ArcaMax

Last year, almost 70% of parents told pollsters from Mott Children's Hospital that they think the physical health of children and teens is getting worse. And they are right. A new survey of more than 6 million kids published in JAMA Open shows that almost 27% of children age 2 to 5 are overweight or have obesity, and it goes up to almost 39% in ...Read more

Obesity is an epidemic in countries around the world. The U.S.A comes in at No. 10, with almost 42% of folks having obesity. (American Samoa is No. 1; 70% of their population has obesity.) Add to that the fact that 28 million Americans contend with alcohol abuse and almost 11% smoke marijuana, around 9% smoke cigarettes and 6.5% vape, and you've...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: At age 48, I underwent a lumpectomy, chemo and radiation for stage I breast cancer. All is good so far, but I started experiencing osteopenia in my mid-50s, perhaps earlier than I would have because of the chemo and estrogen-blocking meds. My mother also had osteoporosis.

For the osteoporosis in my hip, I took alendronate for ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: Can you define the characteristics of the four stages of cancer? I understand that stage I is generally when cancer is caught early and can be treated with a good success rate, while stage IV is usually the opposite. But I'm not sure what the intermediate stages are. -- B.G.

ANSWER: Unfortunately, the exact staging for cancers...Read more

We're a country of coffee drinkers -- 66% of us have at least a cup daily. We're also tea lovers, but it has a much lower level of caffeine than coffee. An average cup of black tea serves up about 50 milligrams of caffeine, while a typical cup of coffee contains 90-200 milligrams. However, in addition to bioactive caffeine, both beverages offer ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: My doctor's office makes patients sign in for appointments on their electronic kiosks. When you sign in, you must accept that doctors are using an AI tool during your appointment. You cannot decline using AI; either you accept, or you cannot sign in for the appointment. It says that you can tell your doctor if you do not wish ...Read more

Millions of folks deal with pain every day -- some with chronic pain from osteoarthritis or diabetic neuropathy, some with troubling acute pain from an injury, a migraine, or a sprain. And it's important to respect these noisy messengers that are saying, "Pay attention to me and do something about your pain."

But there are times when pain is a ...Read more

Researchers at the University of Michigan, Harvard and Duke argue in a new study that ultraprocessed foods, from packaged snacks to sugary beverages to ready-to-eat meals, aren't simply junk food or bad nutritional choices. They're industrially engineered products designed to keep you coming back using strategies once designed to sell ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am in relatively good health for an 82-year-old male. For the past six years, I have been having trouble with an overactive bladder. I need to urinate at least every two hours. Often there is a sudden urge, and I can barely make it to the bathroom. In the morning when I wake up, I generally have to urinate in small amounts ...Read more

Fats Domino may have declared, "I Found My Thrill on Blueberry Hill," in 1959, but in 2026, it's researchers from the University of Maine (of course!) and elsewhere who are singing about the thrilling benefits of wild blueberries.

Researchers reviewed 12 clinical trials conducted over a span of 24 years and found that eating a cup of wild ...Read more

Only 12% of Americans get the recommended amount of vegetables, 15% eat the minimum recommended amount of fruit and a measly 1% get the amount of whole grains needed for a healthy diet, according to a study in Circulation. And a recent survey by Purdue University determined that almost 46% of people have a markedly unhealthy diet.

Unfortunately...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 49-year-old woman who recently had COVID. When I was sick with it, I lost my sense of taste and smell. I no longer have COVID, but I still have a stuffy nose with no sense of taste or smell. Then one day, out of nowhere, I smell this horrible smell, like an infection. I went to the doctor and was told that it was a sinus...Read more

Obesity is an epidemic in countries around the world. The U.S.A comes in at No. 10, with almost 42% of folks having obesity. (American Samoa is No. 1; 70% of their population has obesity.) Add to that the fact that 28 million Americans contend with alcohol abuse and almost 11% smoke marijuana, around 9% smoke cigarettes and 6.5% vape, and you've...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: A loved one of mine has had kidney problems for his whole life. He's now on the transplant list, and his kidney function is very low. But he continues to avoid dialysis, saying that he's not ready for it. Surprisingly, his heart health, cholesterol and blood pressure are always great when tested. He sometimes has swelling if he...Read more

Once, when automobile dashboards were festooned with knobs and dials, it was relatively easy and safe to "feel" your way to the right control without taking your eyes off the road. Dashboard touch screens have changed that -- and it's not a pretty picture.

In a study using vehicle simulators, participant "drivers" were tasked with navigating ...Read more

When your hand starts to tingle or go numb, it's common to blame carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition caused by compression of the median nerve at the wrist. CPS can be triggered by repetitive wrist tasks, pregnancy, obesity or underlying conditions like diabetes. It affects 1%-5% of the general population. Treatments range from splinting and ...Read more

University of Michigan researchers have an idea why so many people who make ambitious plans and goals regarding physical fitness ultimately give up on them -- more specifically, why planned daily exercise doesn't happen.

Blame it on an all-or-nothing mindset, said behavioral scientist Michelle Segar, who, with colleagues, just published data on...Read more