A Year of Health Hints

  1. Acknowledgments

A Year of Health Hints took well over a year to complete. Hundreds of colleagues, friends, and family members played a part, and my efforts would have fallen far short if not for their invaluable assistance.


First of all, I want to thank Carole Slotkin, M.Ed., Program Director of the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, for her help and expertise throughout the project. There is not a better person to work with than Carole.  I particularly want to express my gratitude to Andrew J. Ruden, M.D., for his invaluable assistance in both the contribution of medical facts to the text, particularly in chapters 1 and 2, and his review of the entire manuscript for medical accuracy. Elaine Frank, R.D., the Institute’s Director of Nutrition Services, also played an important role in the book’s development, as did Colleen Christopher, R.N., a senior consultant to the Institute. I am also extremely grateful to Sharon Faelten, my editor at Rodale Press, for her knowledge of writing, candid feedback, and ability to turn what I thought was very good work into something even better.


A Year of Health Hints went through an extensive review process in order to ensure medical accuracy and present the latest medical and behavioral research. I am indebted to the physicians and other health professionals listed below who reviewed various parts of the manuscript according to their areas of expertise.

  1. •Patrick T. Ainslie, D.D.S., M.S., Periodontist, Farmington Hills, Michigan.

  2. •Charles B. Arnold, M.D., M.P.H., Medical Director, Medical Relations, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, New York, New York.

  3. •Jeffrey D. Band, M.D., Corporate Epidemiologist, Chief of Infectious Diseases, and Medical Director, InterHealth: Health Care for International Travelers, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan.

  4. •Joseph Berenholz, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., Diplomate, American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clinical Instructor, Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, Michigan.

  5. •Judith M. Berman, Chief, Regional Coordinator, Michigan State Police, Office of Highway Safety Planning, Lansing, Michigan.

  6. •Ronald Berris, D.D.S., Team Dentist, Detroit Pistons basketball team, and Family Dentistry, West Bloomfield, Michigan.

  7. •Dennis I. Blender, Ph.D., Psychologist, Grant Thornton Company, Southfield, Michigan.

  8. •Joyce Brownson-Booth, M.A., Director of Training, American Institute for Preventive Medicine, Dallas, Texas.

  9. •Elaine Frank, R.D., Vice President, American Institute for Preventive Medicine, Farmington Hills, Michigan.

  10. •Barry A. Franklin, Ph.D., Director, Cardiac Rehabilitation and Exercise Laboratories, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan.

  11. •Dwight D. Gaal, M.A., Director, Health Promotion, Bon Secours Hospital, Grosse Pointe, Michigan.

  12. •Michael R. Garr, Lieutenant/Fire Prevention, Farmington Hills Fire Department, Farmington Hills, Michigan.

  13. •Abe Gershonowicz, D.D.S., Family Dentistry, Sterling Heights, Michigan.

  14. •William Hettler, M.D., Director, University Health Service, University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

  15. •Jeanette Karwan, R.D., Director, Product Development, American Institute for Preventive Medicine, Farmington Hills, Michigan.

  16. •Ronald D. Kerwin, M.D., Clinical Instructor, Department of Dermatology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, and staff physician, Crittenton Hospital, Rochester, Michigan; Huron Valley Hospital, Milford, Michigan; and formly of Sinai Hospital, Detroit, Michigan.

  17. •James Kohlenberg, M.D., Internal Medicine, John R. Medical Clinic, Madison Heights, Michigan.

  18. •Melvin Korobkin, M.D., Professor of Radiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

  19. •Richard S. Lang, M.D., Head, Section of Occupational Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio.

  20. •Donald B. Levitt, Ph.D., Corporate Health Promotion and Counseling Administrator, Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, Michigan.

  21. •James V. McConnell, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

  22. •Richard N. Matzen, M.D., Past Chairman, Department of Preventive Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio.

  23. •Jeffrey A. Meer, M.D., Internal Medicine, Birmingham, Michigan.

  24. •Michael P. O’Donnell, M.P.H., M.B.A., Director, Health Promotion and Wellness, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan.

  25. •Thomas C. Overholt, M.D., Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan.

  26. •Owen Z. Perlman, M.D., Director, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Catherine McAuley Health Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

  27. •William H. Rattner, M.D., Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Urology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, and Former Staff Physician, Sinai Hospital, Detroit, Michigan.

  28. •Edward J. Roccella, Ph.D., M.P.H., Former Coordinator, National High Blood Pressure Education Program, Office of Preventive Education and Control, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland.

  29. •F. David Rollo, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs, Humana, Inc., Louisville, Kentucky.

  30. •Michael Rontal, M.D., F.A.C.S., Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Michigan Medical School and Wayne State University School of Medicine, and Staff Physician, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan.

  31. •Susan Herman Ryskamp, M.S., R.D., Lecturer/Interim Director, Dietetics Program, Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan.

  32. •E. A. Shaptini, M.D., Former Vice President and Medical Director, American Natural Resources Company, Detroit, Michigan.

  33. •John S. Shelton, Sergeant, Southfield Police Department, Southfield, Michigan.

  34. •William Solomon, M.D., Clinical Instructor, Department of Internal Medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine, and Former Medical Director, Jewish Home for the Aged, Detroit, Michigan.

  35. •Steven Starr, D.P.M., Director, Birmingham Foot Care, Birmingham, Michigan.

  36. •Neill D. Varner, D.O., M.P.H., Medical Director, Delphi Saginaw Steering, Delphi Automotive, Saginaw, Michigan, Member of the UAW-GM Health Promotion Task Force, and Medical Director, Saginaw County Department of Public Health.

  37. •Andria Watha, Graphic Designer, American Institute for Preventive Medicine, Farmington Hills, Michigan.

  38. •George Watkins, Editor in Chief, EAP Digest, and President, Performance Resource Press, Troy, Michigan.

  39. •Marvin S. Weckstein, M.D., Psychotherapy and Outpatient Psychiatry, Assistant Director of Adult Psychiatry Training, Fairlawn Center, Pontiac, Michigan.

  40. •Mark Werner, M.D., Obstetrics and Gynecology, Laser Surgery, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan.


Above all, this book could not have been completed without the tremendous assistance and support I received from the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, one of North America’s leading developers of health promotion programs and materials. The Institute’s mission is to improve the public health and quality of life for all people. This book represents one way for that goal to be achieved. Many Institute staff members participated in the development of the book, while others kept the innovative work of the Institute going at full speed while I spent the majority of my time writing. I particularly want to thank Jeanette Karwan, Director, Product Development, for the tremendous job she did in updating the book for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th editions. Many thanks also go to Susan Jackson, Vice President of Marketing, Elaine Frank, Vice President of Operations, and Andria Watha, Graphic Designer.


Dr. James V. McConnell deserves special mention. As my academic advisor and mentor, Dr. McConnell was responsible for leading me into the arena of health promotion.  In addition, being the positive role model that he is, Jim inspired me to write this book.


My appreciation also goes to Bob and Yvette Powell, Steve Powell, and Edith and Joseph Stein for providing research materials for many of the 365 Health Hints in this book. And to Anita Diamant, my agent, for originally placing the book with the great people at Rodale Press.


Finally, I want to thank all the people who have influenced my life and career-family, friends, colleagues, teachers, students, and patients. I have learned from all of you.