February 1-7, 2008 - Original Health Articles

Some parents take their toddlers to swim lessons because the children are naturally drawn to the water. They love to splash and play in the tub, and when the weather is warm outside, they may spend hours in the backyard wading pool. Other parents may bring their children to swim lessons for the opposite reason: to make their children feel more at home in the water.

At times, it seems like toddlers are just trying to get dirty. They're out playing in the mud, sailing toy boats in the toilet bowl, and feeding themselves but getting food everywhere except in their mouths. How can you possibly get them clean and teach them to keep themselves clean? You must act as the example, experts say.

The first thing everyone wants to know when a baby is born (other than what's his name?) is how much he weighed and how big he was. You're certainly going to want to continue charting his growth after that initial weigh-in. What's more notable are the developmental milestones that infants achieve in their first year of life.

Fried chicken, cheeseburgers, milkshakes, candy bars--these tasty treats are as American as, well, apple pie. Unfortunately, so, too, is obesity. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, more than 66 percent of U.S. adults are currently overweight, and 32 percent are obese.

For some people, cosmetic surgery represents the chance to change a physical feature they've never really liked. For others, it represents an exciting option to turn back the clock a little. For others, it's an opportunity to boost their body image and enhance their self-esteem.

You've seen the movies, read the books, and heard the stories of love and loss of people not being able to go on without their significant others. But is there really such a thing as a broken heart? A growing body of research suggests that the emotional trauma of losing someone you love may lay the groundwork for a genuine medical condition.

You start every diet with high hopes--and maybe you even lose a few pounds--but in a few short weeks, the weight comes creeping back. Sound familiar? If so, you're not alone. An estimated 95 percent of dieters gain back any weight they initially lose.

Cough and cold medicines for kids under the age of 2 have been pulled from drugstore shelves, and experts continue to debate whether the medicines should be given to children younger than 6 or 11 years old. But your son or daughter has a cold now you don't have time to wait for pediatricians and government officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reach a consensus.

Greasy foods give you acne. Dry skin leads to wrinkles. Sunscreen blocks UV rays. These are just a few of the most common skin-care mythsand by this point, you've probably heard them all. Some of these myths promise overnight acne fixes, while others suggest amazing anti-aging effects.