Overworked America Ranks #1 in Depression | Out-of-Control Soldier Suicides | AIDS Cure?

Health & Wellness Newsletter November 18th, 2008 More from Health & Wellness »

Overworked, Vacation-Starved America Ranks #1 in Depression, Mental Health Problems By Silja J.A. Talvi, In These Times U.S. workers' lives are beginning to look a lot like they did 100 years ago when 14-hour days were the norm. Read more »   The United States is the only developed nation that doesn't require a minimum number of vacation days. By contrast, Finland enjoys a whopping 30 mandatory vacation days plus 14 paid national holidays. Many places in Western Europe get 20 vacation days and even Japan -- known for being a workaholic culture -- sees 10. Even more disturbing, many Americans who do have paid time off hesitate to take it and often feel guilty when they do. Being able to kick back and relax from time to time not only makes workers happier and more productive, it helps keep people healthier. With links to insomnia, obesity and heart disease, unrelenting stress is bad for our minds and our bodies. So take 10 minutes for yourself today and enjoy Silja J.A. Talvi's outstanding article on why we all need a break! Thanks for reading, Heather Gehlert Managing Editor     U.S. Still Losing a Brigade's Worth of Vets Every Year to Suicide By Penny Coleman, AlterNet Obviously, the most immediate and reliable way to prevent soldier suicides is to get troops out of harm's way -- bring them home. Read more »   The Dangers of Do-It-Yourself DNA Testing By Niko Karvounis, Health Beat Pay $399 and spit in a tube, and you can have your genome mapped. But is it healthy to track your genetic lottery, disease by disease? Read more »   How to Provide Healthcare for All Kids By Donna Norton, Huffington Post Children are the least expensive population to insure -- there's no good reason why we can't cover all kids now. Read more »   "Cure" for AIDS Stumbled Upon? By Todd Heywood, RH Reality Check Doctors in Berlin are reporting that a man may have eliminated the virus from his body after a bone marrow transplant. Read more »   How Crying Can Make You Healthier By Roger Dobson, The Independent UK We all know a good cry helps to soothe our minds. Now doctors are discovering that tears may help to heal our bodies, too. Read more »   Are Toilets a Good Measure of a Country's Health? By Laura Orlando, In These Times A new book argues toilets and sewers are the key to improved sanitation and health. But reality is more complex -- and toxic. Read more »   PEEK and Video: The hottest buzz and videos on the web     New Theory on Mental Illness Misses Bigger Picture By Jay Neugeboren, Huffington Post Why is it so much easier to find funds for studying mental disorders than it is to find funds to help the people who live with those disorders? Read more »

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