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Health Section: July 7, 2008
Sick days
U.S. employees are making do with fewer days or none at all as companies reduce the benefit. Lawmakers are stepping in.
Diagnosed with celiac disease, or self-diagnosed. Sensitive to foods, or related to those who are. The gluten-free diet trend is getting a warm embrace.
FITNESS
Poor air quality can trip up even the healthiest person. Pay attention to daily reports and your body's reactions.
THE MD
Genetic disorders and lifestyle behaviors can affect the quality and quantity of sperm. But male infertility often goes undiagnosed and untreated.
YOUR LETTERS
Re: [“Is It a Safer Call?” June 30], you cite scientists who claim that drivers' attention and processing capacities are "often stretched beyond safe limits when someone juggles the complex tasks of negotiating traffic and conversing with another remotely."
MY TURN
Workouts become a habit when you look forward to the conversations.
EXPLAIN THIS
Researchers unravel a mystery about why this type of mourning triggers a part of the brain linked to feelings of reward.
PEOPLE'S PHARMACY
Longtime sufferer of acne reports good results with the topical treatment, which is said to help reduce inflammation and redness.
CAPSULE
THOSE BIG 10-pound newborns that look like future Hall of Famers may be at an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis. In a study of 84,077 women participating in the Nurses' Health Study from 1976 to 1992, Dr. Lisa Mandl at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and colleagues found that people who weighed more than 10 pounds at birth were twice as likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis as those who were of normal weight -- 7.1 to 8.5 pounds -- at birth.
GOOD FORM
Even everyday activities require upper body strength, especially in the biceps (which help bend the arms), the triceps (which straighten the arms) and the deltoids (which lift the arms). The traditional push-up is an excellent way to strengthen all these muscles at once. And for an extra challenge, try doing it with a yoga block.