Blog Posts by Health.com

Getty ImagesBy Louise Sloan

Times have changed since women going on birth control risked the pelvic infections of the Dalkon Shield or hormones dosed perilously high. Intrauterine devices (IUDs) have been redesigned to be very safe. The contraceptive sponge is almost risk free-though there are more effective ways to prevent pregnancy. Condoms are safe for everyone and are the only form of birth control that protects against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). And the Pill is so safe and effective these days that it is available over-the-counter in some countries.

"The Pill is one of the most widely studied drugs; it has probably been studied more than aspirin," says Anne Foster-Rosales, MD, chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood Golden Gate and a professor at the University of California, San Francisco.

Health.com: The best birth control for you now

The Pill can be good for you

"There are profound and considerable noncontraceptive benefits for most methods," says Lee Shulman, MD, a

By Ginny Graves

We are in the midst of a fat epidemic: An astounding two-thirds of American adults, including 65 million women, are overweight or obese-a rise of 10% in just a decade. If we keep it up, according to a new study, all adults in the United States (yes, everyone) will be overweight or obese in 40 years.

What's with the huge numbers? In addition to our poor diets and sedentary lifestyles, one reason for the growing epidemic is that carrying extra pounds doesn't seem dangerous to us; we don't consider it life-threatening.

In fact, an American Diabetes Association (ADA) survey suggested that people are more afraid of shark attacks and snake bites than diabetes, even though diabetes contributes to more than 230,000 deaths every year-compared with 5 to 10 a year from sharks and snakes!

Health.com: 10 states where people eat too much fast food

"People don't take obesity or obesity-related illnesses like type 2 diabetes seriously enough because they don't realize that they can

Getty ImagesBy Sarah Klein

Soccer practices, dance rehearsals, playdates, and other scheduling conflicts make family mealtime seem like a thing of the past. During the holidays, it gets even worse with parties, school events, and last-minute shopping trips. Suddenly, we're feeding our kids breakfast bars during the morning commute, sneaking 100-calorie packs at our desks, and grabbing dinner at the drive-thru window.

Eating meals together goes beyond the opportunity for bonding and relaxing. And despite the feeling that there's no time for such luxuries, 59% of families report eating dinner together at least five times a week-an increase from only 47% in 1998, according to the Importance of Family Dinner IV, a report from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

If you're finding it difficult to get together with your family at the dinner table, here's a little inspiration:

1. Kids might learn to love their veggies.
A 2000 survey found that the 9- to

Getty ImagesBy Allison Avery

Let's be honest: Sometimes a day at work is just no fun, and the stress starts to take its toll. Your heart races, you break out in hives or a sweat, or you have a headache from all that silent screaming. Next time, try to head off that stress attack with these calming tricks from Kathleen Hall, PhD, founder and CEO of The Stress Institute.

Serenity break
Take time to tune out. Listen to your favorite music (bonus points if you have an office that allows you to sing or hum along, which increases the calming benefits). Trigger your own slide show of favorite photos. Some people also find that it's very soothing to meditate, practice relaxed breathing, or repeat a mantra, such as "All is well in my life," Hall says. If all else fails, dab calming lavender aromatherapy oil on your pulse points.

Health.com: Which stress-busting gadgets really work?

The best medicine
Remember the time you laughed so hard with your best friend that you almost peed your pants? Stop what

By Michele Bender

These 13 must-haves will make you healthier-and your space work harder.

A back-friendly seat
Look for a chair with lower-back support and adjustable height and arm rests so you can sit up straight with your knees level. And lean back now and then: New research says it's good for you.

Health.com: 12 ways to stop work-related back pain

A well-placed monitor
Your neck and eyes will thank you if the top of your screen is at eye level and about 18 to 28 inches away from you. To avoid fatigue-inducing glare, don't park your computer in front of a window.

Calming color
To lower your stress level, work cooler hues, such as aqua or lavender, into your office, says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute and author of Color Messages and Meanings.

Health.com: Boost your mood with color

Typing tricks
Prevent carpal tunnel syndrome with a cushioned wrist support (wrists should be in a straight, not bent, position).

Soothing sounds
Minimize

IstockphotoBy Anne Harding

Gillian Aldrich started growing vegetables in her backyard three years ago, and she's now working on planting a bed of hydrangeas, butterfly bushes, rose campion, and-her favorite-pale-pink hardy geraniums along one side of her property.

As she digs in the garden, her 8-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son often play around her, sometimes taking a break to dig for worms or pick strawberries. Instead of watching them, Aldrich is playing, too-"my kind of play," she says.

Health.com: Injury-proof your gardening

"When you sit at a desk all day, there's something about literally putting your hands in the dirt, digging and actually creating something that's really beautiful," says Aldrich, 42, a magazine editor in Maplewood, N.J. "There's something about just being out there that feels kind of elemental."

Aldrich isn't the only one who feels this way. Many gardeners view their hobby as the perfect antidote to the modern world, a way of reclaiming some of the intangible

Getty ImagesBy Lynne Peeples

As we get older, nutrition rules change-or at least get stricter. Some vitamins, such as B12, become even more important with time. But at what age do we need to make changes?

"These recommendations should be addressed at different stages of life, and it's probably safe to start thinking about them in your 30s," says Helen Rasmussen, PhD, a registered dietitian at the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, in Boston. "Why wait until it's too late?"

Here's how-and what-to eat in your 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond.

Seek out vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is often overlooked. Needed to make blood cells and improve cognition, vitamin B12 gets into the body along with animal proteins like eggs or meat.

Most young people who aren't vegetarians easily get it in their diet. But for the body to use B12, it needs to dissolve it away from the protein. This gets more challenging with age as the level of stomach acid decreases.

B12 not bound to protein is found in

Next time you're reaching for a snack, you may want to think twice. Sometimes the fattiest foods are the ones you'd least expect!