Want to live a very long and healthy life? Researchers with the New England Centenarian Study have identified the two personality traits that could help you get there.

The solution to the growing threat of childhood obesity may be as simple as a tall glass of water, experts say.

Sure they’re cute. Yes they’re cuddly. But man’s best friends can also be downright dangerous, according to new statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

A rosy complexion really does spell good health, according to a clever experiment conducted by researchers at the University of St. Andrews. The results offer one more good reason to get fit.

A drink a day for people over 55 substantially reduces the risk of premature death, according to a study published in the March issue of The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Most of the time we complain about videogames, which seem to encourage violent impulses and physical slothfulness. Now comes news that playing fast-paced video action games actually improves vision.

There’s nothing pretty about the current economic slump, including statistics coming out of plastic surgeons’ offices. Cosmetic procedures are way down, suggesting that the effects of the recession may not only far-reaching but also skin deep.

Like your tea piping hot? Beware: served too hot, tea or other beverages may raise your risk of thoat and esophageal cancer.

It comes as no surprise. As the gloomy economic news mounts and more and more Americans find themselves unemployed or underemployed, stress is on the rise. The number of respondents who reported that the economy is causing significant stress jumped from 66 percent a year ago to 80 percent last September, according to the American Psychological Association. Calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline surged from 39,465 in January 2008 to 50,158 this past January.

In a recent New York Times poll, 70 percent of respondents worry that a member of their household will become jobless. A vast majority say they’re convinced the recession will last another year or more.

This week’s update from the Ms.Fits, our home team competing in Live Healthy Iowa, proves that individual differences have a lot to do with how people respond to lifestyle changes. The team wins a gold medal for activity, logging more than 60 hours last week. That’s impressive by any measure. Unfortunately, a few of the team members have seen some of the weight they lost earlier creep back. That’s discouraging, of course, but it doesn’t mean they can’t lose it again and keep it off.

One of the Ms.Fits, Sue, is still on track to reach her goal of losing 21 pounds over the 100-day challenge. She’s down 17 pounds, with 4 more to go.

Since she has tried diets and exercise programs before to lose weight and been frustrated and ultimately disappointed with the results, PDQhealth asked her what seems to be working for her this time around. She pointed to five strategies that, together, are making it easier to lose weight and stick with the program.

Is President Obama tackling too many issues? At a time like this, with the economy teetering, is it really wise to try to reform the health care system?

Pundits and politicians have been debating that question a lot of late. “This is no time to be taking on something as big and complex as health care,” the naysayers admonish. It’s no coincidence that many of them are politicians or high-profile media talking heads–among the lucky few who don’t have to worry about health care coverage. Most of them don’t have the foggiest idea what the rest of us are up against.