A multidisciplinary approach is best, but relapses are common.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reported that hospitalizations for eating disorders have increased in the new millennium. The most common diagnosis was anorexia nervosa, accounting for 37% of hospitalizations in 2005 to 2006, an increase of 17% over those reported for 1999 to 2000. The next most common diagnosis was bulimia nervosa, characterized by binge eating followed by purging, which accounted for 24% of hospitalizations in the year ending 2006.

Anorexia nervosa affects nearly one in 200 Americans in their lives (three-quarters of them female). The term ...

The evidence suggests that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may erode bone.

People suffering through the pain of depression may feel as though their hearts are heavy. Evidence is growing that those taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may also be at risk for thin bones.

In the late 1990s, researchers began reporting an association between depression and bone loss. Many of the studies, but not all, concluded that compared with other people, patients with depression had lower bone mineral density (a measure of bone strength) and a greater risk for fractures.

But a 2008 review noted that the research ...

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A theory about how health and emotions may spread.

People are social by nature, spending about 80% of their waking hours with family, friends, or co-workers. A spate of studies about the health impact of this web of personal relationships — or "social networks," in research parlance — suggests that friends, family members, and even friends-of-friends can "spread" particular health behaviors and emotions, just as they can spread a cold or flu virus.

Dr. Nicholas Christakis, a social scientist at Harvard University and a physician specializing in palliative care, became interested in social networks while helping patients and families ...

In a study of children and adolescents with bipolar disorder, the anticonvulsant drug divalproex was no more effective than a placebo.

Researchers have formulated an index of risk factors that may help lower the likelihood of developing dementia in older age.

Commentary The importance of recess As we were putting together this issue, and with summer's more leisurely pace in view, an article extolling the virtues of play and relaxation seemed timely. Writing in the journal Pediatrics, a group of researchers from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York showed that, compared to those who have minimal or no recess time, elementary school children who have free time during the day receive higher ratings from teachers on their classroom behavior.

This makes intuitive sense. And a few small studies have demonstrated the value of recess — defined as a break ...