Diet and Nutrition. Natural Health, and Healthy Living

According to the headlines, 10 percent of Americans are unemployed. The truth is that closer to 17 percent of the population cannot find full-time work; this number includes workers who have become discouraged and have given up looking for work as well as those who have settled for part-time jobs because they cannot find the full-time employment that they need.

The situation is not going to change anytime soon. As Princeton economist Paul Krugman recently warned: “We are facing mass unemployment — unemployment that will blight the lives of millions of Americans for years to come.”

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From the (UK) Independent. Real quotes from real people attending the free care in LA this week:

"I had a gastric bypass in 2002, but it went wrong, and stomach acid began rotting my teeth. I've had several jobs since, but none with medical insurance, so I've not been able to see a dentist to get it fixed," she told The Independent. "I've not been able to chew food for as long as I can remember. I've been living on soup, and noodles, and blending meals in a food mixer. I'm in constant pain. Normally, it would cost $5,000 to fix it. So if I have to wait a week to get treated for free, I'll do it. This will change my life."

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President Obama made a risky wager when he decided to let Congress take the lead on crafting health care legislation, rather than presenting his own reform package. Congress is not known for taking bold, decisive leadership on tough issues. Normally, it reacts and gridlocks; it doesn’t lead.

As Congress takes its usual August recess without acting, it appears that Obama’s strategy has failed. But, has it? Is there a deeper strategy? What’s really at stake here?

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Four months after we first reportedon a sketchy AIDS "charity" with a nationwide fundraising campaign, authorities have begun to crack down. But the move might not have much impact if other officials don't follow suit.

The Illinois attorney general alleged in a lawsuit Thursday that the Center for AIDS Prevention solicited donations illegally and falsified official documents. The group's fundraising campaign has featured ads on the Web sites of the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times and others for months, drawing attention to the charity's shady practices.

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In the comments on my piece on Michael Cannon (which Michael has not commented on sadly, as I was hoping for a nice fight!), everyone’s favorite insurance broker Nate asked me to describe a bit more the process of a small group buying health insurance. I’m not quite ready to do that yet, but instead I will point you towards this piece I wrote about buying individual insurance in 2006. It’s called A Tale of Two Underwritersand it explains how screwed up the process is.

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In 1953, Charles Erwin Wilson, then GM president, was named by Eisenhower as Secretary of Defense. When he was asked during the hearings before the Senate Armed Services Committee if as secretary of defense he could make a decision adverse to the interests of General Motors, Wilson answered affirmatively but added that he could not conceive of such a situation "because for years I thought what was good for the country was good for General Motors and vice versa". Later this statement was often misquoted, suggesting that Wilson had said simply, "What's good for General Motors is good for the country." (From Wikipedia’s History of General Motors)

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Aphrodisiac - a substance that can enhance sexual energy and sensuality. They were known in ancient India, Egypt, China and Greece.

Actually, this is not surprising - people have always sought to achieve “higher pleasures.” In myths and legends of many different peoples they mentioned living and dead water, miraculous remedies, supposedly capable of turning a century old man into a young and beautiful boy. Such substances would allow him feeling again young, healthy, full of force, active potency and capacity for sex. Men prayed to god that had a great “man’s dignity,” healers offered them substances that increased sexual appetite.

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Note: This post first appeared at Gooznews.com

Both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal carried stories today on Medicare's expansion of the number of drug-listing compendia that can now be used to justify reimbursement for the off-label use of anti-cancer drugs. This expansion, which GoozNews covered last summer (see posts here, here, and here), will sharply increase Medicare spending on anti-cancer drugs of questionable medical value.

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Editor's note: Maggie wrote this originally as a comment to Brian Klepper's post, but we thought it worthy of its own headline.

I vote for Dr. Lundberg--who I know, admire and trust.

I am troubled by Dr. Gupta's nomination because I have heard him promote products or treatments on television while ignoring the best medical evidence. In other words, he misinforms the public--without hinting that he is contradicting current best practice guidelines.

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The September/October issue of Health Affairs is dedicated to reviewing concepts of the medical home. It is most likely the most current, authoritative, and impressive review of this emerging idea. Health Affairs is an excellent resource for health policy wonks to gather, but in recent years has become more accessible to the general health care audience. I would recommend it as required reading for anyone interested in learning about this trend.

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