The Checkup - Jennifer Huget on health in the news and in your life.

11:00 AM	CANCELLED: The Fix Live

11:00 AM	Real Wheels Live
11:00 AM	Carolyn Hax Live: Advice columnist tackles your problems (Friday, May 24)
1:00 PM	The Latest in TV with Lisa de Moraes

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 07/01/2011

How do McDonald’s sauces stack up?

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

Fans of McDonald’s chicken nuggets — and I am not among them — may be wondering how those new dipping sauces stack up, nutrition-wise. Is it better to dunk in honey mustard, creamy ranch or spicy buffalo dip?

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 07:00 AM ET, 07/01/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 06/30/2011

The mystery of non-vanishing apples

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

These kids are smart, nice, well-rounded, personable, highly educated young people. They are, by and large, fit and trim; most participate in sports, and, all in all, you’d say they seem a very healthy group of people. Yet apparently free apples on exam day have no place in their lives.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 07:00 AM ET, 06/30/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 02:30 PM ET, 06/29/2011

FDA panel: Avastin not effective for treatment of breast cancer

By Rob Stein

An FDA panel votes against Avastin’s continued use to treat advanced breast cancer

By Rob Stein | 02:30 PM ET, 06/29/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 06/28/2011

For July Fourth feasts, no need to choose between healthful and yummy

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

There’s no need to choose between healthful and yummy at July 4th feasts.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 07:00 AM ET, 06/28/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:00 AM ET, 06/27/2011

Pregnancy, childbirth safe for women with MS

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

Women with multiple sclerosis are not more likely than others to have complications with pregnancy or childbirth, new research suggests.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 12:00 AM ET, 06/27/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 06/24/2011

Is that right? Post cereals have greater grains?

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

Post claims its new Great Grains cereals are better than competing brands’ because they are “less processed.” Is that right?

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 07:00 AM ET, 06/24/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 06:55 PM ET, 06/22/2011

Glen Campbell, Alzheimer’s and seeming drunk

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

I was plenty sad to hear that musician Glen Campbell has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He, his wife and his family probably have a rocky road ahead.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 06:55 PM ET, 06/22/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 11:22 AM ET, 06/22/2011

New silicone breast implants appear to be safe, FDA says

By Rob Stein

Two recently approved silicone gel-filled breast implants appear to be safe for most women according to preliminary data, the FDA said.

By Rob Stein | 11:22 AM ET, 06/22/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 06/22/2011

New radiation technique promising for breast cancer

By Rob Stein

Researchers in California say a new form of radiation therapy is showing promise for offering women with early-stage breast cancer an easier, less toxic alternative.

By Rob Stein | 07:00 AM ET, 06/22/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 06/21/2011

Fat substitutes may actually lead to weight gain

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

Researchers at Purdue University found provocative evidence that eating foods containing fat substitutes not only doesn’t aid weight loss but may actually contribute to weight gain.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 07:00 AM ET, 06/21/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:48 AM ET, 06/21/2011

Graphic new tobacco warnings unveiled

By Rob Stein

The federal government Tuesday unveiled nine graphic images that will be required as part of powerful new warnings all cigarette packs and ads will have to start carrying.

By Rob Stein | 05:48 AM ET, 06/21/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:01 AM ET, 06/20/2011

Portable pools pose dangers to kids

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

A sobering report published online this morning in the journal Pediatrics found that from 2001 to 2009, 209 children under 12 died after becoming submerged in portable pools.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 12:01 AM ET, 06/20/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:01 AM ET, 06/17/2011

Annual cancer report reveals progress, disparities

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

Overall cancer death rates, which have been dropping since the early 1990s, have continued to decrease, according to a new report.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 12:01 AM ET, 06/17/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 09:00 AM ET, 06/16/2011

First patients picked for next human embryonic stem cell experiment

By Rob Stein

Scientists in California have begun selecting patients to participate in the second research project approved in the U.S. to evaluate a therapy made from human embryonic stem cells.

By Rob Stein | 09:00 AM ET, 06/16/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 06/16/2011

Olive oil consumption linked to lower stroke risk

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

New research suggests that consuming lots of olive oil is associated with a reduced risk of ischemic stroke.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 07:00 AM ET, 06/16/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:00 PM ET, 06/14/2011

TV boosts risk for diabetes, heart disease and premature death, study finds

By Rob Stein

There’s new evidence indicating that watching too much television can be hazardous to your health.

By Rob Stein | 04:00 PM ET, 06/14/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 10:50 AM ET, 06/14/2011

FDA issues new tougher sunscreen regulations

By Rob Stein

Manufacturers will be required to test products against sun rays that pose greatest risk of skin cancer.

By Rob Stein | 10:50 AM ET, 06/14/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 06/14/2011

Is organic produce safer?

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

Pesticides aside, current events call into question the notion that organic food is inherently safer to eat than conventionally farmed food.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 07:00 AM ET, 06/14/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:01 AM ET, 06/13/2011

Routine autism screening? Not so fast.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

Two studies published in the journal Pediatrics differ in whether all children should be routinely screened for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by their physicians whether they showed symptoms or not.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 12:01 AM ET, 06/13/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 02:00 PM ET, 06/10/2011

Formaldehyde now considered carcinogenic

By Rob Stein

Formaldehyde and a family of substances found in some herbal remedies have been added to the government’s official list of known human carcinogens, officials announced Friday.

By Rob Stein | 02:00 PM ET, 06/10/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 06/10/2011

Be careful in the bathroom

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

An eye-opening report from the CDC shows an alarming number of injuries occurring in the bathroom. It makes sense, of course: The bathroom presents a perfect array of hazards, from porcelain fixtures to wet, slippery floors. Plus, many times when we are in the bathroom we are not our best, most cognizant selves.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 07:00 AM ET, 06/10/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:23 PM ET, 06/09/2011

FDA issues warning on prostate drugs

By Rob Stein

Federal health officials Thursday warned that drugs used to treat the prostate gland and baldness may increase the risk for the most serious form of prostate cancer.

By Rob Stein | 04:23 PM ET, 06/09/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 06/09/2011

The truth about mothers, daughters and health

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

Here’s how it’s supposed to work: Mothers model healthful eating and exercise behaviors. Their children, particularly their daughters, adopt those behaviors themselves. And everyone lives happily ever after.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 07:00 AM ET, 06/09/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 03:54 PM ET, 06/08/2011

FDA issues warning about cholesterol drug

By Rob Stein

The Food and Drug Administration warned Wednesday that the highest dose of a popular cholesterol-lowering drug should no longer be prescribed to new patients because of concerns that it can cause muscle damage.

By Rob Stein | 03:54 PM ET, 06/08/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 02:45 PM ET, 06/08/2011

Animal drug pulled due to arsenic worries

By Rob Stein

A drug company is pulling a compound off the market that has been given to animals after federal investigators found arsenic in chickens treated with the medicine.

By Rob Stein | 02:45 PM ET, 06/08/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:00 PM ET, 06/08/2011

Scientists find new genetic clues to autism

By Rob Stein

In a set of three papers in the journal Neuron, researchers report provocative results from analyses of the genes from about 1,000 families that they hope could lead to new insights into what causes the disorder.

By Rob Stein | 12:00 PM ET, 06/08/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 08:00 AM ET, 06/07/2011

Weight Watchers, DASH win latest round of diet wars

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

Weight Watchers and the DASH diet come out on top in this round of the diet wars.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 08:00 AM ET, 06/07/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 06/06/2011

MyPlate and PCRM

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

Still, despite the lawsuit and those objections, PCRM is actually pretty happy with MyPlate. PCRM nutritionist Kathryn Strong says the group was “pleasantly surprised” when they saw the design last week. “We’d been submitting comments right along, letting them know what we thought. So it’s not that surprising they’re so similar,” she said. Strong says the USDA’s new icon “is drifting toward a plant-centered diet” with three quarters of the plate devoted to vegetables, fruits and grains and the other quarter to protein. In that scheme, she says, “meat is not necessary; it’s optional. They’re doing a good job of showing that protein doesn’t have to be meat.”

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 07:00 AM ET, 06/06/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 06:30 PM ET, 06/02/2011

New antibiotic-resistant bacteria found in cow’s milk

By Rob Stein

British scientists have announced the discovery a new strain of a dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria that infects both humans and cows.

By Rob Stein | 06:30 PM ET, 06/02/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:10 PM ET, 06/02/2011

MyPlate might actually work

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

A huge improvement over the baffling MyPyramid icon that it replaces, MyPlate is easy as pie to understand; its designers smartly saved the fine print about how to actually fill the wedge-shaped spots on the plate for the Web site, ChooseMyPlate.gov.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 12:10 PM ET, 06/02/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 06/01/2011

FDA investigates possible increased blood clot risk from some new birth control pills

By Rob Stein

Agency investigating concerns that several new pills may increase risk for potentially life-threatening blood clots

By Rob Stein | 07:00 AM ET, 06/01/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

The Checkup: July, 2011