Is obesity a disability? Advocacy groups want to classify obesity as a disability; doctors think it will prevent them from discussing obesity with their patients. At the same time, overweight patients often find that, like women in menopause, their size becomes a blinding factor to any other potential medical problem. Knee problems? Lose weight. Chest pain? Lose weight. Bleeding from the eyeballs? Lose weight. There's got to be a happy medium... (MSNBC) 

Failing the Smell Test Popular over-the-counter cold reliever Zicam may ruin your sense of smell. The FDA warned that 130 people had reported temporary or permanent damage to their sense of smell attributed to Zicam use. Good news, bad news, all: the bad news is that there's really nothing out there to treat a cold. It's something you just have to suffer through. Good news: I just saved you a lot of money on useless OTC meds, and am giving you full permission to eat some ice cream instead.  (US News)

Are cupcakes evil? Via Gawker, a story of a woman determined to keep junk food out of her children's sticky (with carob chips, we assume) little hands by any means necessary. Also, she thinks Santa is fat. Is she a visionary, a helicopter parent, or just kind of a pain in the neck? And don't parents have the right to control their kid's diet and nutrition, even if the general consensus is that a slice of birthday cake now and then won't kill you? (Gawker)

Morning Video Transition: While you're waiting for the coffee to kick in, check out this video of a teenager with a movement disorder that caused uncontrollable twitching, both before and after brain surgery. (Mayo Clinic)

Sotomayor Is Not A Bully She's a smart, tough legislator who challenges lawyers on both sides. Nina Totenberg delivers an in-depth look at the judge's temperament and determines that her style of questioning and habit of interrupting is no worse than anyone else on the bench. A Sotomayor mentor who investigated rumors about her style determined that her questions and tone were the same as men on the Appellate Court, and goes right ahead and calls those rumors "sexist." Totenberg, after questioning other lawyers, judges, and analyzing audio tapes of Sotomayor's performance, concludes thusly: "If she sometimes dominates oral arguments....if she's feisty, even pushy, then she should fit right in on the US Supreme Court." (NPR)

Extreme Measures Raise Risk Weight-loss surgeries like gastric bypass increase the risk of fracture. The Mayo Clinic studied 100 patients and found that one-fifth of those who had weight-loss surgery reported bone fractures, which is about twice the normal rate. Most patients reported multiple fractures, especially in their hands and feet. Weight loss surgery can lead to vitamin D deficiency and otherwise affect bone health, though the exact reason why fractures are up is unknown. (BBC)

Sex Selection In The US Disturbing data from the US Census suggests that Asian families in America are using sex-selection techniques to enforce a bias for male children. Families with a first, female child are more likely than average to have a second, male child.

In general, more boys than girls are born in the United States, by a ratio of 1.05 to 1. But among American families of Chinese, Korean and Indian descent, the likelihood of having a boy increased to 1.17 to 1 if the first child was a girl, according to the Columbia economists. If the first two children were girls, the ratio for a third child was 1.51 to 1 — or about 50 percent greater — in favor of boys.

American companies have picked up on this bias, offering sex selection services—not necessarily abortion—in Indian and Chinese language newspapers. Fertility experts say that most American families prefer female children, but that the cultural preference for male children in Asia has carried over to the USA (NY Times).

Transplant Trouble Japan's transplant laws, which prohibit anyone from under 15 from donating organs, are called into question as young children with serious but treatable conditions are denied lifesaving surgery.  (CNN)

Nicotine Delites? We've heard of candy cigarettes, but this is ridiculous. RJ Reynolds is introducing a tobacco-based mint for adults (because grown-up loooove candy) sold in shiny packaging. It makes business sense for tobacco companies to try and branch out to smokeless products now that it's illegal to light up at so many bars and restaurants, but candy? Come on. When your product makes Camel Snus look like a good idea, it's time to fire your development team. (MSNBC.com)

World Health Organization About To Declare Swine Flu A Pandemic Again. For real this time. (Reuters)

Dirty Gels: The Food and Drug Administration warns that antibacterial agents made by a company called Clarcon are... wait for it... FULL OF BACTERIA. The irony is delicious; the potential skin infections not so much. Clarcon provides products for industrial use, so keep an eye out at your workplace for skin protectors and hand sanitizers with brand names like CitruShield, Dermassentials, Magic Touch, and Pure Effect. (Consumer Reports)

RX Rip-offs Remember that time on Sex and The City where Samantha bought fake Fendi and someone ended up stealing her identity, and she got kicked out of the Playboy mansion? This is kind of the same, thing except instead of fake handbags, it's fake pharmaceuticals, and instead of public humiliation, people are dying: worldwide, Pfizer has reported a 30 percent increase in seizure of counterfeit prescription drugs, In Africa and East Asia, up to 67 percent of chloroquine tablets for malaria prevention failed quality checks. (Science Based Medicine)

A Woman's Victorious Tale of Cancer Survival: A nice read for those of you (like me) moving a little slowly this morning. No need to rush into the work week head on! (Pharmablog)

Tickling Gorillas: Will be the name of the NEWSWEEK.com house band. It's also part of a process scientists are using to categorize human laughter. This is old news to fans of public radio, since it was featured on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me this weekend, but if you want more of the science behind punchlines, check out this very interesting (and only slightly nerdy) post. (Scienceblogs)

When a female instructor was put at the front of the classroom, nearly two-thirds of the grade point gender gap evaporated. (It was also the case that men performed better when taught by other men, but the difference was far less substantial.) The authors persuasively demonstrate that the overall male-female performance difference is due in large part to the fact that men dominate the Air Force Academy science faculty (as is the case in most schools), with only 23 percent of courses taught by women. (Slate)

The Least Tragic Consequence of Dr. Tiller's Murder Now that many Kansas clinics have been shut down, anti-abortion protestors are bored. (NYTimes.com)

An Apple A Day Keeps Forclosure Away? Medical debt caused 62 percent of bankruptcies last year, and 72 percent of those who filed due to health reasons had insurance. Diabetes and neurological illnesses were the main reasons people were pushed to the brink financially. There's no jokes to be made here, really. This is just scary and sad.  (Business Week)  

Fido Pharmaceuticals The first ever drug for dog cancer has been approved by the FDA. This is funny and quirky if you're a cat person, and totally exciting and important if you like dogs. Since I am a dog person, this is a breakthrough of modern science, and not a totally waste of researchers' time and drug company's money (and trust me; drug companies will make LOTS of money on this).  (ABCNews.com)

What Makes A Pandemic: We're about to find out. The New York Times says The World Health Organization is getting closer to declaring swine flu a global pandemic, though it doesn't say what that really means. So far, swine flu has hit 62 countries and caused hundreds of deaths. the death toll is low enough, however, that the WHO may note that the H1N1 virus isn't very lethal. (NYTimes)

HMO in a Handbasket Healthcare giant Kaiser Permanente is sponsoring 30 farmers markets across the country to take place outside of hospitals. The markets will promote healthy eating, the preventatitve powers of good nutrition, and provide a respite from the normal hospital fare of coffee and donuts, and junk food -- A 2006 study showed that 42 percent of hospitals had fast food restaruatns in their buildings. (CNN.com)

The Nine Unhealthiest Foods ABC breaks it down, courtesy of Center for Science in the Public Interest.

(ABCNews.com)

Poor Kids Get No Breaks:  Even children who manage to outlive, flee, or move past a difficult childhood may not be able to fully escape:. A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that many adult diseases are born from negative childhood experiences. Not so much "had braces for five years" negativity as much as poverty, abuse, neglect, severe maternal depression, parental substance abuse, and family violence. These experiences can cause what researchers deem "toxic" levels of stress, and the lingering effects of this stress on the brain could result in diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and stroke later in life. So what's the excuse for those of us with only moderately stressful childhoods? (Rockefeller University)

The Seven Year Itch The friends we have now are a really awesome, lovely, bunch --- too bad half of them might be gone within the next seven years. Scientist found that most people shed about half of their friends every seven years to accommodate newer friends. As a result, the size of the social networks stay the same, but the faces change (MSNBC)

FDA Seeks More Transparency The Food and Drug Administration announced the creation of a new task force, designed to make the group's actions and decisions more transparent. As the Wall Street Journal points out, about what the agency want to be more transparent is not yet...clear.  (Wall Street Journal)

Sad News For Children With Autism An anti-depressant commonly used to treat the repetitive behaviors of children with autism is as effective as a placebo—but with worse side effects. Citalopram improved repetitive behaviors—like flapping—in 33 percent of autistic children in a trial. Sounds impressive, except that 34 percent of those taking the placebo also improved.  (LA Times)

HPV Protection Gardasil, the vaccine which prevents against several strains of the Human papilloma virus, is effective in women ages 25-45. The vaccine, which is currently FDA approved for women 26 and under, seems to protect against the strain of HPV that can cause genital warts in older women, if those women had never been previously infected. In a test of almost 4,000 women, Colombian researchers found the vaccine to be 90 percent effective (MSNBC)

The Procrastinator's Dilemma: Michael Pollin, author of The Ominvore's Dilemma (Penguin, 2006) talks about farming for 94 minutes. But it's a really smart, interesting talk about farming, sustainability, and the food we eat.  (Mercola.com)

Say what? Consumer Reports has a much shorter and very helpful video on how to insert earplugs (just in time for NEWSWEEK's move to our new, more open office!)The highlights: roll plugs into a cylinder until it's long and narrow. Reaching over your head, grab the top of your ear with your opposite hand and pull up. Once inserted, plug will expand to fit your ears. (Consumerist)

Baseball's Dirty Secret: Jon Mooallem at Slate observes that the average baseball game sends up to 40 high-speed projectiles (foul balls and home runs) into the stands, which can lead to deadly consequences. He reviews a new book which aspires to serves as comprehensive chronicle of all deaths during baseball games since the 1862. The authors of Death At The Ballpark found 850 incidents; baseball fans have already alerted them to at least another 50. At what price Dollar Dog Night?  (Slate)

Lies Scientists Tell The data never lies—but sometimes the men and women manipulating the data do. That's what new research from online journal PLoS ONE finds. In the study,

2% of scientists admitted they had "fabricated" (made up), "falsified" or "altered" data to "improve the outcome" at least once, and up to 34% admitted to other questionable research practices including "failing to present data that contradict one's own previous research" and "dropping observations or data points from analyses based on a gut feeling that they were inaccurate."

The study authors also found that 14% of respondents said they knew someone who had fabricated, meaning that the two percent who owned up are either extremely popular, or the practice is even more widespread than the research indicates. (Eurekalert)

New Pregnancy Guidelines The Institute of Medicine yesterday codified how much weight women can safely gain while pregnant: too much, especially for women who already have weight-related health concerns, can lead to health problems for both the mother and the baby. Too little weight gain means the fetus may not be getting enough nutrition. Enough suspense! The new guidelines:

• Women who are underweight (BMI less than 18.5) should gain 28-40 pounds.
• Women of normal weight (BMI of 18.5-24.9) should gain 25-35 pounds.
• Women who are overweight (BMI of 25-29.9) should gain should gain 15-25 pounds.
• Women who are obese (BMI of 30 or more) should gain 11-20 pounds.

Swine Flu Vaccine By October?  As mainline China reports it's first domestic case of H1N1-caused flu, a representative from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms that samples of the virus have been shipped to vaccine manufacturers. Depending on the quality of vaccine produced from those samples, they may be able to offer something to the public by October. (Washington Post)

Goodbye to All That Fiber Americans are over healthy living. So suggests a study from the American Journal of Medicine. Researchers measures how many Americans adhered to five "healthy habits," like eating fruits and vegetables and getting enough physical activity, and found that the number of health nuts who did all five has been cut in half over the past 20 years. Americans are now drinking more and moving less, as well.  Nice work, guys (she says, while eating her egg and cheese sandwich). (foodconsumer.com)

Silent Birth  Des Moines hospitals say they will no longer provide birth announcements to the area newspaper, citing concerns for newborn safety.  Though there have been no incidents of note wherein birth announcements played a role in endangering newborns, one hospital administrator emphasized the need to "do everything possible to protect our tiniest patients." The Des Moines register is trying tofind a new way to collect the information that ensures its accuracy. (Des Moines Register)

McDonald's Eggs-emption Yesterday, McDonald's shareholders voted "no" on a proposal to serve eggs only from free-range chickens. McDonalds has said it will continue to study the issue. I'm curious to see the logistics of raising free-range farming for a company that serves so many people (billions and billions, was it?) (The Street)

The Benefits of Aging Besides a bigger bank account, better insurance, and crazy dinner specials if you go before 6, the elderly have another added perk: immunity to the "swine flu" (sorry: H1N1) virus. Researchers found that one third of people over sixty have antibodies that protect them from H1N1, which they hope will aid in developing a vaccine. (Washington Post)

...And The Drawbacks "Dowager's Hump" may predict early death in elderly women. Can we address what a horrible term "dowager's hump" is? I think it might be my second-least favorite, behind "incompetent cervix." Even though DH is not the official term for the slumped shoulders that can hit elderly (that's hyperkyphosis), the fact that it's still being used is shocking to me, even if it's just to give people a point of reference. It's like writing  "Patients with Downs Syndrome, often referred to as  'retards'..."  It's old fashioned, offensive, and demeaning: who wants to go to the doctors for care, only to be called a dowager, inadvertently or otherwise? (Newswise)

 What Will It Take To Fix Healthcare? A national healthcare plan used to be just a theoretical concept, but as the country moves closer to it becoming a reality, the discussion has moved from hypothetical debate to specific detail. So what are the keys to making healthcare happen? According to the Nation, there has to be a public plan to rein in costs, fix uncompetitive markets, and create a more cost-effective way to practice medicine. Easy, right?  (The Nation)

Bottle Shock If you're drinking from bottles made with bisphenol A, you could also be drinking some dangerous chemicals.  Last week, Chicago banned baby bottles made with the BPA, which is used in many hard plastic bottles and linked to increased risk of developmental problems in animals. Now, a Harvard study shows that BPA used in bottles does in fact leech into the water at a high rate, as evidenced by the high levels of BPA in the urine of those who drank from such bottles. (Boston)

Photo: Vancouver2010.com

Olympic Buzz The Toronto Star asks if the torch designed for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver looks like a marijuana cigarette.  The Stranger's David Schmader thinks it more closely resembles "a pregnancy test that reveals you're having Satan's baby." It reminds me of either an orange-peeling tool that I have in my kitchen but never use, or a fancy new razor that singes off hair in lieu of using blades. Your thoughts?   (Slog) 

Fossil Finds Just what I need before Memorial Day weekend—more relatives trying to lay claim to my (parent's) beach house: the 'missing link" has been found in Germany. Rather than further connecting man and monkey, this skeleton—in surprisingly good shape for being about 47 million years old— helps bridges that elusive gap between "monkeys and lemurs," providing clues about earlier stages of evolution.  (National Geographic)

GOP HMO As President Barack Obama presses forward with his health care agenda— soliciting his followers on Twitter to contact Congress and ask for quick action—Republicans are pushing a plan of their own. They want to eliminate the tax credit employers receive for providing insurance for employees, then give tax credits to individuals to help pay for private health insurance. The government would run a health plan "with the compassion of the IRS, the efficiency of the post office, and the incompetence of Katrina," write the Republicans in their plan summary. Why hate on the post office? For less than 50 cents, they will hand deliver your letter across the country, and the fact that they deliver mail too and from every city in America means that private mail services, like FedEx, are forced to provide more comprehensive service. (WSJ) 

Daniel Hauser Headed To Mexico Is Daniel Hauser (or his mother) a secret PR genius? The 13-year old refusing western treatment for his cancer knows how to keep the media interested. First, his family was taken to court for denying their son chemo, which is an instant headline-generator. Then, he and his mother fled the area so that they wouldn't have to comply with the judge's ruling. Everyone knows that the best way to instantly extend interest in your news story is to add a police chase of some sort. MSNBC is currently reporting speculation that the two are headed to Mexico, thereby combining the two biggest health stories from the past two weeks into one giant super-story.  Now people can discuss both Hauser and swine flu in the same conversation with minimal transition. (MSNBC)