the power to vote online to decide which of the remaining male contestants will get the third and final spot in the weight-loss competition that comes with a $250,000 cash prize. Ironically, the outcome of that vote could determine whether a woman finally walks away with the prize.

If the audience votes for Roger, the affable former football player who has lost 144 lbs. will likely go on to win the game. A vote for the fiercely competitive Mark, however, could boost the chances that Ali, a former championship synchronized swimmer who lost 99 lbs., could become the first-ever female to win the U.S. title. The fourth contestant for the prize is Kelly. She's a long shot, even as she endeared herself to viewers with her Little Engine that Could attitude.

Executive producer Mark Koops said there are no plans to change the structure of the show. (Some have suggested creating two prizes -- one for the women, and one for the men.) He says, however, that it's just a matter of time before a woman wins.

--Rene Lynch

Photo: Chris Haston / NBC

How we treat our obese selves

Americans are apparently not very nice to the overweight -- and many people think that's just fine.

Researchers at Yale University recently compared self-reported weight discrimination with race- and gender-based discrimination -- and found it just as appallingly common, they reported in the International Journal of Obesity. Such discrimination, they told the Yale Daily News, was even more prevalent than that based on ethnicity, sexual orientation and religious beliefs (and, as you may suspect, we wouldn't win any prizes for tolerance in those areas either).

Says one of the authors, Rebecca Puhl, on the Health Care Blog:

"Because people often assume that body weight is 'a choice,' they feel that it shouldn't be considered a legitimate form of stigma or discrimination. This is wrong."

Adds one responder:

"If we focus our attention on this by intelligent health benefit design, tax policy and public awareness of the need for physical activity, we can begin to get control over this increasingly serious public health problem."

Considering the nation's generally oversized waistline, perhaps someone should study whether we're becoming a nation of self-haters.

-- Tami Dennis