(ARA) - Every year, lists fly around the Internet and airwaves, parents line up in stores and everyone talks about what the season's hottest toys will be. All the chatter can make it seem like everyone's forgotten the single most enduring "toy" at the disposal of every child - imagination.
(ARA) - It's that time of year again - flu season. The weather is turning colder and the sweaters are coming out of the closet, along with the sniffles, coughing, sneezing, sore throat and muscle aches. The seasonal flu, which is also known as influenza, is not the same as a head cold, and should not be taken lightly. In fact, the Center for Disease Control estimates that the flu affects anywhere from 5 to 20 percent of the U.S. population each year, and that approximately 200,000 people are hospitalized each year due to flu-related complications.
(ARA) - As the quest for the perfect body and flawless face continues, many consumers have turned to spas, salons and walk-in clinics for cosmetic medical procedures at bargain prices. With the number of these facilities increasing, more consumers are influenced to believe that certain cosmetic procedures are easy, inexpensive and risk-free.
(ARA) - In 2009, 3,466 teenagers died in the United States from automobile crash injuries, according to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Such injuries are by far the leading public health problem among youths 13 to19 years old. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in America. Mile for mile, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers. The crash risk among teenage drivers is particularly high during the first months of licensure.
(ARA) - If you've seen the movie or trailer for "Contagion," or you're thinking ahead to the winter germ season, chances are you may be placing a little more priority on hand hygiene and wellness these days. While it's not always good to take life lessons away from what you see on the big screen, health experts agree that hand hygiene is one of the best steps you can take to prevent yourself from getting sick.
(ARA) - For most people, celebrating a birthday or wedding anniversary simply marks another year passed. But for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients, being able to celebrate these events may mean much more - another year of life celebrated to the fullest.
(ARA) - With one in eight women projected to be diagnosed with breast cancer over the course of her lifetime, understanding what affects your risk and how to catch any warning signs early - not only for your own sake, but for the sakes of your loved ones- is more important than ever. There may not be a cure for breast cancer yet, but there is so much you can do to raise awareness and lower your risk.
(ARA) - When the directive comes down from management that your workplace is moving to a casual dress code, it's usually cause for office-wide celebration. More and more companies these days are recognizing the importance of keeping their employees comfortable, and are adopting looser standards for their corporate dress codes.
(ARA) - The crunch of pads followed by a tweet of a whistle, the thump of a basketball with a staccato of footfalls to accompany it, and even the thwack of a hockey puck against Plexiglass means one thing: school sports are in season.
(ARA) - Pink. Blue. Yellow. No, these are not just colors; these are sweeteners that dominate the sugar substitute market. More specifically, these are examples of artificial sweeteners that are favored by millions of Americans. A growing demand for choice, however, means there is a new group in the sweetener club - natural sweeteners.