07/01/2009 Louisiana ranks in top 10 for adult, childhood obesity Louisiana is the eighth worst state when it comes to adult obesity and ranks seventh for obesity among children.

06/29/2009

Mackie: Preparing vegetables for maximum vitamin content
Summer is the time of year when many vegetables are reaching maturity and are at their peak of freshness or approaching that stage.

06/23/2009 State stops eyeing land for hospital until deal is made The state has suspended land acquisition activities for the proposed new University Medical Center in New Orleans until a deal between LSU and Tulane is reached.

06/18/2009 Ballerina survives stroke, lives to warn others It was a morning that changed a young ballerina's life forever. One day she was on the world stage, dancing in solo performances. The next day she could not move her arm and leg.

06/19/2009

French Quarter mules handling heat just fine, experts say
It is so hot around the concrete in the Quarter, that pet iguanas are being hosed down along side the mules and it brings up the annual question of when is it too hot for the working French Quarter mules.

06/18/2009 State unveils medical center proposal; universities approval pending There's a new draft agreement out on how two major universities would play a role in running a new medical center in New Orleans.

06/17/2009 30 people in state office experiencing swine flu symptoms The State Department of Social Services has confirmed five cases of swine flu within their office in downtown Baton Rouge and as many as 30 people in that office have symptoms associated with the virus.

06/10/2009 Local doctor studying regeneration of limbs Most people believe that the idea of a person re-growing a limb after amputation is something out of a science fiction movie, but a local doctor is trying to make it happen.

Health care providers warn of drastic cuts in budget reduction This week a group of health care providers started running a commercial on local radio stations that warn about service reductions and job losses in the wake of expected major cuts in state Medicaid funding.

06/09/2009 Health screenings held across metro area A dozen health clinics in New Orleans will be offering a variety of health screenings as an incentive to get patients to use community clinics instead of emergency rooms.

06/02/2009

Near drowning of boy a reminder of swimming safety
With the news of near drowning of an 8-year-old boy on the Northshore, it brings back memories for another Northshore family.

05/25/2009 Medical Watch: New study says smoking more dangerous for women Smoking is dangerous and deadly for all people, but a new study finds that women may be more in danger. Doctors found that women younger than 60 and those who were lighter smokers had worse lung function and more severe illness than men.

05/23/2009 Medical clinic opens in N.O. East It is an area long-underserved when it comes to health care: New Orleans East has struggled to regain a hospital since Hurricane Katrina.

05/20/2009 Weight Loss Wednesday: Program irons out cellulite for some It's a condition that women have unsuccessfully tried to get rid of with supplements, body scrubs and creams.

Medical Watch: E-mail plays a part in losing weight, study says Many older men take a drug called Flomax for a condition called BPH or Benign Prostate Enlargement. It causes men to have urinary problems.

05/15/2009 Wrinkle Free Friday: Family recipe gets rid of, prevents bruises It's a formula that one local family has used for five generations. And now a Mandeville woman has turned it in to a business hiring a couple dozen people.

05/18/2009

LSU to cut 300 jobs at teaching hospital
LSU will cut more than 300 jobs at University Hospital over the next year as part of a move to slash $24 million in spending following a study that revealed millions more in potential savings.

05/15/2009 Medical Digest: Order of shots may ease pain for babies; vegetable juice aids diets It's no scientific discovery that vaccine injections are not pleasant for babies, but now a new study finds that the order in which the babies get their vaccines might make a difference when it comes to pain.

05/13/2009 Weight Loss Wednesday: Workout chisels body into a dancer's frame If you've ever admired the body of a dancer, there's a new workout program that may be right for you. A class that came to New Orleans from Florida is producing results.

Med Watch: Can Hyperbaric oxygen treatments help injured soldiers?
You may remember back in February Medical Watch told you about a young marine from Monroe who was coming down to New Orleans to get regular oxygen treatments in the hyperbaric chamber.

Cao wants reconsideration of Charity Hospital request Hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake in the rebuilding of Charity Hospital and in the latest battle over federal money, the state has seen setback.

05/11/2009 CDC confirms 11 new cases of H1N1 in Louisiana Eleven more cases of H1N1 in Louisiana were confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state’s Department of Health and Hospitals said Monday.

05/08/2009 Wrinkle Free Friday: OTC anti-aging product delivers prescription results Quick, easy, inexpensive, with no downtime, that's the way some people are describing one anti-aging product. And it's a product that dermatologists say works.

Medical Watch: New treatment for dry eyes; coffee and pregnancy A skin treatment that dermatologists have been using on rosacea and acne may also help people who have dry eye syndrome.  Patients who were using Intense Pulse Light, known as IPL, on their faces noticed their dry eyes got better.

05/07/2009 Last minute procedure to save Metairie man is a first of its kind It was just a few weeks after a Metairie man had heart-bypass surgery when something went terribly wrong. That's when a doctor at EJGH did a life-saving procedure that has never been done anywhere in the world before.

Legislature throws lifeline to New Orleans Adolescent Hospital For months, mental health advocates in New Orleans have been fighting the proposed closing of the New Orleans Adolescent Hospital, or NOAH. On Thursday, they had a small, possibly temporary victory in the legislature.

Cleaned after student gets swine flu, Audubon Charter reopens Both campuses of Audubon Charter School are scheduled to reopen Thursday after a confirmed case of swine flu forced a shutdown.

05/06/2009 Weight Loss Wednesday: Man loses hundreds of pounds -- and keeps it off It was in a doctor's office just days before Hurricane Katrina hit when the nurse told a Belle Chasse man to step on the scale.

Medical Watch: Kids may be prone to addiction to video games
You've heard doctors talk about pathological gambling or a brain addiction to gambling. Well now a new study finds that the same could be true for children and teens with video games. 

05/04/2009 Jump in demand for anti-viral drugs has some doctors worried Business has been even busier over the last two weeks as concerns over the possible spread of swine flu began to spread as well. N.O. school closes for 3-day scrub down

Hair replacement for those who don't want surgery Hair loss can be from genes, medical conditions or chemical processing of the hair. And there is a type of hair replacement for people who don't want to have surgery.

School closed for 3-day scrub down after student diagnosed with H1N1 Crews used a hospital-strength disinfectant on the chairs, desks and door handles of classrooms at Audubon Charter School in Uptown Monday. The scrub-down comes on the heels of a second-grader there having been diagnosed with swine flu. Swine flu questions and answers Meg has answers on swine flu

05/03/2009 Seven cases of swine-flu confirmed in Louisiana Officials from the Centers for Disease Control said Sunday that there are seven confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu in Louisiana, including one from New Orleans. N.O. school closed Swine flu questions and answers Meg has answers on swine flu

05/01/2009 Hair loss aids: What works and what doesn't It is normal to shed around 100-150 hairs a day. But when genetics, illness or over processing causes hair loss, it can be psychologically painful to live with every day. But doctors can help.

Medical Digest: Healthier snacks coming to schools? A Senate bill could require healthier snack foods in schools, the effects of dementia could be lessened by exercise and the poor economy is being blamed for some weight gain. Meg Farris reports in the latest Medical Digest.

Anti-viral drug treatments now in state as precaution for swine flu State health officials have started giving out anti-viral drugs in part of Louisiana to treat possible H1N1 flu cases, though the virus has not been confirmed in any of the nine possible cases.

Dieters warned to stop using popular weight loss pill Government health officials warned dieters and body builders Friday to immediately stop using Hydroxycut, a widely sold supplement linked to cases of serious liver damage and at least one death.

04/30/2009 Weight Loss Wednesday: Program lets you eat a lot while losing weight It's a meal plan where you can eat a lot of food and still lose weight without being hungry. And it has the gold stamp of approval from doctors.

05/01/2009

Student at Audubon Charter being tested for swine flu
Nearly half of the students at Audubon Charter School remained home Friday after being notified that a student at the school is the Orleans Parish case that is being tested for swine flu.

04/29/2009 Eight suspected cases of swine flu being investigated in Louisiana The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals is now investigating eight suspected cases of swine flu virus, including one in the New Orleans area and one in St. Tammany. Questions and Answers about swine flu Meg gets answers on swine flu

Doctors testing New Orleans boy for swine-flu An 8-year-old boy admitted with flu-like symptoms may be the first case of swine flu here in New Orleans, according to doctors at Tulane Health Clinic.

Lafayette school closes after children test positive for flu A school in Lafayette is being closed as a precaution after students tested positive for a strain-A influenza that is being tested to see if it's swine flu. Questions and Answers about swine flu Meg gets answers on swine flu Doctors testing N.O. boy

Medical Watch: Meg has answers on swine flu
Eyewitness News spoke with public health experts from Tulane, LSU Health Sciences Center and other public and private agencies to try to get answers to some questions people have about swine flu and some of the activities they normally engage in on a daily basis.

23-month-old in Texas is first U.S. death from swine flu The first U.S. death from swine flu has been confirmed -- a 23-month-old child in Texas. Questions and Answers about swine flu

04/27/2009 No cases yet, but local officals on alert for swine flu As officials deal with confirmed swine flu cases in several other states, officials in New Orleans are on alert.

Swine Flu questions and answers
The Department of Health and Hospitals answers some commonly asked questions about Swine Flu.

Health officials warn of dangers of swine flu Amid surging worries about a global pandemic, the United States launched border screening for swine flu exposure Monday. Jindal, health officials urge locals to take precautions Questions and Answers on Swine Flu

04/24/2009 Wrinkle Free Friday: Cream aims to reverse sun's damage to skin It's no surprise that at 61-years-old, Kay Fallon has kept her body in shape. She grew up taking advantage of the outdoors.

Several new studies offer hope for autism, fibromyalgia and allergies A new study is giving doctors another possible cause of Autism to look into.

04/16/2009 LSU hospital facing budget cuts The LSU hospital in New Orleans would bear the brunt of cuts to the university's public hospital system under a plan presented to lawmakers Wednesday to cope with budget cuts proposed next year by Gov. Bobby Jindal.

04/15/2009 Sleepwalking and talking, signs of medical issues? Have you been told that you whisper sweet nothings in your sleep -- unaware that you ever spoke a word?

04/10/2009 Medical Watch: Seeing into the future of your risk for a heart attack If you had a chance to look into the future of your health, would you? It may sound frightening to know if you are at risk for a heart attack but knowing could save your life.

01/22/2009

New cooling procedure saving heart patients' lives in New Orleans
A doctor in Alexandria, La., was one of the inventors of a new technology that is now saving lives of heart patients and newborns right here in New Orleans.

12/25/2008 Reopening eastern N.O. hospital could cost $170M A new report says it could cost $170 million to reopen a New Orleans hospital that has been closed since Hurricane Katrina.