Opposing Digits

A February 2006 issue of Prevention magazine features a young, fit, happy looking couple on its cover, surrounded by headlines like, "How to be (and stay) happy" and "18 best foods to fight disease." Taken at face value, the approximately 4.5 by 6.5-inch, full color booklet appears to be a publication dedicated to exactly what its title implies: "Preventing" disease and health problems. It's when you crack open the cover that the magazine begins to contradict itself.

Sure, there is some valuable content on the 216 pages that follow -- such as an article on using peppermint as a natural way to ease irritable bowel syndrome and a Q & A with Dr. Andrew Weil about preventing osteoporosis naturally -- but all this is interspersed with materials that have little to do with a truly healthy lifestyle, namely a lot of advertisements for prescription drugs.

# posted by madthumbs @ 9:00 AM