We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site. By Julie Upton, RD I've been reading a lot from both popular press and scientific publications about how certain craveable foods, such as those that include sugar, fat, or a combination of both (e.g. ice cream, chocolate, and most desserts) may cause druglike responses in our brain. Animal-model research shows Read more

Quitting cigarettes can be tough to endure; nicotine is so addictive. That's why we're thrilled to hear Jennifer Aniston is putting herself on the nonsmoker list. People reports that in a recent press conference Jen said: "And rumor Number two: no, we're not pregnant. It's just I quit smoking, so I've gained a couple of pounds." It's common when quitting smoking to put on a little weight since Read more

Like nicotine, alcohol, or heroin, is food a habit-forming substance? New research says yes, and suggests pathological eating belongs in the category of addiction. A recent study at Yale University claims to be the first to differentiate food addicts from mere overeaters. Before subjecting 39 women to magnetic resonance imaging, the study asked participants to complete a questionnaire designed to Read more

The post-coital cigarette is something of legend, but have too many, and you might not have many chances to light up after sex. Smokers are twice as likely to develop erectile dysfunction and nicotine impacts blood flow to lady parts, too. Quitting smoking is hard because it forces us to put off immediate gratification. The latest episode of Radio Lab explores this challenge and follows Read more

Here's a scary new stat to swallow: smoking causes half a million deaths each year in the US, killing slightly more men than women. For this report, Dr. Brian Rostron, then of the University of California, Berkeley, tracked data that asked 250,000 people if and how much they smoked currently and in the past. The participants were monitored for two to nine years following the initial survey, and Read more

DrSugar is in the house! And she's answering your health-related questions. Dear DrSugar, My partner has been smoking since he was in high school and he is 27 now. He has been smoking about two packs a day and is trying to stop. This weekend he has cut down on the amount he smokes. Last night, both he and I had trouble staying asleep. I was wondering if his smoking has been affecting me too? And Read more

With all the health benefits to gain from giving up the smokes, the decision to quit is an easy one, but the follow-through can certainly be a challenge. Cravings brought on by nicotine withdrawal can be intense and one way distract yourself from the desire to light up is to eat, eat, and eat some more. That of course can lead to weight gain, so here are some tips on how to ditch the cancer Read more

Quitting smoking is just about the best thing you can do for your health. Countless studies have shown smoking can lead to serious health problems, not only for the smoker, but also for non-smokers breathing secondhand smoke. It's never too late to quit, and if you want to call yourself a non-smoker like some of these celebs, here are some tips to help make it happen. Think of a powerful and Read more