ArcaMax

Here's hoping you and yours had an enjoyable Labor Day holiday on Monday. Yet I'm betting it's left a lot of folks feeling a day behind in their workload because of it. For countless others, Labor Day amounted to no time off at all. That's because it is a somewhat unconventional holiday. For many, it isn't even a day off work. "Unlike most U.S. ...Read more

In today's world, physical inactivity remains a problem. In fact, it has become a major concern. As reported by Healthcanal, in 2020 just 24.2% "of U.S. adults met guidelines for aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise. ... Among all adults, 46.9% get enough aerobic activity, compared to 31.0% who get enough muscle-strengthening activity."

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This is a commentary about oil. Not the crude stuff, but the various extracts that have been used, some since the beginnings of recorded history, to improve human health. I was reminded of this practice recently when I stumbled upon this Medical News Today headline: "Could fish oil benefit people at high risk of Alzheimer's disease?"

"Many ...Read more

The juice of the pomegranate, so uniquely sweet yet tart, is derived from a fruit that long ago cropped up throughout the Mediterranean and is steeped in ancient Greek and Roman mythology. Now, in 2024, it seems to be having its day. Articles are sprouting up everywhere praising the virtues of this beverage that "lowers blood pressure and ...Read more

While striving for excellence in sports may be an obvious goal of the Olympic Games, a less heralded one is promoting the health benefits of sport. This goal is as important in the host country, France, as it is in other parts of the world. As the International Olympic Committee's website proclaims, "in France almost 40% of the population deny ...Read more

In many ways, coverage of the Olympics and Paralympic Games represents a much-needed unifying and normalized experience for us. It couldn't come at a better time given the divisive, fear-inducing and pressure-packed times in which we live. The games are also a vivid reminder of how today's emerging technologies rule the world. According to ...Read more

It is entirely possible that I have recently been overdoing it in focusing too much on psychological threats to public health. For example, the many reports of the debilitating effects rampant fear and anger are said to pose to public health and safety that I touched on last week. According to the experts, these emotions, when heightened, ...Read more

In 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, recognizing the significant challenges that loneliness, social isolation and mental health issues pose to college-age Americans in the post-pandemic world, conducted a listening tour of colleges and universities. Following the tour, he wrote an official advisory on the topic, the content of which has ...Read more

Before becoming a journalist and bestselling author, Elisabeth Rosenthal worked as an emergency room physician. As a graduate of Harvard Medical School and a physician, she had to make the same request to patient after patient: "Rate your pain on a scale of zero to 10." In a recent editorial in The Atlantic, she points out that the concept of "...Read more

We are now going through some scary times when it comes to the extremely hot weather blanketing parts of the country. As I mentioned last week, the Environmental Protection Agency says these conditions are increasing in both intensity and frequency. It's of crucial importance that we start to pay closer attention to the sometimes-overlooked side...Read more

It stands to reason that extreme heat in certain circumstances can pose a severe threat to a person's health. From everything I'm reading, this year's vacationers need to take special heed if, for example, Europe is their destination. As The New York Times' Ceylan Yeginsu recently reported, "Last year, large parts of southern Europe experienced ...Read more

The impact the internet and social media have on modern society is clear, troubling and seemingly ever-increasing. The influence that it may have on our brains is now a central topic of investigation.

I try to keep up with the discussion about this online threat and wrote about it in the past. Back in September of last year, for example, I ...Read more

When it comes to entertainment, for me there are few things better than watching a good action-packed movie. One of those things is being in an action movie. It's been a while for me, but I am happy to announce I am back at it, this time alongside sci-fi icon and director/coproducer Derek Ting in the military combat film "Agent Recon," ...Read more