Freelance journalist and author Suzanne Schlosberg wrote because she was so upset over a New York Times story, “The Chip That Stacks Adds a Multigrain Twist,” that she wanted us to review it. I thought anyone who feels so strongly about something should review it herself. So she did. Here is Suzanne’s guest post:
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I was flabbergasted when I read this New York Times piece on Procter & Gamble’s new entry into the potato-chip market: multigrain Pringles. The story accepts at face value P&G’s misleading marketing pitch — that “multigrain” is equivalent to “healthy.” When I sent a link to my nutritionist friend Cynthia Sass., M.S., R.D., she replied: “Did you notice it says ‘advertising’ in the top left corner? It must be a paid ad that resembles an article.”
Actually, it’s not. It’s a business story that ran in the “Media & Advertising” section. Though the story didn’t appear on the health pages, it should have made clear that “multigrain” simply means that more than one grain is included in the product — not that the product is necessarily nutritious. Read more »
I’m stealing a post from Jay at Two Women Blogging entitled “Was Harry Right?” Here’s their post, and I discuss it below:
Was Harry Right?
Bluemilk got me started thinking about this. I first heard Harry’s thesis advanced by the resident I worked with on my med school psych rotation. She assured me that while I might think I had platonic friendships with men, the men didn’t see it that way. I was pretty sure they did see it that way. I wasn’t naive, I was engaged to be married and had done my share of dating and flirting — I knew what it felt like when a man was interested in me sexually and I knew the difference. I still know the difference, and I still have men friends. For most of my life, my closest friends have been men.Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Shrink Rap*
Wouldn’t it be great if we could find a way to prolong our lives and to keep us healthy right up to the end? Ponce de León never found that Fountain of Youth, but science is still looking. What are the chances science will succeed? How’s it doing so far?
In his new book The Youth Pill: Scientists at the Brink of an Anti-Aging Revolution, David Stipp tries to answer those questions. From the title of the book, I expected hype about resveratrol or some other miracle pill, but instead it is a nuanced, levelheaded, entertaining, informative account of the history and current state of longevity research. It makes that research come alive by telling stories about the people involved, the failures and setbacks, and the agonizingly slow process of teasing out the truth with a series of experiments that often seem to contradict each other.
Anti-aging can mean several things. Extending the average lifespan is not the same as extending the maximum lifespan. Extending lifespan is not the same as preventing the degenerative changes characteristic of aging. Read more »
I’m at work the other day when I saw this great-looking motorcycle with a sidecar parked on the street. It looked like something out of one of those old James Bond movies. I thought it was pretty cool.
Upon closer inspection, Mrs. Happy noticed the sidecar was equipped with a babyseat inside. I don’t know about that. What do you think? Should a baby be carted around the city streets and countryside in the sidecar of a motorcycle while Mom and Pop bond with Mother Nature?
Feeling sorry for yourself after a long, hot week of cranky patients and insurance hassles? Maybe a glimpse of someone else’s practice will make you feel better. Especially if that doctor is alone in war-torn Africa, treating vast numbers of patients without sufficient equipment and supplies.
Although the film does seem to be intended to garner support for MSF, it gives a surprisingly-nuanced picture of the organization and its members, revealing their flaws (lots of arguments and cigarettes) as well as their heroics. You might want to leave the popcorn and the kids at home, though, as some of the clinical footage is a little grisly.
*This blog post was originally published at ACP Internist*
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Freelance journalist and author Suzanne Schlosberg wrote because she was so upset over a New York Times story, “The Chip That Stacks Adds a Multigrain Twist,” that she wanted us to review it. I thought anyone who feels so strongly about something should review it herself. So she did. Here is Suzanne’s guest post:
Wouldn’t it be great if we could find a way to prolong our lives and to keep us healthy right up to the end? Ponce de León never found that Fountain of Youth, but science is still looking. What are the chances science will succeed? How’s it doing so far?
I’m at work the other day when I saw this great-looking motorcycle with a sidecar parked on the street. It looked like something out of one of those old James Bond movies. I thought it was pretty cool.
Feeling sorry for yourself after a long, hot week of cranky patients and insurance hassles? Maybe a glimpse of someone else’s practice will make you feel better. Especially if that doctor is alone in war-torn Africa, treating vast numbers of patients without sufficient equipment and supplies.
