IN ANY GIVEN one-year period, about 9.5 percent of the population, or slightly less than 19-million Americans, suffer from a depressive illness. While the economic cost of depression is high, the emotional toll on sufferers and their loved ones is incalculable. Thanks to years of research and myriad clinical trials, there are now a number of medications and psychosocial therapies cognitive/behavioral strategies, "talk" therapy that can help. An excellent resource to review the developments is the online version of the University of Michigan's Depression Center, www.med.umich.edu/depression Just a few of the features of the Depression Center include information on depression within college campuses, a women's depression guide, a suicide risk assessment and the latest reports on depression. New treatments and methods of addressing depression are constantly being developed, and the Depression Center offers visitors insight into the inner workings of many therapies. There also is information on clinical trials under way.
GIRLS IN LONDON are tripping over themselves for the latest "sure thing" cellulite-blaster, the MBT sneakers from Swiss Masai (www.mbt-uk.com) MBT is the registered trademark for Masai Barefoot Technology. The U.K. company says that the shoes' bulky, multilayered soles mimic the feeling of walking on uneven terrain - like beach sand - resulting in more work for your legs as you stand, walk or run. Although Swiss Masai doesn't guarantee that wearing its destabilizing shoes will diminish the appearance of flab, Brits have fallen hard for them. The women's magazine More even featured a piece with a subject's be-thonged behind in before and after pictures. In the United States, the hefty-in-more-ways-than-one $234 shoes are available from well-known New York spa Bliss (toll-free 1-888-243-8825) or www.blissworld.com
A NEW KIND of sunscreen hitting the U.S. market promises not only to fend off sunburns but also to protect against jellyfish stings. Researchers at Stanford University Medical School tested the new product, called SafeSea, on two dozen volunteers and found it "relatively effective" in inhibiting jellyfish stings. Researchers developed the cream after noticing that clown fish do not get stung by jellyfish. They isolated the chemical that seemed to protect the little orange and white fish and incorporated the substance into a sunscreen solution. "It's not like a barrier that would protect your skin, the way a scuba suit does. It's more like the jellyfish detects the chemical on you and it doesn't sting you," said Alexa Kimball, an assistant professor of dermatology who directed the study. SafeSea was swabbed on one arm of each volunteer and regular sunscreen on the other arm. Jellyfish tentacles were placed on their arms for up to 60 seconds to see what would happen. Five of the 24 subjects reported "discomfort" on the arm protected with SafeSea, whereas 22 of them had pain and swelling on the plain sunscreen arm. SafeSea is available online at www.nidaria.com and other sites.
[Last modified July 20, 2004, 11:35:07]
