October 13, 2014      The Ebola epidemic is spiraling out of control and our government must take aggressive measures to contain it. Medical science is not capable of curing this condition. Even with the most advanced care, Ebola has a 50% death rate. When an infectious disease this deadly is rampant, the only options are quarantining the afflicted and preventing travel into the United States from areas of the world where Ebola is endemic. This is Epidemiology 101. Thus far, our public officials have been inaccurate in their predictions. First the President said that it was “unlikely“ that Ebola could enter the United States. Four days later, it was here.  A passenger from Liberia - one of the countries where the epidemic is centered - was allowed into the country. Then we told that the proper precautions were being taken and that Ebola would not spread.  Perhaps, we should have been suspicious when the dedicated personnel trying to save this poor man dressed like astronauts. Then a courageous nurse, who was caring for a man she never met at the risk of her own life, contracted Ebola. Now were are being … [Read more...]

Even though Americans are more health conscious than ever, the prevalence of obesity is increasing. Over the past 10 years, the average weight of those in their 30s increased by four pounds and for those in their 40s, the increase was nine pounds. Helping the public to lose weight has become a multibillion-dollar industry and some clever marketers are suckering people to spend their hard-earned money on weight-loss scams that substitute gimmicks for will power. The public is inundated with diet books, magical protein formulas, pills, Rube Goldberg exercise machines, and weight-loss clubs. Yet, more people are waddling around than ever before. This is because many weight-loss programs start with the big lie: You can eat whatever you want and lose weight. In actuality, for the vast majority of human beings, the only way to lose weight is to walk around hungry. The human body is a machine. It needs fuel to function. Cars don't run without gas. Humans don't run without food. When the car is out of gas, the gas gauge tells you so. When the human body is not ingesting enough food to function without metabolizing existing fat and muscle, it sends a signal to the hypothalamus. This … [Read more...]

As a medical student, I immortalized myself with my classmates when I informed a lecturing psychiatry professor that I considered Freud's theories slightly more credible than the nuns' tales about guardian angels. The lecturer ignored my obnoxious comment and continued his lecture. But, Freudians have been on the defensive for the past decade. This trend culminated when the Library of Congress was forced to cancel a tribute to Freud in the name of political correctness. Freud has always been viewed with suspicion by cultural conservatives. Freud rejected the concept of sin and explained abhorrent behavior in terms of unresolved conflicts among competing brain factions — id, ego, and superego — that stemmed from childhood experiences. His treatment was to delve into an individual's childhood and attempt to resolve these conflicts — psychoanalysis. But it wasn't pressure from the religious right that canceled the Library of Congress tribute; rather a combination of feminists and neuropsychiatrists. Freud theorized that unflattering female behavior could be attributed to "penis envy," a verboten concept in the age of political correctness. But what is truly destroying … [Read more...]