There is no longer a question about the incidence of obesity: we are in the midst of a global epidemic. According to current estimates more than 1 billion adults are overweight, with over 3 million who are obese. The numbers are indeed staggering: 35 percent of women and 31 percent of men are ...

With too many parents in some areas of the country not having their children vaccinated, it is time to review the proven medical science and the extreme importance of getting vaccinations. Not receiving vaccinations is potentially very dangerous for these children and others. The true ...

Although it may strike you as hyperbole, there is a new epidemic in the land. Most every time this topic is researched, the “E” word, as in “epidemic,”appears. All the news sources agree: this is a subject of growing concern. But then, this is the basic concept of an epidemic: not that ...

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to live in a different period. I have no desire to live in the trenches during a world war, lead a revolution, nor do I want to live through famine, earthquakes, or a global flu epidemic. Instead, I want to return to the moments when ideas born in ...

John was a laborer, working in a warehouse, performing heavy, physical work. A simple task, one he had performed on a daily basis, caused him to twist his back in such a way that pain shot down his leg. Treatment included a prescription for physical therapy and a back brace, as well as a pain ...

Lisa Love hasn’t seen her doctor of 25 years since she discovered telemedicine. Love tried virtual visits last summer for help with a skin irritation and returned for another minor problem. She doesn’t feel a pressing need to seek care the old-fashioned way, especially since she also ...

As discussed in previous columns, there are indeed many genuine health benefits from smiling and laughter. Because I feel so strongly about these health benefits, let me again review them for you. Let us first consider the biological benefits of smiling? As noted in scientific medical ...

It’s a common, often-repeated theme in medical tv dramas over the years. The subject of the episode suffers from some mysterious, debilitating illness, and no one can diagnose the cause. Typically, many suspect the subject’s condition is psychosomatic, meaning, basically, it’s all in ...

By CECILIA BROWN Journal Staff Writer GWINN — Knowing and recognizing the signs of human trafficking is a valuable tool that can help individuals protect themselves and others. Students in Angela Micheau’s elective Health II class at Gwinn High School recently learned the signs of human ...

MARQUETTE — Opioid-related overdose deaths have increased by more than three times in Michigan since 2011, rising from 622 to over 2,000 deaths annually. In response to this, a recent amendment to Michigan’s Public Health Code is aiming to address the opioid epidemic in Michigan in a ...

My employer is very concerned about my health. Once a year, I have to fill an online health questionnaire; a nurse comes over to my office, she measures my blood pressure and takes my pulse, and she asks me to step on the scale. There are also some blood tests involved. This year, everything ...

Modern medicine has developed tunnel vision. To put it another way, specialists specialize. This system has developed by necessity since the amount of knowledge about the human body is vast and complex. But this has led to a very narrowed focus on one particular region or tissue type, making it ...

We should all take healthy measures to avoid dehydration in our body. Let us first review the medical definition of dehydration. Human dehydration is generally defined as a potentially harmful reduction in the amount of water in the body, due to either not taking in enough water and fluids, or ...

The amount of money spent on health care in the U.S. is astounding, a total that has been increasing yearly. So much effort put into attaining health: wouldn’t it make more sense to maintain it? This is a philosophical issue in many ways, but most Americans agree: we don’t practice enough ...

MARQUETTE — Openly talking about depression and other mental health conditions can be challenging. But conversations about mental health can help individuals and their loved ones recognize potential problems and seek help. Due to this, depression in the elderly was the topic of a March 26 ...

MARQUETTE — Herbalists, naturopaths, chiropractors, nutritionists and a variety of other holistic health care providers gathered at the Masonic Center in Marquette Saturday to spread their passion for alternative medicine to the community for the 20th annual Holistic Health Fair. The ...

The other day, I sat at Napoleon House in the French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana. I arrived in the Big Easy for a medical conference. But before the conference started, and after it ended, and during lunch breaks, even a doctor must eat. Hence Napoleon House, a restaurant in the heart of ...

I would like to tell you a tale, not one of mystery and intrigue, but of frustration and pain. No, this is not the first chapter of my next murder mystery, but an everyday occurrence, a scenario that takes place frequently in exam rooms across the country. Someone presents with a small painful ...

There are volumes of collections that reflect on the wit and wisdom that has been expressed by our great presidents of the United States over many years. Of course, they have been expressed during hard times and during good times. They can often give us some insights for us to reflect upon ...

When people are asked to think about the word “health”, thoughts automatically turn inward. They think of their heart or their joints, liver or lungs, associating health with the internal environment, our “innards”, all those organs and vessels. But the external world is a critical ...