nation's health - march

the march '09 edition of the nation's health had a lot of really great articles this month. some of the highlights for me:

-a really interesting article criticized the free antibiotic programs currently being offered by grocery stores (such as giant in the dc area), for their contribution to antibiotic resistance. they point to the temptation for individuals to stockpile medication and self-prescribe later on. given the growing threat of resistance, their suggestion that chains instead offer free flu shots and vaccines is especially timely and inspired.

-estimates are that for every 1% rise in unemployment, approximately 1 million more americans will join the ranks of the unemployed.

-2010 is likely to be the year in which cancer overtakes heart disease as the world's top killer. given the massive number of smokers in china alone, and a growing adoption of the american lifestyle worldwide, i can't see cancer losing the title anytime soon.

-san francisco has a new sexual health service available via texting. i enjoyed this article, except for the examples of "B2 if u think ur pregnant". the use of "u" and "ur" still makes my skin crawl. does this make me old?

-reference to a neat service by the EPA, where consumers can calculate the energy impact of various applicances, and compare energy stats by geographic region: www.epa.gov/powerprofiler