Last week the government announced that Massachusetts received more than half a million dollars – $ 633,000 – for the fight against obesity. Given the size of the problem, this amount may seem minuscule. Is not it ironic that we need money for people to eat less? Anywhere else people need money for food, whereas here we need money to teach people to eat better. Read the rest of this entry »
Mumps is an infectious viral disease which is spread by droplets which are released into the air during coughing or sneezing. It occurs in epidemics, mainly affecting children over two years old, but can infect people of any age. After a two to three week incubation period visible symptoms appear, the most obvious being the swelling of the saliva-producing parotid glands on one or both sides of the face. This is accompanied by fever, swelling in the sub-maxillary salivary glands, swollen glands in other parts of the body and muscular pain in the jaw, ear and abdomen. The pancreas may be inflamed, causing vomiting. In some adult men mumps can cause swelling and inflammation of the testicles, sometimes leading to sterility. There are some rare but serious complications which can result, including encephalitis and meningitis in which the brain or its surrounding membranes become inflamed. Read the rest of this entry »