When the debate over healthcare was raging in the United States, most people were concerned about how to best cover patients when they get sick. However, very few people discussed the ramifications of healthcare for people who aren’t necessarily sick but have one of the most common medical conditions in the country: obesity. Obesity affects about a third of all American adults and a sixth of all American children. Overall, roughly 67% of American adults and 33% of American children are overweight or obese (obesity being defined as having a body mass index of 30 or higher and overweight as having an index of 25-29.9).

Being overweight or obese comes with serious complications, including heart disease, risk of stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and other illnesses. Even a m

There are an estimated 20 million cases of sexually transmitted infections from just eight viruses and bacteria that are diagnosed every year in the U.S. — but that’s 20 million reasons to head to a health clinic for women to get tested.

Why get tested? Getting tested is a quick and easy way to ensure your overall and reproductive health. Many sexually transmitted diseases have little to no symptoms, and can often be mistaken for something else. Some women may be scared to get tested or believe there is a stigma to getting tested; maybe they believe they will be judged by their peers.

Luckily, there are std testing centers that offer confidential std testing. These testing centers can o

If you ever find yourself needing immediate medical care, one thing you might want to consider is going to an urgent care center rather than an emergency room (ER). Urgent care units are generally smaller than ERs but are just as effective for treating most medical emergencies. It is always advisable to go to an ER for life threatening conditions but for everything else, urgent health clinics will do just fine.

There are many similarities between ERs and urgent care clinics — but what about the differences? Here are two features of walk in medical clinics that make going to one much more appealing than heading to the ER:

It’s Less

Cosmetic clinics are always looking to find the latest, greatest, and most efficient methods in skin rejuvenation and body contouring procedures to achieve the look their patients seek. One such state-of-the-art procedure is cryolipolysis.

About cryolipolysis Often referred to as fat freezing, this is a medical treatment with the purpose of destroying fat cells. It is called fat freezing for a reason because temperatures reach sub-zero when applied topically to a specific part of the body. A far freezing treatment can occur just about anywhere: on the arms, legs, stomach, and back.

The FDA approved this technique, which was invented by Zeltiq Aesthetics in California, in 2010. Although slow to catch on to the general public, those who seek the procedure are satisfied with their re

Do you know the difference between the health care services emergency room doctors, primary care providers, and urgent care providers offer? All health care services aren’t created equal, and some can be more appropriate than others depending on the nature of your illness or injury. However, understanding these difference is critical in that it can not only save you money, but may even save your life as well.

Many emergency room doctors harbor concerns over patient confusion in terms of seeking the appropriate level of care for their conditions. In fact, an online poll conducted last year by the American College of Emergency Physicians revealed that the overwhelming majority — 75% — of emergency room

When signing up to workout at a racquet and tennis club, most people tend to go with whatever’s most convenient. Whether they choose by location or pick the cheapest sign-up costs, they may not do their research before joining a tennis club. Most often, this is because they don’t know what to expect to find at a local tennis club.

From professional-grade green clay tennis courts to the various membership perks associated with joining a tennis club, here are three things that any quality establishment should be willing to deliver its members:

Superior Tennis Courts

Good tennis clubs should have professional-level spaces for players of al

Last year, more than 26 million people in the U.S. suffered from back pain, which is the leading cause of disability among people under age 45. And because so many people suffer from chronic back pain, as many as 19 million patients spend a total of $50 billion on the direct costs of treating the condition every year.

Even though the increasingly office-bound American workforce often suffers from neck pain (as many as 45% according to some estimates), lower back pain is the most common spinal complaint.

What are my treatment options for preventing lower back pain ?

There are three common treatments for lower back pain:

• Exercise and physical therapy
• Medications, including painkillers, muscle relaxants, and anti-depressants
• Minimally i