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DALLAS
Over a ten-year period, Dallas ranked in the top ten American cities in terms of its homicide rate, which was 1.8 times the average for major cities and that's not even counting J.R. |
DANCING
Can you believe it? Putting all of your weight on the tips of your toes for long periods of time is actually bad for you. Professional dancers are at risk for acute injuries including stress fractures in the lower extremities, musculoskeletal problems, osteoporosis, amenorrhea from low body fat, and foot deformities including bunions, as well as performance anxiety and sleep disturbances. |
DATING
As if there weren't enough good reasons not to date high-school boys (acne, funny voices, lack of intelligible conversation), here's another one: 20 percent of high-school girls report being physically abused or forced into sexual activity by a dating partner. One-third of teenagers who date suffer psychological violence in their relationship. Boycott the prom! |
DAY CARE, NOT SENDING CHILDREN TO
Ok, all you working parents can stop feeling guilty now. Children who aren't regularly exposed to other children in daycare centers, for example are more likely to develop asthma and frequent wheezing later in childhood. |
DAY CARE, SENDING CHILDREN TO
Bring that guilt back. There's a relatively high incidence of sudden infant death syndrome in day-care settings, where caretakers may be less likely to know that it's important to put babies to sleep on their backs. Day-care centers also spread antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can cause infections of the respiratory system. |
DAY CARE, WORKING AT
Yes, we all figured that working in a day-care center means you risk losing your mind. But it turns out that's not the only problem: it's the occupation associated with the highest risk of dying from asthma. |
DEATH PENALTY
If you live in a state that employs the death penalty, you're more likely to be a victim of homicide than if you live in a state without the death penalty. A case of citizens following the moral lead of their legislators? |
DEMENTIA
Think twice before you ask your neighbors to turn down the horrible music. Dementia can create an abrupt change in musical tastes, leading otherwise normal people to play pop music at loud volumes. You sure you want to go over there and yell at them? |
DENTIST, BEING A
At least in the U.K., studies show that dentists have an unusually high suicide rate. (Of course, it's possible that some of these were accidents, the poor guy was doing his own filling and his hand slipped....) |
DEPRESSION
If you're depressed, there's a good chance your condition will be misdiagnosed or wrongly treated. Properly diagnosed or not, depression can lead to or exacerbate heart disease and interferes with recovery from cancer, kidney failure, and hip fractures. It also makes middle-aged men more likely to die of strokes and weakens the immune system of older people. |
