Popular birth control pills are a nightmare that must end

Type in Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals' Yaz orYasmin into Google, and above any regular drug info, you'll see a slew of legal sites pop up. The paid-for links inquire if you're a "Victim of Birth Control," ask if you were "Hurt By Birth Control," wonder if you are looking for a settlement? Hey, what's this aboutgallbladder attacks and gallstones? Blood clot risk? STROKE? Huh??

More from The Stir: Eco-Friendly Condoms: Is There Such a Thing?

As you probably know, these popular, newer,lower-dose birth control pills made with the synthetic progesterone known as drospirenone have developed quite a bad rep for themselves over the last couple years. And judging from firsthand experience, research, news stories, and friends' anecdotal evidence, it's completely warranted. Now, the FDA is investigating the situation.

Seems to me their valiant effort is too little too late.

I appreciate the FDA's concern in the matter, but other researchers have already covered similar ground. For instance, a recent study even showed that these pills lead to a 20 percent increased risk of gallbladder disease and another British study found women who took them had 2.7 times greater riskfor developing a blood clot than women taking "an older progestin."

And women already know the score. Besides suffering from gallbladder disease or blood clots, so many women who have been on Yaz or Yasmin report miscellaneous side effects such as: "I was a crazy person," "I was basically bipolar," "I felt numb," "My hair fell out," "I couldn't lose weight no matter what," "I lost my sex drive altogether, and it hasn't come back even months after stopping."

What a nightmare.

More from The Stir: Birth Control Pill is New but Not Improved

If the FDA is just out to confirm what other researchers and women already know, that's fine. But it's certainly not necessary. Nor will it necessarily be the most unbiased research. Already, they're leading women astray, asserting that previous studies have not reported an increased risk of blood clots, and that "women taking the pills with drospirenone should not stop taking them without first consulting their doctors." Apparently, women are incapable of deciding for themselves whether their pill is right for them or not. We need hand-holding from our doctors to figure out what's best for our health and well-being.

And oh, isn't this cute ... Bayer says they're "working closely with the FDA on the matter." Oh, I'm surethey are. Working to ensure they don't lose millions of dollars if the FDA affirms what prior studies have found.

So, thanks, but no thanks, FDA. It seems we already have the overwhelming evidence to conclude that pills containing drospirenone (Beyaz, Safyral, Yasmin, Yaz, Gianvi, Loryna, Ocella, Syeda, Zarah) should be pulled.

That said, there are plenty of other, safer birth control methods for women who currently use any of these. As far as pills go, I am really not a fan at all, because I think they all wreck your natural hormonal rhythm to create a bevy of problems ... But birth control pills that contain levonorgestrel, another version of progestin, seem to be significantly less risky (at least when it comes to blood clots) than those that use drospirenone. And hey, there's always the safest bet -- nonhormonal birth control, like the copper-T IUD or condoms!

What's your take on these lower-dose pills? Do you think the FDA and the pharmaceutical company have women's best interest at heart with this new investigation?

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What you’re doing wrong at the gym

If you've been going to the gym regularly and not seeing great results, it may be because you're unknowingly mangling your moves (no offense). The truth is, most people make tiny but key errors in their techniques, and these mistakes prevent them from building muscle and burning more calories. We selected four basic moves that have a tendency to trip women up, and asked top trainers for form fixes. Apply their tips to upgrade your routine and your body.

LUNGES: WHAT YOU DO WRONG
You lean forward, causing your front heel to rise.

LUNGES: FIX YOUR FORM
1. "Narrow your starting stance," says Gray Cook, author of Athletic Body in Balance. The closer your feet are, the harder your core has to work to stabilize your body.

2. "As you do the lunge, focus on moving your torso only up and down, not pushing it forward," says Craig Rasmussen, a fitness coach at Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, California. This keeps your weight balanced evenly through your front foot, allowing you to press into the floor with your heel, which tones more lower-body muscle.

Quick Tip, Lunges: Drop your back knee straight down to the floor.

Banish Bumps and More: How to Get Summer-Ready Legs

SQUATS: WHAT YOU DO WRONG
You start the movement by bending your knees.

SQUATS: HOW TO FIX YOUR FORM
1. As you squat, imagine you're sitting down into a chair, rather than forward on top of your knees. Push your hips back first instead of beginning by bending your knees, which puts more stress on your joints, says Dan John, a strength coach in Burlingame, California.

2. Women tend to lean forward on their toes, but they should sit back into their heels. Try this fix: Pretend that you're standing on a paper towel, says Charlie Weingroff, lead physical therapist for the U.S. Marine Corps Special Operations Command at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. "Then imagine trying to rip the towel apart by pressing your feet onto the floor and outward." This activates your glutes, which helps you use heavier weights and break through plateaus.

 

Quick Tip, Squats:  As you stand, think about pushing the floor away from your body, rather than lifting your body.

Sculpt a Tight Butt and Legs with Plyometrics

STRAIGHT-LEG DEADLIFTS:  WHAT YOU DO WRONG
You round your lower back as you bend over.

STRAIGHT-LEG DEADLIFTS: HOW TO FIX YOUR FORM
1. "When bending down, act as if you are holding a tray of drinks and need to close the door behind you with your backside," says Alwyn Cosgrove, co-owner of Results Fitness. This helps you push your hips back instead of rounding your lower back--a form blunder that puts you at risk for back problems.

2. It's easy to put too much space between the weight and your body as you move up and down. Pretend you're shaving your legs with the bar or dumbbells, suggests Kaitlyn Weiss, a certified strength and conditioning specialist in Southern California. The farther the weights are from your body, the more strain on your back, which limits the work of your hamstrings and glutes.

 

Quick Tip, Straight-Leg Deadlifts: As you return to standing, squeeze your glutes. You'll engage your butt rather than strain your lower back.

Greatest Fitness Foods for Women

ROWS AND PULLUPS: WHAT YOU DO WRONG
You ignore the muscles that draw back your shoulder blades.

ROWS AND PULLUPS: HOW TO FIX YOUR FORM
1. "Before you start the exercise, create as much space as you can between your ears and shoulders," says Rasmussen. Pull your shoulder blades down and back, which will ensure you work the intended middle- and upper-back muscles.

2. "As you row the weights, stick out your chest," says Mike Boyle, owner of Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning in Woburn, Massachusetts. This allows you to better retract your shoulder blades, which will lead to better results.

3. "Imagine an orange between your shoulder blades," says Nick Grantham, owner of Smart Fitness in the U.K. "As you pull the weights or your body up, 'squeeze the juice out of it' by bringing your shoulder blades together."

 

Quick Tip, Rows and Pullups: Using an overhand grip forces your rhomboids (upper-back muscles) to work harder.

Our Best Back Workout Yet


Tell us:  What's your go-to move for getting the best results?

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Related: women's health, techniques, squats, lunges, gym, exercise, dead lifts

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3 Symptoms You Shouldn't Ignore

When you were in your 20s and 30s, you probably ignored random aches or other minor physical annoyances, and they usually went away. But in your 40s and beyond those symptoms can come back — often with a different cause, and calling for more serious attention. 

Symptom: Heart Palpitations
What it may have meant in your youth: You were in love
What it may signal now: Fluctuating hormones

You expect hot flashes and "senior moments" in the years leading up to menopause, but many women are surprised to find they also have palpitations — their hearts pound or beat irregularly. In one 2007 study of more than 1,000 women in four countries, for example, 12 percent said they'd had this sensation. Yet experts aren't sure why it happens. "It's amazing how little research there is," says menopause researcher Susan D. Reed, M.D., professor of ob-gyn and epidemiology at the University of Washington in Seattle. Shifting hormones — the estrogen-progesterone ratio changes at menopause — likely play some role.
If this happens to you: Such palpitations are usually harmless, but even if yours are mild or occur only once in a while, you can't be sure they're nothing until a doctor checks you out, Dr. Reed cautions. Your physician can test your heart rhythm with an in-office EKG, and may suggest you wear a portable monitor for up to three days. In addition, you'll need to rule out other conditions, such as an overactive thyroid, that can also cause palpitations. If you're a serious coffee or cola drinker (young or old), a switch to decaf might also solve your fluttering-heart problems. And of course, regardless of your age, if your irregular heartbeat is accompanied by chest pain, shortness of breath, feeling faint, or any other sign of a heart attack, call 911 right away.

Related: Is Alcohol Healthy or Not?

Symptom: Getting Red in the Face
What it may have meant in your youth: Sunburn — or embarrassment
What it may signal now: Rosacea

This inflammatory facial condition creeps up slowly — with a little flushing here, a few red bumps there — until patches of redness, visible blood vessels, and swelling settle in for weeks or months at a time. Accumulated sun exposure is a major cause, so although rosacea can strike at any age, midlife women are particularly prone to it, explains Boca Raton, FL, dermatologist Laura E. Skellchock, M.D.
If this happens to you: Protect yourself from further sun damage by wearing broad-spectrum sunscreen every day. You may need a low-dose topical or oral antibiotic, or a more permanent fix: an intense pulsed light therapy known as a photofacial, which seals blood vessels to prevent blood from pooling under the skin. In a recent British study, this procedure improved symptoms about 50 percent. Dr. Skellchock, who has battled the condition herself, also recommends taking a daily supplement of 3,000 mg of omega-3s and eating a diet rich in produce and low in refined carbs and processed foods to quell the inflammation that makes blood vessels expand. And since, for most sufferers, flare-ups can be triggered by spicy foods, hot beverages, and alcohol, it's wise to avoid these as well. Stress, exercise, and hot flashes can also set off episodes, so try to tamp down tension, stay as cool as possible when working out, and talk to your ob-gyn about ways to relieve flashes.

Related: 25 Ways to Sleep Better Tonight

Symptom: Always Gotta Go
What it may have meant in your youth: You drank too much soda
What it may signal now: Prolapsed pelvic organs

Your baby may not have been the only thing that descended when you gave birth: Pelvic organs such as the uterus and bladder drop from their intended position in nearly half of women who have had a baby. Shifted organs can partially block the bladder, trapping urine, or the walls of the bladder may become irritated. You continually feel as if you need to visit the bathroom.
If this happens to you: Now's the time to get serious about those Kegels to strengthen the muscles that hold in urine — 60 a day isn't too many, says Cheryl Iglesia, M.D., associate professor of ob-gyn and urology at Georgetown University School of Medicine. Three times each day, do 10 fast contractions and 10 where you hold each tensing for five to 10 seconds before releasing. But be sure to do them properly. "Half of the women I see push down rather than pull up," Dr. Iglesia says. Also talk to your doctor about training yourself to delay a bathroom trip when you feel the urge. If your condition is interfering with your life, your ob-gyn can fit you with a rubber device called a pessary (like Spanx for drooping organs); in serious cases, where the organs have dropped deep into the vaginal cavity, surgery may be needed to tuck them back up.

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Restaurant Chefs’ Tricks for Lower Sodium

Restaurants are trying to reduce the sodium content of their food. In addition to the health benefits, this can result in better tasting food as chefs experiment with exotic herbs and untraditional preparation methods. Here a few ways you can use chefs' tricks to incorporate more flavor, and less salt, in your cooking.

1. Use fresh tomatoes instead of canned: Save 210 milligrams of sodium per ½ cup

2. Use garlic to add flavor: Substitute 1 teaspoon of garlic for ½ teaspoon of salt to save 580 milligrams of sodium.

3. Swap unsalted butter for salted butter: Save 125 milligrams per tablespoon. Or try flavored oil.

4. Fresh turkey versus traditional deli turkey: Save 1,190 milligrams of sodium per 4 ounces.

5. Skip the pickle: Save 930 milligrams of sodium. Munch on some sliced cucumber with a squeeze of lemon instead.

6. Cook with wine and vinegar instead of soy sauce and barbeque sauce: Save 200-800 milligrams of sodium.

7. Try any of these high-flavor, low-sodium ingredients: fresh garlic, garlic powder, granulated garlic, fresh onions, onion powder, black pepper, ginger, celery seed, cumin, turmeric, saffron, cayenne pepper, paprika, mustard powder, chili powder, fresh rosemary, dried rosemary, fresh dill, dried dill, fresh basil, salt-free seasonings, dried basil, fresh oregano, dried oregano, mint, curry, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and coriander seed.

Source: Nation's Restaurant News

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Get Fit in Style

This post was written by Susan Wagner. Photo: My Custom Yoga Mat

I'm a runner -- right now I'm training for a half marathon -- and I have to admit that most days, I just toss on whatever of my running gear is clean and weather-appropriate, which often means I'm running in pieces that are not exactly pretty. But when I run a race, I want to look a little nicer -- not full-face-of-makeup nice (I'll never get why women show up for 10K runs in full makeup) but not quite as bedraggled as I look on my everyday run. So I have a cute  tank and a running skirt that I save for group events. Call me crazy, but it makes me feel good, and that makes me run faster.

Yes, really.

We work out in order to look good, but I'm willing to bet that most of you don't look particularly great while you're working out. I'm not talking about sweaty hair and red faces; I'm talking about the fact that our default workout clothes are often the leftovers from our casual wear closet -- old battered shorts, t-shirts we stole from our husbands, bras that have outlived their usefulness. If you're working toward a fitness goal, it's worthwhile to invest in a few really nice workout pieces, because having something pretty to wear will make you that much more likely to go to the gym.

I promise.

Workout wear doesn't have to be expensive or technical; there are some great, affordable pieces available at places you probably already shop. I buy all my running bras at Target; they carry a nice range of sizes, styles, and colors, and they're all affordable (which means that when they start to break down from all the laundering, I don't feel guilty tossing them and starting over). If you're small chested, like I am, then really any sport bra will do; if you have a larger chest, look for something that will support your breasts. C19 by Champion makes some great supportive bras for curvy girls, and they retail for under $20.

What goes over your bra? I like a simple tank, both for running and for yoga. Athleta carries tanks that are designed for working out; they're stretchy and breathable and will keep you covered. Athleta's tanks are also pretty -- I love the color options for the Savvy Tank, as well as the racer-back cut. Old Navy carries a less expensive version of this tank ($12.94), but it's worth it to spend a little more; the Athleta version (at $50) is a more substantial material and will fit and wear better in the long run.

Old Navy is a good source for affordable athletic wear, though. If you're opting for yoga -- which is great for new moms, or any mom who needs a little peace and quiet in her workout -- I recommend ON's fold over yoga capris. The fold-down waistband is designed to accomodate a tummy, so if you're post-partum and still carrying a little extra baby weight through the middle (and honestly, who isn't?) these are perfect. Plus, they're $18! That's a steal.

If you're opting for something more active, or you're working out where it's hot, commit to some shorts. Getting a pair that fits well and looks good can help get you past the fear of working out in public in shorts omg! New Balance makes great running shorts that won't leave you feeling like you're flashing the world; thelow-rise NP short comes in a basic black with pink detailing, part of New Balance's Lace Up for the Curecollection. And at $25, these are super affordable.

Once you're all dressed, think about your accessories. Yes, I'm serious -- you don't need to pile on the jewelry to work out, but having pretty things around will keep you motivated. Goody's Organic Waves hair elastics will keep your pony tail in place and look lovely all at once. I run in a lightweight ball cap from Under Armour; it keeps my face shaded and my hair covered -- and I love that the watermelon color is called "Success."

If you're committing to yoga as your workout, I suggest that you get your own mat; while most studios will have mats that you can borrow, it makes more sense to own your own. Treat yourself to a monogrammed mat from My Custom Yoga Mat; for $35, you can choose the mat color and the embroidery color. The mats are light and soft and just sticky enough, and the personalization is a really nice touch. Not a monogram kind of girl? Think about having an inspiring word embroidered on your mat instead, something to keep you going when you're not sure you can do one more downward dog.

Exercise shouldn't be a chore; it's a good way to break out of the routine of parenting and revive your body and soul. Make your workout special by choosing appropriate, appealing clothes -- you will feel better about how you look, and will be more invested in looking good and getting healthy. Promise.

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A few moments of complete calm [video]

by Jessica Ashley, Shine staff

Between the crazy storms and sticky-hot extremes of weather, it feels like we've skipped spring altogether. There were barely 48 hours to enjoy the magnolia trees in bloom before high winds and rain washed the delicate pink petals away. The flowers in my neighbors' yards seem to droop under the weight of the humidity or pause for some sign that it really is the right time to emerge completely. And isn't this what we wait for all winter, what we negotiate in our heads as we shovel snow and pile on layers of down, wool, and fleece -- that it will all be worth it once spring arrives?

Until the weather evens out or we just admit it's never coming, perhaps these beautiful time-lapse videos will bring you the the same ahhhh it did for me. I love that all of the fragility of a flower opening is captured, helping us appreciate what goes in to one little bud opening to the world. It's simple, it's sweet, and I do believe this morning meditation is a wonderful start to the day, no matter what the weather outside the window.

If you are lucky enough to have a perfectly sunshiney spring day where you are, watch anyway. These stunning videos can only make it even better.








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Kate and Will's fertility treat (and other royal updates)

No one is under more pressure to get pregnant thanKate Middleton. As a new princess (yes, she's going by the title now) her duty to her kingdom is to make a baby. And fast.

It all sounds like it's ripped from the pages of Rumpelstilskin, but did you see last month's wedding? There was an actual chariot with horses. Kate and Will are as close to fairy tale characters as you can get in real life, which explains why they may be using an age-old method for healthy baby-making. 

Behold the royal fruit of the womb: Brussel sprouts. According to Vanity Fair's July issue, Will pre-ordered the vegetable along with some cream cheese to theirSeychelles honeymoon villa. There's no explaining the cream cheese, but the sprouts are rich in folic acid which makes them commonly promoted as a natural pregnancy enhancer. Their detoxifying properties help maximize a mother's health and the heavy helping of folate is crucial to the development of a child's brain and nervous system.

Now everyone's a-twitter that Will and Kate are prepping for family-time. Then again the couple could really just like their greens. But really, who likes those smelly baby cabbages that much?

That's not the only golden nugget from the upcoming Vanity Fair cover story out June 6. Here's what else has been leaked from the July issue.
 

• Several unseen engagement photos by their photographer-of-choice, Mario Testino, grace the pages, including the cover shot taken soon after their November announcement.  
• Even though Kate and William have officially been titled as Duke and Duchess, Will is keeping his Prince status which means Kate has to be addressed as Princess.
• Right after they said their vows, the couple changed out of their suits and dresses and into robes so they could sit back and enjoy their own royal wedding coverage. How Malkovich is that? 

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Goodbye pyramid, hello plate. First Lady sings praises of new dietary guidelines.

MyPlate, the USDA's new graphic of a balanced meal, has replaced the food pyramid.

Forget everything you learned about the food pyramid. Today the United States Department of Agricultureunveiled a new model of a balanced meal. Introducing MyPlate, a visual aid that replaces the outdated model. The big difference from the original food pyramid, introduced in 1992 and updated in 2005, is simplicity.  First Lady Michelle Obama praised the new model this morning at a press conference. "When it comes to eating...what's more simple than a plate?" said Obama, whose Let's Move anti-obesity initiative team worked with the USDA to create the new graphic.

 "As a mom I can already tell you how much this is going to help parents all across the country," she continued. "Parents don't have the time to measure out three ounces of chicken or to look up how much rice or broccoli is in a serving...but we do have time to take a look at our kids' plates."

MyPlate is all about balancing the five elements of a healthy meal: fruit, vegetables, protein, grains and small side of dairy. About half of your plate should be fruits and vegetables, according to the new guide, while grains and protein should compliment the other half. The new campaign urges a full-fat dairy side with a lower-fat or fat-free alternative like skim milk.

Nutrition experts are joining the First Lady in bidding goodbye to the old pyramid, long criticized for being confusing and imbalanced. "There were two major causes for argument: political and nutritional," explained NYU public health professor Marion Nestle in an interview with Scientific American. "The political one made clear that meats and junk foods were to be consumed, but in smaller portions than other foods. The nutritional flaw was that it had grains at the bottom and recommended six to 11 servings. The serving sizes have grown to tremendous proportions, and no one knew what serving sizes were. One bagel is six servings, but no one knew that."

When the pyramid was re-configured graphically in 2005 with cup measurements instead of serving sizes, it baffled both experts and food consumers even more. "The 2005 pyramid had no food on it. It was completely un-teachable, and you needed a computer to understand it," added Nestle.

The new graphic relies more on a general understanding of portion balance than scale-measurements. Obama suggests this will make it easier not simply for parents to understand, but for kids as well. "Kids can learn how to use this tool now and they can use it for rest of their lives. We've had a conversation about sitting down with Malia and Sasha and helping them think about how to choose their proportions and this plate is a huge tool."

Diet giant Weight Watchers is also praising the USDA for the new MyPlate model. "The Dietary Guidelines tell us what we should be doing, but not necessarily how to do it," said Karen Miller-Kovach, the company's Chief Scientific Officer, in a press release that also capitalized on the P.R. opportunity. "What is exciting is that the new plate icon reinforces what our easy-to-follow PointsPlus program puts into action...Following this approach can help more people achieve and maintain a healthy weight."

Nestle however isn't completely sold on the new plate, warning that the protein portion on the plate overlaps with protein absorbed from grains and dairy. But she does consider the model an improvement from the way we've looked at a balanced meal in the past. "For most of us meat has made up most of the meal," added Nestle. "This is a huge change, and I think it's courageous."

The creation of the MyPlate campaign reportedly cost $2 million to create, and involved a focus group of 4,500 adults and children. The USDA will continue to feature nutrition information and tools on its new website,choosemyplate.gov.  Social networking campaigns and other educational promotions around healthy eating will also be rolled out throughout the year.

Check out the USDA's introductory video for the MyPlate campaign.

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How Wine Can Mess With Your Weight Loss Goals

By Sarah Jio, Glamour magazine

I am a very light wine drinker--I only have a glass every few days. But, I realized that the way I drink wine (even the tiny amount that I do) can really impact my weight loss goals.

Related: 15 Healthy Snacks Under 150 Calories

We've all heard that alcoholic drinks can add up, from a calorie standpoint. But, since I don't drink very much--just a single glass of wine a few nights a week--that's not a big concern to me. But something else is. You see, I've found that after I have a glass of wine, my willpower goes out the window and I'm more apt to eat bigger portions at dinner or get the munchies later on.

Related: Spring 2011's Most Wearable Fashion Trends

I asked my nutritionist, Stephanie Middleberg, about this phenomenon, and she says it's absolutely real. She says that you're most likely to fall guilty to overeating and food cravings if you drink before dinner. The solution? Order your wine with dinner or, better yet, have an after-dinner drink. 

Do you find that wine, and any other alcohol, also messes with your willpower or affects your hunger?

P.S. How to recover from an oops eating day. And, 5 weight-loss friendly foods every girl should keep in her freezer...

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Single motherhood linked to poor health later in life

Getty Images

By Carina Storrs

Motherhood can take a toll on any woman's health, but single moms may have an even harder go of it. According to a new study, women entering their 40s who had their first child out of wedlock experience poorer health, on average, than women who were married when they first gave birth—even if they marry in the interim.

Stress and money troubles associated with being a single mom are likely the main culprits, says the lead author of the study, Kristi Williams, PhD, an associate professor of sociology at the Ohio State University, in Columbus. "We know these are much more common among single mothers, and both are strongly implicated in a wide range of health outcomes," she explains.

Health.com: Head-to-toe solutions for stress

Since 1979, when the study began, the percentage of U.S. babies born to unmarried women has shot up from 17% to about 40%. The increasing rate of out-of-wedlock births, combined with an aging population, could spell problems for public health, Williams says.

To make matters worse, the health consequences of single motherhood appear to be surprisingly persistent. The study found that women who gave birth while unmarried reported poorer health later in life even if they eventually married or entered a stable relationship with someone other than the father of their child.

Health.com: Secrets to a stress-free, healthy family

This finding suggests that government programs designed to promote marriage, such as the federal Healthy Marriage Initiative and others like it that emerged from the 1996 welfare-reform legislation, aren't likely to improve public health, the researchers say.

"This study could help us refocus our efforts and to say, 'Clearly, pushing marriage isn't a remedy,'" says Wendy Chavkin, MD, a professor of public health and ob-gyn in the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, in New York City, who was not involved in the research.

To promote health among low-income single mothers, Dr. Chavkin adds, the government should focus on providing subsidized child care, increased wages, and better health insurance for working moms—none of which, she says, is provided by "the current welfare apparatus."

Health.com: Why love is good for your health

In the study, which appears in the American Sociological Review, Williams and her colleagues analyzed data from more than 3,000 single and married mothers who are participating in an ongoing, nationally representative government survey. All of the women gave birth before the age of 36. At age 40, they were asked to rate their current health on a five-point scale from "poor" to "excellent."

Unmarried white and black mothers rated their health lower, on average, than their married counterparts. Hispanic women did not seem to suffer any health consequences from being single moms, possibly because they receive more family support than single mothers of other ethnicities, the study suggests.

Single mothers who went on to marry or live with a partner did not have better health compared with never-married moms, with the exception of white and Hispanic women who eventually married their child's biological father. Black women may not reap any health benefits from marrying their child's father because black men, as a demographic, are less likely to be able to provide the type of financial support that benefits a mother's health, Williams says.

Donna Strobino, PhD, a professor in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in Baltimore, says it is a "no-brainer" that single mothers experience more health problems than paired-off mothers, but she questions how much direct impact single motherhood is having on their health.

Health.com: Finding love online, despite health problems

Although the researchers controlled for demographic factors such as poverty, education level, and age of childbirth, it's possible that single mothers are more likely than married moms to engage in unhealthy behaviors such as smoking and excessive drinking that could lead to poorer long-term health, Strobino says.

In addition, cultural changes over the past few decades may have weakened the relationship between single motherhood and poorer health. "There has been a trend of both increasing age at childbirth, particularly among white women, and in nonmarital childbirth for all women," Strobino says, adding that women who choose to have children outside of marriage may represent a very different group than the study participants, most of whom likely had unplanned pregnancies.

Health.com: What pregnancy does to your health

Williams, however, is skeptical that changing norms regarding unwed mothers will have a significant impact on the link seen in the study. Although waning "social disapproval" of those mothers could potentially play a role, she says, "My guess is that financial strain and child-care responsibility are more important than stigma."

Laura Lindberg, PhD, a senior research associate at the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit research organization focused on sexual and reproductive health, says the study highlights the importance of understanding how marriage-promotion programs actually affect the various subgroups of people they aim to help, including low-income single moms.

Much of the research used to support programs like these was conducted in middle-class white couples, Lindberg says. "I think in all policy settings, you want your motivating evidence to be on the population for which you're going to implement the policy."

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Octomom's doctor loses license

Nadya Suleman's outrageous Octo-stroller in 2009 [credit: FilmMagic]

Just when you thought (or hoped) Octomom Nadya Suleman had slipped away from the spotlight, news about the fertility doctor who treated her has placed her center-stage.

The California medical board found Wednesday that Suleman's doctor, Michael Kamrava of Beverly Hills, committed gross negligence while treating the now-35-year old single mother. Kamrava transferred 12 embryos to Suleman, which the board found to be excessive and an "extreme" diversion from standard practices. For women Suleman's age, it is recommended that no more than two embryos are transferred at a time, depending on the patient's circumstances.

Eight of those embryos survived, adding to Suleman's family that already included six children. Kamrava also treated Suleman for her first six children. The doctor once claimed he was simply following Suleman's wishes.

The state medical board also investigated two other patients Kamrava treated, noting he was repeatedly negligent, among other offenses. They ruled to strip the doctor of his license as of July 1st.

Earlier this year, Suleman admitted to Oprah, Suze Orman, and thus the world, that she was "self-medicating through children". Tough-talking Suze Orman helped the unemployed mother of 14, who said she had $300 to her name at the time of the show's taping, address her steep financial issues. She appeared on a magazine cover in a bikini, was rumored to have a tummy tuck, attempted success in the world of reality television. Perhaps even more disturbing is the lingering talk that she has as many as 29 frozen embryos left in storage,which could be expensive on many levels.

Do you agree with the state medical board? Should Michael Kamrava's license be revoked?

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