Dear Fat People, You Are Fat ... Deal With It

A comedian’s popular fat-shaming video has sparked a social media controversy after it hit some sensitive nerves and prove to everyone that America has become a society of pansies that cannot take criticism.

The controversy began with a six-minute video titled “Dear Fat People” posted last week by comedienne Nicole Arbour.

Vogue Bravely Avoids Fat Models

Vogue has just leaked their September issue in an astounding 832 pages. There's a feature on Beyoncé (without an interview), a sneak peek of Luella Bartley and Katie Hillier’s new line, Kendall Jenner wearing fall’s coolest trends, and hundreds of pages filled with must-have boots, bags, and everything else you need for fall.

More importantly, it did not contain any significant information about oversize and lazy women being portrayed by plus-sized models. Who wants to see those extra flabby fat jiggle as you flip the pages anyway?

Rate of HIV Infection Increasing Among Gays

Around the world, the incidence of HIV in gay men is increasing consistently, growing at 2-5 percent annually. Although the U.S. transmission rate declined in the early years of the American epidemic, when activists were promoting condoms and HIV was constantly in the news, in recent years rates have begun to creep up again, especially after the lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender step up their campaign.

The sexual HIV transmission rate in men who have sex with men (MSM) is substantially higher than the rate seen in heterosexuals.

The Connection Between Semen and Pesticide

Higher levels of pesticide residue in fruit and vegetables are associated with lower quality of semen, according to a study published very recently.

Its authors said the research was only an early step in what should be a much wider investigation. And their first recommendation, they urged men not to stop eating fruit and veg, and pointed to organically-grown food, or food that is low in pesticides, as options for lowering any apparent risk.

New Home Test for Colon Cancer

Last 27 October 2014, millions of people who have avoided colon cancer screening will be able to get a new home test that's noninvasive and doesn't require the icky preparation most other methods do.

The test is supposed to give the person his first look at the effectiveness of using cancer-related DNA in stool. It could greatly boost screening for a deadly disease that too few people get checked for now. However, some believed it could lure people away from colonoscopies and other tests that, unlike the new one, have been shown to save lives.

Many Knows Little About Common Cancer

According to the recently-released journal PLOS One, many people in mid- and late life may be unfamiliar with common cancer symptoms such as unexplained coughing, bleeding, and persistent changes in bowel or bladder habits.

In a questionnaire that asked about symptoms and their corresponding ailments, about 53 percent of 1,700 people surveyed reported that they had at least one red-flag cancer symptom during the previous three months— but only 2 percent said they thought cancer was a possible cause.

Holiday Health Hazards To Watch Out

An article that originally appeared on Health.com. gives us a fair warning of what to watch out for while we celebrate and relax during the holiday season. It describes several health hazards during the most wonderful time of the year.

The seemingly endless string of parties, the introduction of new foods and cooking techniques in our home, and even shopping for gifts can all put our well-being at risk. To ensure you make it to January 1 unscathed, follow this guide to the biggest holiday health hazards and how to avoid them.

Obesity Can Lead To Cancer

Is there a connection between obesity and cancer? The World Health Organization's (WHO) cancer research agency thinks so.

In a study published in the journal The Lancet Oncology, the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) said high body mass index (BMI) has now become a major cancer risk factor, responsible for some 3.6 percent, or 481,000, of new cancer cases in 2012.

Blood Test To Detect Cancer

A recent report from ANI gives humans a new hope of detecting early signs of cancer.

Scientists claimed that high levels of calcium in blood, known as hypercalcaemia, can be used by GPs as an early sign of certain types of cancer, and can be diagnosed using a simple bold test.

New Method for Screening Colon

An article from The Wall Street Journal Online reported that colon-cancer screening may soon become less invasive, more accurate—and more prevalent.

This assumption can be attributed to new methods and devices either already on the market or pending regulatory approval. The technologies include a video camera embedded in a pill capsule, a DNA test and an endoscope that provides almost panoramic views of the colon.

FDA Advisory: Avoid Organ Donation from Gays

Why people should reject any organ donation from gay people? The reason is fairly straightforward and simple: they are not safe and clean.

According to the U.S. Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), men who have had sex with other men (MSM), at any time since 1977 (the beginning of the AIDS epidemic in the United States) because, as a group, they are at increased risk for HIV, hepatitis B and certain other infections that can be transmitted by transfusion.

Feeling Lost? Wear a "Zentai"

Having a bout of ‘identity crisis’ lately? You may want to cover your whole body with spandex.

This is what some mild-mannered Japanese are doing these days to allow them to stand out in the crown an night. They dress in a skin-tight, all-in-one Spandex body suit that covers everything — including eyes — and sits in bars, alone but liberated, from the judgment of others.

Chemicals Linked to Breast Cancer

It was reported last 12 May 2014 by U.S. researchers that certain dangerous chemicals that are common in everyday life have been shown to cause breast cancer in lab rats and are likely to do the same in women.

The paper in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives lists 17 chemicals to avoid and offers women advice on how to minimize their exposure.

New HIV Cases in the Philippines

According to the Department of Health (DOH) National Epidemiology Center, there were 370 new HIV Ab sero-positive individuals confirmed by the STD/AIDS Cooperative Central Laboratory (SACCL) and reported to the HIV and AIDS Registry in March 2013. This was 18 percent higher compared to the same period last year (n=313 in 2012).

Most of the cases (96 percent) were males. The median age was 28 years (age range: 17-63 years). The 20-29 year (55 percent) age group had the most number of cases. Reported mode of transmission were sexual contact (364) and needle sharing among injecting drug users (6). Males having sex with other males (85 percent) were the predominant type of sexual transmission. Most (97 percent) of the cases were still asymptomatic at the time of reporting.

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Meeting MDG Targets on Safe Drinking Water

Data from surveys conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) reveal that access to safe drinking water and access to sanitary toilet facilities has slightly improve over the years.

Based on the 2004 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey (APIS), access to safe drinking water has increased from 80.0 percent in 2002 to 80.2 percent in 2004. The proportion is, as expected, lower for those belonging to the lowest 30 percent with six out of ten families using clean and safe water, compared to families belonging to the highest 70 percent income group. The latest survey also showed that the percentage of those using water sealed and closed pit type of toilet facility is 86.2 percent, which is slightly higher than the proportion in 2002 (86.1 percent).

Medicines Still Beyond Reach of Many

By Oscar F. Picazo

Drugs in the Philippines are more expensive than those in other parts of Asia and in countries of similar economic status.

Brand names in the Philippines have been found to be 5 to 30 times more expensive than similar brand names of similar manufacturers in India and Pakistan. This is the strongest factor that impelled the government to institute a parallel drug importation policy under the Cheaper Medicines Program. (Tables 1 and 2)

Total Lifetime Savings of Smoking Cessation

The Senate Committee Report on the Sin-Tax Bill has been labelled by its supporters as a more realistic version, especially when it comes to the assumed revenue projection (PhP 14.8 Billion). They expressed doubts on the much-hyped target of the executive agencies which pegged the collection to as much as PhP 60.0 Billion in revenues if the bill is passed in its original and unaltered form.

The only problem with the assumption of Senator Ralph Recto’s new version is that it valued everything in monetary terms when in fact, the bill was intended primarily to address health concerns before anything else, including the revenue collection. When you factor in non-monetary benefits and savings, the assumptions become more than just using financial analysis indicators. It has to consider economic benefits of not smoking.

Why Gays and Straight Teens Attempt Suicide?

Do you know that suicide attempts by gay teens — and even straight kids — are more common in politically conservative areas where schools don't have programs supporting gay rights? This observation was reported by a study involving nearly 32,000 high school students.

Those factors raised the odds and were a substantial influence on suicide attempts even when known risk contributors like depression and being bullied were considered, said study author Mark Hatzenbuehler, a Columbia University psychologist and researcher.