Villain or Hero? We like our villains simple and singular, whether in politics or food. Our brains crave order, but seeing issues as part of larger systems is too complicated, too effortful and time consuming to seem worth it. Besides, it makes for lousy copy. Better to choose a villain. Recently, patients have been coming […]
Is it a food or a drug? (5/3/11)
The Differences Between Food and Medicine Can foods be drugs and drugs foods? A popular definition of food might include these elements: Nourishment Taste Fuel Energy Materials Appetite Similarly, a popular definition of drug might include issues of: Medical Treatment Decreasing Symptoms Changing Risk Factors of Illness These different arenas sound pretty separable – yet […]
Cheap and sweet (4/08/11)
Literally Guarding Kids From Sugar Parents are now guarding Philadelphia corner candy stores – keeping their kids out. Right now 20% of American children are obese. Are ad hoc “militias” of parents blocking candy stores a smart way to prevent future obesity? This is no way to run a country – or a health […]
It’s the middle of the night and you can’t sleep – what you can do (3/28/11)
Waking At Night Perhaps it’s the effect of a crashed economy, soaring gas prices, upheaval in the Middle East, blown up nuclear reactor buildings or the Charles Sheen saga, but people are waking up a lot these days – in the middle of the night. Frequently they can’t fall back to sleep. There […]
Does sleep loss make you take bad risks? (3/21/11)
Gambling With Time Las Vegas at night cools outside, but not inside. The desiccated desert air does not affect environments designed and run as separate worlds where the temperature, the atmosphere and the staff’s friendly glare never change. There are no clocks. Some years ago I returned to Las Vegas after decades to see what […]