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I just read a little write-up about some research on the effects of looking at sexy images of women in men's magazines like Maxim, FHM, and Stuff. people have known for a long time that women feel worse about their own bodies when surrounded by air-brushed women in bikinis who work out 3 hours a day. The article presented a series of studies indicating that men too feel worse about their own bodies after viewing these things. read more

One of the nation's largest processors of pharmacy prescriptions said this week that extortionists are threatening to disclose personal and medical information about millions of Americans if the company fails to meet payment demands.

People with chronic heartburn should be considered for early surgery to prevent a lifetime of popping pills, NHS research suggests.

SHIJIAZHUANG, China -- Xue Jianzhong never posted a sign on his ground-floor shop, but somehow everyone knew what he was selling. Customers from all over this dairy farming region in the northeastern province of Hebei flocked to Xue's dusty street to buy special concoctions that he said would make...

President-elect Barack Obama stepped carefully yesterday when he was asked about the unusual letter of congratulations that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent him -- the first time an Iranian leader has congratulated the victor of a U.S. presidential election since the 1979 Islamic revolu...

Studies have repeatedly shown a higher failure rate for women who undergo the technique known as hip resurfacing.

Neglect hurt returns from health care stocks for a while, but in a market like this, being ignored can lead to an outperformance.

On HealthBeat, I have talked about social solidarity as the key to meaningful health care reform. In his victory speech, President-elect Obama sounded that theme repeatedly, reminding his audience that he had been elected "by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals." read more

Last week a petition was filed by Public Citizen calling on the FDA to issue an Avandia recall as a result of serious and life threatening side effects associated with GlaxoSmithKline’s diabetes drug. No official response has been released by the FDA and it is unclear how long it will take the regulatory agency to respond to the petition. read more

We all know physical activity and fitness is good for your health. But why exactly are exercising and fitness good for you? What effect does exercise have on the cells and tissues of the body? What do we need to know so that we can use physical activity more effectively to combat chronic diseases such as arthritis, diabetes and heart disease? And what social and psychological factors prevent people from exercising or playing sports? read more