Tell me the truth, doctor: easy-to-understand answers to your most confusing and critical health questions

Drop That French Fry and No One Gets Hurt: Your Questions on Diets, Nutrition, and Food Safety. Are diets the best way to lose weight? ; Will eating six small meals a day instead of three big ones help me lose weight? ; Are juice fasts good for me? ; Can eating too much sugar cause diabetes? ; Should I drink eight glasses of water a day? ; Will skipping breakfast help me lose weight? ; Is bottled water better than tap? ; Does eating eggs give me high cholesterol? ; Do I need to wash prewashed lettuce mixes? ; Should I rinse chicken before cooking it? ; Does using too much salt cause high blood pressure? ; Are my sleep habits making me fat? ; Can drinking diet soda make me gain weight? ; Do most college freshmen gain fifteen pounds?

On Your Mark, Get Set Move! : Your Questions on Exercise, Fitness, and Sports Performance. Can I be fat and fit? ; Should I push myself when exercising: no pain, no gain? ; If I'm exercising, should I drink sports drinks? ; Do I need thirty minutes of exercise a day to stay healthy? ; To lose weight, is exercise more important than diet? ; Is morning the best time to exercise? ; Should I stretch before exercising? ; Will wearing ion or magnetic jewelry improve my sports performance?

Oh Doctor, One More Thing! : Your Questions When I'm Walking out the Door. Will counting sheep cure my insomnia? ; Can I make up for lack of sleep during the week by sleeping late on weekends? ; Is owning a pet good for my health? ; Will eating dinner together make my family healthier? ; Will doing puzzles prevent Alzheimer's disease? ; Will condoms prevent me from getting sexually transmitted diseases? ; Can using an iPod damage my hearing? ; Will using a higher-number sunscreen keep me from burning? ; Can I catch a cold from being in a chilling rain? ; Is religion good for my health? ; Is antibacterial soap better than plain soap? ; How do I protect myself from germs? ; Is a drink or two a day good for me? ; Do adults need shots?

Medicine Cabinet, Friend or Foe? : Your Questions on Vitamins, Supplements, and Medications. Should I take a daily multivitamin? ; Will taking vitamin C prevent me from getting a cold? ; Should I take a daily aspirin to prevent a heart attack, stroke, or cancer? ; Are name-brand drugs better than generic? ; Can I use a drug after the expiration date? ; Are over-the-counter pain relievers interchangeable? ; Are herbal supplements as effective as other medications? ; What are the most dangerous drugs? ; Should I take a statin to prevent high cholesterol? ; Should I use hormone therapy for my menopause symptoms? ; Should I take calcium for strong bones? ; Where should I store medications?

An Ounce of Prevention, a Pound of Cure: Your Questions for Understanding, Preventing, and Responding to Illness and Injury. Can I catch the same infection twice? ; Is rest the best thing for back pain? ; If no one in my family has had breast cancer, can I still get it? ; Are heart attack symptoms the same in men and women? ; Can I call in sick with a cold? ; Can I die of a broken heart? ; Do cell phones cause brain cancer? ; What should I do if I think I'm having a stroke? ; Should I be worried if I'm shaped like an apple?

Take Control of Your Health: Your Questions on How to Avoid Getting Overtested, Overtreated, and Harmed by Health Care. Does doctor know best? ; How do I stay safe in the hospital? ; Does where my doctor went to medical school matter? ; Should I get an annual physical? ; Should I ask for a second opinion? ; If my doctors order a lot of tests, does that mean they're more thorough? ; Is the Internet a good place to get medical information? ; Are genetic tests effective? ; Does a PSA test accurately detect prostate cancer? ; Should I get dental x-rays every year? ; Are hospitals more dangerous in July?