"are your friends making you fat?"
In case any one missed Clive Thompson's wonderful NY Times Magazine article "Are Your Friends Making You Fat?" which discusses Christakis and Fowler's study on social ties and health, the article merits a read (despite the seriously gimmicky title)! The article describes the finding of a contagious like spread of obesity, amongst other things, through social circles. The article doesn't shy

sleep apnea & golf
No wonder this study is sweeping online news sites. This little pilot study found a positive impact of treating sleep apnea with CPAP on -- of all things -- golf scores! CPAP is continuous positive airway pressure provided via a nasal cannula or mask worn during the night to treat obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder where a person has episodes where he stops breathing

Lesson from cancer #4 -- kindness of strangers
Yesterday morning was typical, although on the grouchy side. With their dad at work on a Saturday, the kids were quicker to whine than usual. Finally, I came up with the brilliant notion to spoil us all and to go out for breakfast. The kids complained about the plan in various ways, but we managed to get to Salonica Restaurant, the local diner. Amidst the morning's chaos and as I now have a

Is a medical illness causing ... depression?
This clear description of medical illnesses which can contribute to mood symptoms is worth a read. And, I'm hoping the link serves as a reminder that everyone with a mood disorder merits a thorough medical check up.

H1N1
A friend asked me whether to immunize her children against flu and swine flu? Of course, I suggest consulting family pediatricians/internists! However, it's worth a look at Medscape's nice succinct summary of the current status of H1N1. Also, fortunately it sounds like the H1N1 vaccine nasal spray and filled, single-dose syringes do not contain the concerning thimerosal component. I'd double