Free Republic

LONDON - Preventing obesity and smoking can save lives, but it doesn't save money, researchers reported Monday. It costs more to care for healthy people who live years longer, according to a Dutch study that counters the common perception that preventing obesity would save governments millions of dollars. "It was a small surprise," said Pieter van Baal, an economist at the Netherlands' National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, who led the study. "But it also makes sense. If you live longer, then you cost the health system more." In a paper published online Monday in the Public Library...

I heard the news reports and then on CBS this morning they had the couple on the Early Show. Looking at the parents, it’s easy to see where the baby got its weight. The parents are obese and the baby is starting off that way. Why should we celebrate this and give them all this TV coverage? All three will be a drain to our health care system for years to come.

Been here five years as of today. It's been great fun so far. Thought I'd post a vanity to give everyone an opportunity to mess with me in a centralized location for a change.

Double Standard: Eco groups silent on federal fish kill The Monitor (McAllen, Texas) March 15,2005 Where is the investigation? Where are the arrests? Where is the outrage? An endangered species, the humpback chub, has been pushed to the brink of extinction, yet we've seen none of the usual responses. Why? Because the slaughter stems from the questionable actions of federal bureaucrats, at the behest of environmental groups. Wiping out protected species evidently only becomes a crime when some industry or private citizen is involved; good intentions give regulators and greens a pass.

A 15-month-old child in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia weighs 55 pounds and is gaining nearly 5 pounds a month, according to a Local 6 News report. Luka Meliksishvili has been rapidly gaining weight since his birth, according to his parents. He already carries the weight of a 6-year-old child, Local 6 News reported Monday night. Luka's mother, Eka Meliksishvili, said doctors in Tbilisi have examined her son and advised her not to be too concerned. They said Luka may be able to shed his excess weight as he grows older. Watch Local 6 News for more on the...

You've seen them on television, you've read about them in magazines, you've heard from them on the radio -- and now Al and Tipper Gore spill their guts (or, at the very least, flog their books) in The Reliable Source. Last week in New York -- sandwiched on their schedule between Katie Couric and David Letterman -- we finally redeemed our long-promised lunch with the ex-veep and his wife. They're in the midst of a media juggernaut to tout two joint publishing ventures: "Joined at the Heart," an anecdotal book on the modern American family, and "The Spirit of Family,"...