health/fitness
Three with disfiguring injuries learn to live with their new looks
On Oct. 5, 1992, at 5:30 p.m., Louise Ashby was driving in Los Angeles. Newly arrived in Hollywood from Great Britain, the young actress was ready to seek her chance at stardom.
On April 5, 2003, at about 1 p.m., JR Martinez had been in Iraq for just a month when he was asked to drive the next stretch of road in his Army unit's Humvee.
Medical: Docs find different responses to stop-smoking treatments
Addiction to nicotine is hardly a one-size-fits-all problem.
Scientists have a growing portfolio of evidence that tobacco smoke impacts the DNA of different people in different ways, that individual smokers inhale differently and, conversely, that tools used to try and break addiction don't work the same in everyone.
Nutrition quiz: Supplements to avoid
Nutritional supplements are a $26 billion-a-year industry, but there is no Food and Drug Administration oversight. It's up to watchdogs like Consumer Reports to keep the public informed.
Recently, the magazine consulted clinical research and case reports to come up with its list of "12 supplements you should avoid." Take our quiz based on the list.
To help kids stay fit, support them and don't harangue
Parents are usually concerned with their children's well-being no matter how old they get. It's hard enough to get young kids to do what you think is right. So what are parents to do if they are concerned about their teen and young-adult children's weight and health?
Bogus 'cures' with stem cells offered around world
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Last September, Vanessa Alvarez had what she thought was a sinus headache she couldn't shake. Then her vision went blurry in one eye.
Within days, the young Elk Grove, Calif., woman was nearly blind from a condition that put pressure on her optic nerve. She and her mother began a quest familiar to anyone who has ever heard the dark slam of the word "incurable."
Deep brain surgery can relieve symptoms of dystonia, a painful neurological disorder
At a time he should have been enjoying his last couple of years of high school, Ed Cwalinski spent most of it bedridden, wracked by painful, debilitating muscular contractions caused by the neurological disorder dystonia.
The P.L.A.Y. Project -- a glance
The P.L.A.Y. Project
The P.L.A.Y. Project is the subject of a $1.85 million National Institute of Mental Health grant. Dr. Rick Solomon is following the progress of 120 children -- half receiving therapy similar to what Alexa Falahee is getting, the others receiving traditional therapies. Both groups will then be evaluated.
For more details, go to playproject.org.
P.L.A.Y. Project guides parents to better engage autistic kids
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Joy Falahee thought she knew how to play with her 2-year-old, Alexa.
There she was holding a plastic microphone, pretending to talk to Alexa. There she was offering a tiny zebra for Alexa to put in a brown plastic boat.
When training, make sure you drink enough water
This has been a season of record temperatures, but you can avoid hot-weather hazards without breaking your training stride.
The key is hydration.
Chart showing ambitious walking goals
Learn to walk more quickly
Each week, walk the same pace for four days -- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday and at a higher goal on Sunday. Take Monday and Friday off.
Week 1: Time goal: a 15-minute mile pace
For four days, walk at a 15-minute mile pace for 5 minutes, then walk 2 minutes at an easy pace. Repeat three times.
