Body & Health Articles

Obesity linked to location

By Stephen Ornes / May 11, 2012
Kids skateboard and play Frisbee in Seattle’s Gas Works Park. Recent studies of neighborhoods in Seattle and San Diego found that children’s proximity to parks and supermarkets influenced obesity. Credit: Emily Krieger

Kids living near parks or markets less likely to be extremely overweight

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Switching cough off

By Stephen Ornes / May 3, 2012
The green balls in this illustration of an airway represent the virus that causes the common cold. Credit: Nicolle Rager Fuller/NSF

Researchers find possible solution to the nagging problem of how to curb a cough

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Losing control over sugar

By Stephen Ornes / March 1, 2012
pop

A common pollutant and sweetener mess with important hormones

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Surprisingly hardy flu germs

By Stephen Ornes / December 14, 2011
h1n1

Flu-causing viruses may live for days or even months outside the body

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What’s on your genes?

By Sharon Pochron / September 21, 2011
mice

Tiny genetic switches create big differences

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Worms, your unlikely allies

By Nathan Seppa / September 7, 2011
Hookworms

Parasites show promise in treating immune disorders

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A viral sniff

By Stephen Ornes / August 24, 2011
HHV

A common virus may get to the brain through the nose

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Blood does a body good

By Sarah Webb / August 17, 2011
Bags of red blood cells from donors await injured or sick patients. Credit: National Institutes of Health

Studies of the superfluid aid in the prevention and treatment of diseases

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Gut Instinct

By Stephen Ornes / June 22, 2011
Caption: This is a microscopic closeup of E. coli, your single-cell frenemy. The kinds of E. coli that live in your intestines help everything run smoothly. But when E. coli is ingested through contaminated food, the bacteria can cause big problems for humans.

New mouse study reveals a connection between intestinal bacteria and behavior

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Microbes in the music

By Stephen Ornes / June 7, 2011
Streptococcus bacteria, pictured here, can linger on musical instruments for days, researchers recently found.

A new study finds germs linger on musical instruments

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