UNIT 1. Promoting Healthy Behavior Change

1. The Perils of Higher Education, Steven Kotler, Psychology Today, March/April 2005

While college is a place to learn and grow, for many students it becomes four years of sleep deprivation, poor nutrition, and excessive use of alcohol. While the negative health behaviors of college students are detrimental to their overall health, there is evidence that engaging in these poor health habits can be devastating to learning and memory.

2. Is Health Promotion Relevant Across Cultures and the Socioeconomic Spectrum?, Alexandra Garcia, Family Community Health, vol. 29, no. 1S, 2006

Is health promotion a phenomenon that’s relevant mostly to white middle-class individuals? Do health care providers consider culture and socioeconomic status when making assumptions about how different people perceive health and health promotion? Alexandra Garcia encourages health promoters to consider the social issues relevant to their patients’ health and to develop programs based on these issues.

3. Putting a Premium on Health, John Dorschner, The Miami Herald, May 15, 2005

Employers look for ways to reduce healthcare costs by rewarding employees with healthy lifestyles with lower premiums and other benefits such as free membership to gyms. For those with unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, many companies are charging them higher rates for health insurance.

4. Fix Your Worst Health Habits-Fast, Hallie Levine, Redbook, March 2004

Hallie Levine offers speedy ways to make health behavior changes and lower your cancer risk—including overeating, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, sun exposure, and too little calcium.

UNIT 2. Stress and Mental Health

5. Love Is Real Medicine, Dean Ornish, Newsweek, October 3, 2005

Physician Dean Ornish believes that loneliness fosters cardiovascular disease. He maintains the antidote is love and intimacy since love protects hearts in ways that aren’t completely understood.

6. Enough to Make You Sick?, Helen Epstein, New York Times Magazine, October 12, 2003

In poor urban neighborhoods, diseases that typically affect the elderly are afflicting the young. A combination of lifestyle and the stress of living in poverty may cause higher rates of cancer, heart disease, asthma, and diabetes.

7. Are You OK?, Consumer Reports on Health, February 2005

The emotional symptoms that can negatively impact health and well being are often minimized. Staying emotionally healthy, overcoming barriers to treatment, and treatment options are addressed.

8. Attention Deficit Disorder:: Old Questions, New Answers, Harvard Mental Health Letter, February 2006

Attention deficit disorder, the most common childhood psychiatric disorder, is believed to be a brain malfunction. Children diagnosed with the disorder often receive little more than medications rather than the ongoing care of a physician.

9. Dealing with Demons, Christopher Conte, Governing, August 2004

While public health campaigns against smoking or unsafe sexual practices are common, suicide is not often managed in the same way. Several states, however, are starting to see suicide as a preventable condition.

10. Too Young to be Stressed, Aparna Bagdi, Childhood Education, Summer 2004

A recent study indicated that over one-third of children ages 8-14 are stressed enough to need medical help.

UNIT 3. Nutritional Health

11. Diet and Genes, Anne Underwood and Jerry Adler, Newsweek, January 17, 2005

Nutritional geonomics is the interaction of what a person eats and their genetic material. If doctors in the future will be able to take genetic profiles of their patients, they could determine who would benefit from eating certain foods.

12. When It Pays to Buy Organic, Consumer Reports, February 2006

Should consumers pay more to buy organic foods? And what are the chemical health risks of foods produced conventionally? New studies have shown that eating food grown or produced organically can reduce exposure to chemicals and pesticides found in food grown conventionally.

13. The Future of Foods?, Linda Bren, FDA Consumer, November/December 2003

Genetically engineered foods show promise in addressing world hunger and they are nutritionally similar to conventionally grown foods. They are opposed by many consumer groups, however, because these foods are suspected of causing allergic reactions.

14. What Does Science Say You Should Eat?, Brad Lemley, Discover, February 2004

Harvard scientist, Dr. Walter Willett, recommends that consumers abandon the conventional food pyramid and adopt a new way of eating. The new pyramid distinguishes good fats from bad fats and refined versus whole-grain carbohydrates. Willett’s diet is linked to reduced incidences of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

15. Food News Blues, Barbara Kantrowitz and Claudia Kalb, Newsweek, March 13, 2006

How do consumers determine what to believe when it comes to nutrition? Some articles claim all fat is bad, but others tout the benefits of good fats. This article discusses the many conflicting articles and how to make sense of the media hype surrounding nutritional recommendations.

UNIT 4. Exercise and Weight Management

16. Exercise Abuse:: Too Much of a Good Thing, Kate Jackson, Today’s Dietitian, March 2005

While exercise is important for good health, for some individuals who overdo it, exercise may be harmful. Exercise abusers, like individuals with eating disorders, often display signs such as exercising secretively or hiding or lying about exercise. Exercise abuse can also cause a variety of physical complaints including injuries, disruption of menstrual cycles, and infertility.

17. The Female Triad, Lola Ramos and Gregory L. Welch, American Fitness, May/June 2004

The female triad is a combination of three conditions related to exercise training and include disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis. The three components of the triad pose serious health concerns for young athletic women. To counter the triad, it is suggested that a wellness environment that supports sound physical training and nutritional habits is important.

18. How Sleep Affects Your Weight, David Schardt, Nutrition Action Health Letter, July/August 2005

During the past 40 years, Americans have reduced their sleep time by one to two hours per night. Too little sleep may make you hungry, especially for rich, caloric foods, and may cause your body to store calories more effectively. Researchers believe that sleep affects hormones that regulate hunger, satiety, and metabolism.

19. Fat Chance, Susan Okie, Natural History, February 2005

The current trend of serving supersize meals and portions to inactive children is contributing to an epidemic of childhood obesity. Among children, overweight or obesity can lead to lifelong weight problems and all associated medical problems. While genes play a role, much obesity is related to eating more calories than are expended.

20. Why We’re Losing the War Against Obesity, Louise Witt, American Demographics, December 2003/January 2004

The majority of Americans are overweight and/or obese, but what is more alarming is that an increasing number of children and teenagers are overweight. As these children grow up, their obesity-related health problems will have huge implications for our society.

UNIT 5. Drugs and Health

21. Rx for Fraud, Nathan Vardi, Forbes, June 20, 2005

It’s estimated that over 700 billion dollars on medications for senior citizens will be spent by the government. Nathan Vardi wonders how much of this huge sum will be wasted or stolen.

22. Drinking Too Much:: Too Young, Garry Boulard, State Legislatures, April 2005

Every year up to 1,400 college students die from alcohol-related causes, mostly drinking and driving. Frequent drinkers are also eight times more likely to miss a class, fall behind in school work, damage property, and/or become injured while drinking. Legislatures try to find answers to the problems associated with binge drinking among young people.

23. Just Say No Again:: The Old Failures of New and Improved Anti-Drug Education, Renee Moilanen, Reason, January 2004

Many drug education programs attempt to discourage all drug use, which may not be realistic. Alternatives include promoting safer use of drugs, for example, avoid drinking and driving.

24. Strategies to Reduce Medication Errors, Michelle Meadows, FDA Consumer, May/June 2003

Since 1992, the Food and Drug Administration has received more than 20,000 reports of medication errors, which are thought to be responsible for about 7,000 deaths each year. Steps to reduce medication errors are addressed in this article.

25. The Price of Pain, Amanda Spake, U.S. News & World Report, January 10, 2005

While pain medicine offers sufferers relief, there is also a potential risk. As many pain medicines such as Vioxx are removed from pharmacies, it’s harder and harder to find adequate treatment for individuals who suffer from chronic pain.

UNIT 6. Sexuality and Relationships

26. You, Me, and Porn Make Three, Liza Featherstone, Psychology Today, September/October 2005

Liza Featherstone asks what couples can do about pornography if it becomes an explosive issue. Many men and women consider viewing porn a harmless activity while others believe it undermines their relationship.

27. Sex Ed for the Stroller Set, Jodi Kantor, The New York Times, November 17, 2005

For some sex educators and parents, it’s never too early to begin teaching children about the facts of life. Jody Kantor reports on parents who are teaching sex education to children as young as two and three.

28. It’s Just Mechanics, Ziauddin Sardar, New Statesman, January 1, 2005

Ziauddin Sardar addresses changes in sexual practices and behaviors and the role of new drugs such as Viagra to treat sexual dysfunction.

29. Promiscuous Plague, Karen Testerman, The World & I, March 2004

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are the single greatest health threat affecting young people today. Karen Testerman addressed the fact that youth are allowed to believe that safe sex exists and that STDs are not a major health threat. In reality, many STDs are incurable and can lead to cancer and infertility.

UNIT 7. Preventing and Fighting Disease

30. ’Diabesity,’ a Crisis in an Expanding Country, Jane E. Brody, The New York Times, March 29, 2005

Jane Brody asks why we don’t have a national initiative to address the diabetes epidemic that is closely related to the increasing obesity problem in the United States. Unfortunately, too many people don’t take the disease seriously even though it can cause serious and sometimes fatal side effects.

31. The Battle Within:: Our Anti-Inflammation Diet, Michael Downey, Better Nutrition, February 2005

Michael Downey discusses the relationship between paper cuts, spicy foods, stubbed toes, and heart disease, colon cancer or Alzheimer’s disease. It appears that these diseases are related to the long-term effects of inflammation on the body.

32. Why We Are Still Losing the Winnable Cancer War, Samuel S. Epstein, The Humanist, January/February 2005

According to Epstein, the war against cancer is being fought using early screening, treatment, and research. He believes that we should be focusing on cancer prevention via reducing avoidable exposures to cancer causing agents in the environment. The budget for prevention is minuscule compared to treatment and research which, according to the author, this is where the bulk of funding should go.

33. How AIDS Changed America, David Jefferson, Newsweek, May 15, 2006

Ten years ago, Americans considered AIDS to be the nation’s most critical health issue. Today, less than 20% believe it’s our major concern. David Jefferson looks at the past twenty years of living with AIDS.

34. The Puzzling Origins of AIDS, Jim Moore, American Scientist, November/December 2004

Jim Moore explores how HIV, which has apparently coexisted with humans for millennia, suddenly and relatively recently crossed over into humans. He identifies four competing theories and discusses their validity and controversy. He also believes that understanding the origins of AIDS may help prevent the next disease pandemic.

UNIT 8. Health Care and the Health Care System

35. Pharmacist Refusals:: A Threat to Women’s Health, Marcia D. Greenberger and Rachel Vogelstein, Science, June 10, 2005

Increasingly, pharmacists have refused to fill prescriptions for certain drugs which violate their personal beliefs. In particular, women seeking prescriptions filled for birth control pills and morning after pills have increasingly been turned away. The authors believe that all pharmacies should be required to dispense all drugs regardless of their personal beliefs.

36. A High Dose of Tech, Rob Turner, U.S. News & World Report, August 2, 2004

While we live in a technically advanced society, many hospitals have been reluctant to embrace modern systems that could positively impact health care. Many health centers and hospitals are still writing prescriptions by hand and keeping paper records. Both of these practices can lead to medication and other errors.

37. Medicine’s Turf Wars, Christopher J. Gearon, U.S. News & World Report, January 31/February 7, 2005

Health care specialists/providers who are not medical doctors are seeking greater medical power and control. These specialists, including pharmacists, nurse practitioners, psychologists, and chiropractors, have become more prominent and often work alongside doctors. As these professionals move into areas once managed solely by physicians, medical turf wars have begun. Both sides bring up issues such as access to care and patient safety.

38. Putting a Value on Health, Don Peck, The Atlantic Monthly, January/February 2004

One way to stop escalating health care costs is to admit that we already ration health care and then figure out a better way to manage rationing.

UNIT 9. Consumer Health

39. Dentists Frown at Overuse of Whiteners, Natasha Singer, The New York Times, November 17, 2005

Many dentists are concerned that their patients may be overexposing themselves to bleach-based teeth whiteners. While dentists generally consider whitening to be a safe procedure, they don’t believe that tooth bleaching should be considered a daily grooming aid. There is also concern that continuous whitening will make teeth more sensitive and may cause permanent damage to both teeth and gums.

40. Making an Informed Decision about Breast Implants, Carol Rados, FDA Consumer, September/October 2004

Though the safety of breast implants remains controversial, the demand is higher than ever among women who want to increase their breast size or restore breasts after a mastectomy. Choosing implants, for whatever reason, is a decision that should be made only after a woman fully understands and acknowledges the potential harm and the importance of follow-up medical care.

41. How to Ease Your Pain, Consumer Reports on Health, February 2005

In September of 2004, the painkilling drug Vioxx was withdrawn from the market due to concerns about increased heart attack risks among users. Other pain relievers such as Celebrex, Aleve, and Bextra may also be a risk factor for heart attacks leaving pain sufferers fewer drugs to ease their symptoms. This article identifies ways to manage both acute and chronic pain and also addresses safe ways to use pain killers.

42. Deep Into Sleep, Craig Lambert, Harvard Magazine, July/August 2005

Since the invention of the electric light bulbs, humans have gotten less and less sleep. It appears that sleeping well keeps people alive longer and death from all causes is lowest among adults who get seven to eight hours of sleep regularly and significantly higher among those who sleep less than seven hours or more than nine hours.

UNIT 10. Contemporary Health Hazards

43. Avian Flu:: The Uncertain Threat, Denise Grady and Gina Kolata, The New York Times, March 28, 2006

While avian or bird flu is frequently in the news, is it inevitable that it will cause a human global pandemic? Avian flu primarily affects birds though when humans develop the disease, it can be deadly. The disease kills approximately 50% of its known human victims, a very high rate.

44. ‘Vintage’ Bugs Return:: Mumps? Whooping Cough? Rickets? What Year Is It?, Mary Carmichael, Newsweek, May 1, 2006

Diseases such as mumps, once thought to be nearly eradicated, are making comebacks. Those most at risk appear to be college students in the Midwest. Other ‘vintage’ diseases including whooping cough and scarlet fever are also increasing. There are a variety of reasons including ineffective vaccines, lack of immunization, and the imperfect nature of vaccines.

45. Agencies Work to Corral Mad Cow Disease, Linda Bren, FDA Consumer, May/June 2004

Mad Cow Disease, which has ravaged the British beef industry for over 20 years, has recently made its U.S. debut. The nature of the prion, the agent at the root of the condition, has made scientists realize how difficult it will be to control the safety of the food supply. Prions are transmitted to cattle through their feed and humans who eat the infected animals can develop a variant of Creutzfeld-Jakob disease, a neurological disorder.

46. In Katrina’s Wake, John Manuel, Environmental Health Perspectives, January 2006

Residents of the Gulf Coast were left with a range of environmental health hazards including standing floodwater, lack of safe drinking water, untreated sewage, chemical spills, insect infestation, contaminated and unsafe food, growth of toxic mold, and other sources of hazardous waste. In addition, post traumatic stress may also be a serious health issue in that region.