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<p>Dear ReportingonHealth community and readers,</p><p>This evening we conducted a site upgrade so that we can create new features with added security. The site looks the same, but has many improvements on from a usability standpoint. If you are a member, you'll notice changes in the blog and story entry templates. We have some known bugs to correct, but if you have any questions or see any problems on the site please don't hesitate to send me an email. You can reach me at healthj [at] usc [dot] edu.</p><p>Thank you!</p><p>Angilee Shah</p><p>Community Manager, Center for Health Journalism Digital</p>

Fitness journalism could use a little transformation. Rather than "selling miracle cures" -- huge lifestyle changes daunting to most people, and extremely rare cases of success that few will achieve -- how about focusing on the small changes we can manage collectively, and telling stories about the champions of those changes?

<p>In tandem, both ambulance, and fire truck, red lights strobed across the narrow cave-like doorway to the Tom Waddell clinic. The images flashed in the dark, like red-tinted, stop-motion animation. Inside the narrow space the six of us from needle exchange creaked zombie-like to our feet from wher

<p>Here’s what we’re checking out today:</p> <p><strong>Radiation Worries:</strong> As if you didn’t have enough to worry about with all the controversy over whole-body airport security scanners, the New York Times’ Walt Bogdanich and Jo Craven McGinty examine possible <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/23/us/23scan.html?ref=health">radiation risks for children and teens</a> in the wake of lucrative dental diagnostic technologies both old and new.</p>

<p>New York City has launched an advertising campaign against soft drinks and sugar, which brings to mind a time when the <a href="http://www.healthaliciousness.com/blog/Senate-Considers-New-Nationwide-… was considering a nationwide tax on all sugared drinks</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62JMfv0tf3Q">Here</a&gt; is their first video from the campaign of a man eating sugar packets.</p>

<p>I went to needle exchange to hang out. You may be asking yourself what a soccer mom from the burbs is doing perched on a folding chair in the parking garage of 101 Grove on a dark November night, surrounded by syringes. I was there as a guest observer because I’m working on a series of articles a

<p>At 18 years old, my mother took me to play bingo at a local American Indian reservation. It was a bare hall, lined with long rows of tables and filled with mostly middle aged women. My mother bought eight cards - 4 for her and 4 for me. The woman next to me had 32 cards enclosed in a perimeter of lucky trinkets. I remember thinking, "she's got a problem". The woman listened intently, then marked her cards quickly and with conviction. At several points, I lagged behind in marking my cards. My mom was no better. We were novices. The woman next to us looked annoyed.

<p>Here’s what we’re checking out today:</p> <p><strong>Hospital Charges</strong>: BNET’s Ken Terry <a href="http://www.bnet.com/blog/healthcare-business/why-some-hospitals-make-th… the complexities</a> behind a new study showing “why some hospitals make the big bucks.” (Hint: It’s market power, not excellent care.)</p>

<p><img src="/files/u47/Medical_Transcription.jpg" width="230" height="225" style="float: left; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" />Medical boards all across the country let doctors get away with fakery on their resumes.</p> <p>But not South Dakota.</p>

<p>An <a href="http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/cnf/2009/00000005/00000004/ar…; title="Nutrient Content of Lettuce and its Improvement">article</a> in Current Nutrition &amp; Food Science has pointed out that "open leaf" type <a href="http://www.healthaliciousness.com/vegetables/lettuce.php&quot; title="Information on Lettuce">lettuces</a> such as romaine are much richer in nutrients than crisp head types, like ice-berg. The main reason for this difference is the ability of the leaves to absorb light, and thereby synthesize more vitamins.