WebMD: Making us smarter or stupid(er)?

This is part of the sidebar that appears on the Women's Health homepage on WebMD.

Yes, headlines are supposed to be snazzy and eye-catching. These, however, are down right absurd. Let's go through them one by one, shall we? (I know I've been numbering things a lot lately, but I like it.)

• How to Lose Weight Fast... oh, and also, How Do It Safely. So, the headline is kind of a misnomer. I got ready to be so annoyed! And then it turns out that the advice isn't so ridiculous. The problem is that Dr. Michael Dansinger, the doctor from Biggest Loser, describes the diet and exercise regimen that the show's contestants follow. Which is CRAZY. Dr. Dansinger recommends eating between 1050 and 1200 calories a day and exercising for one hour. (Most dieticians, the article notes, generally recommend 1200 calories a day as a minimum.) Alright, ambititious!

• Why Men Cheat, from Oprah.com. Marriage counselor M. Gary Neuman gives the ladies the 411 on why men mess around.

  What's the number one reason men cheat? Ninety-two percent of men said it wasn't primarily about the sex. "The majority said it was an emotional disconnection, specifically a sense of feeling underappreciated. A lack of thoughtful gestures," Gary says. "Men are very emotional beings. They just don't look like that. Or they don't seem like that. Or they don't tell you that."

Men are people?! Um... yeah. And guess what else? WOMEN CHEAT ALSO. Take a look at some of the statistics in a recent NYT Well blog post (More People Appear To Be Cheating On Their Spouses, Studies Find, 10/27/08) and you'll see that while the rate of men who cheat is higher, it's not that much higher. Sorry, it's just another Oprah doctor that I can't get behind*.

• What is a Gluten-Free diet? Slideshow of gluten filled products that you can't eat. Weird.
• 8 Things No One Tells You About Marriage from Redbook. This should be good.

  Waking up from a good dream to face the harsh morning daylight may not seem like a reason to celebrate. But trust me, it is. Because once you let go of all the hokey stories of eternal bliss, you find that the reality of marriage is far richer and more rewarding than you ever could have guessed. Hard, yes. Frustrating, yes. But full of its own powerful, quiet enchantments just the same, and that's better than any fairy tale.

And also, you're drunk? This sounds like a Deep Thought to me. Honestly, I couldn't get past the first page of this crap. Maybe I am a completely atypical lady, but I would never enter into a legally binding relationship expecting hearts and flowers and poetry 24/7. No one would want that anyway! It would get so freaking annoying after awhile. Be realistic people. However, if you can imagine a long, fulfilling partnership and you've discussed major issues like finances, procreation, retiring to Florida, etc. you should be good to go! But I've never been married, so maybe I'll be scrambling in 10 years trying to find this article to help solve my life crises...

• 16 Cold and Flu Remedies Another slideshow. No groundbreaking remedies.
• 10 Gynecology Secrets Shhhh! Don't tell! I hate it when the word "Secret" is in headlines. This article offers some interesting information, but I wouldn't swear by this advice. And also I would ask my doctor before doing something like sticking my birth control pill in my vag. That just seems strange.
  
• The History of HIV Slideshow. Not that informative. Just watch And the Band Played On if you're curious.
• The Flat Belly Diet Shut up.
• The Cookie Diet Shut up again. Ok I didn't read either one of these, but I bet you they are stupid.
• What Does Gout Look Like? Random slideshow. The first picture is over John Barrymore, "relaxing his swollen gouty foot." Mmm uric acid.

So. Did you learn anything? Maybe. I learned that if you can say it in a slideshow, you should! And that orgasms can help ease headaches. And also "gouty" is a word.

Thanks, WebMD!


*That's what she said.