Marge, as November’s cover girl, doesn’t show you quite everything; a few things are tastefully left to the imagination. She is also the subject of a three-page spread and an article titled, The Devil in Marge Simpson.

So, how does Marge Simpson measure up to Marilyn Munroe? Up to now, only Homer knew, but her secrets will be unveiled for all.

The publishers of Playboy magazine are hoping that this playful approach will attract newer readers as their audience has been slipping. No longer is Playboy the only choice for young (and older men) to ogle beautiful women, not with the advent of the Internet and the multitude of photos available to all.

Let’s see if Marge has what it takes. After all, Marge isn’t all sunshine and roses. According to her biography on theSimpsons.com,

she also has secrets: She has been tempted to stray from her husband by a charming bowler and was nearly seduced into a life of crime by her one-time neighbor, Ruth Powers.

~~~

Image: Zumapress.com

Post from: Healthbolt

They say ‘laughter is the best medicine’ so next time you need to fill up on bandaids and aspirin, skip the traditional products and head over to Help Remedies. They’ve put out some products that will not only cover the cut and fix the headache but will also amuse you….

Got a Headache….Have an Aspirin.

Cut yourself….Here’s a bandaid

By the way, this is a company concerned not only with the envrionment but also society. The packaging is made out of compostable, recycled paper pulp, with a tiny amount of plastic around the pills (an FDA requirement). Plus they plan to give 5% of their profits to charities that will help people without healthcare get healthcare.

This really is a company with a healthy attitude…

(discovered via Eco Salon)

Post from: Healthbolt

Now, you will never, ever find me saying that plastic surgery is wrong. That is a completely individual choice, and one I would never even rule out for myself. But what you will find is me noting my surprise that there is a need for such a book.

Dr. Michael Saulzhauer, the author of “My Beautiful Mommy”, due out this Mother’s Day, drafted the book’s manuscript after seeing moms with their kids in tow during plastic surgery consultation appointments. He believed the kids viewed the surgery as scary, and wanted to assure them that their Mommy would be even more beautiful than ever – she just had to deal with some bandages and a few owies first.

Some supporters say the book will help explain why Mommy would choose to go to the doctor and to have surgery when she isn’t sick or hurt. And with the rise in the amount of “Mommy Makeovers” (tummy tuck and breast implant combos), surely this is something more and more kids are left wondering about.

Now while I applaud Dr. Saulzhauer’s efforts, I am stunned that mothers are taking their children to consultation appointments. I’m all about sharing special moments with my kids and I know that keeping secrets is “bad”, but aren’t there just some things in life that are better left to more mature audiences? Do we not do enough to force our kids to grow up too fast that now we need to expose them to how to fix their imperfections, show them all that’s “wrong” with Mommy, and pretty much ensure they’ll be scarred for life when they see their mother strip down to her skivvies (or less) in front of another man (if the surgeon’s male, of course). Just my two cents there.

So, what do you think of all this? Of plastic surgery in general, about the book, or about toting kids to plastic surgery appointments? Let us know.

Post from: Healthbolt

Aimed at convincing kids and teens to reach for Moo Juice instead of soda, the milk crew promises they’re not giving up on their ever-so-famous Got Milk? campaign – they’re just using the Spinal Tap rocker analogy to appeal to the younger crowds.

In the promotion, the “rock band” White Gold is out spreading the good word on milk…and taking the ad world by storm. Interesting concept and one that I, personally, hope will work.

But, of course, the bottom line is that many parents need to revert back to some of their old-school ways and offer milk at mealtimes, rather than sugar-laden juices, sodas and energy drinks.

After all, milk does do a body good.

Post from: Healthbolt

Okay, now that we got those formalities out of the way, I have a question I’d like to throw at you. As you have likely come to know, we here at The Bolt don’t often spout off about products, services and the like. We’ve pretty much been an information-only kind of gig.

But in the last several weeks, we have been inundated with opportunities to sample products and share our opinions on them with you. We’ve also been offered all kinds of giveaways. Now, I’ll come clean and say that in addition to the enzyme book contest we’re wrapping up this weekend, we have already committed to 3 other product reviews, two of which will result in sweet giveaways for some of you. But I can also see how this kind of thing could spiral quickly out of control, and we’d never want to jeopardize the integrity of HealthBolt. So my question to you is: Would you like to see product reviews and giveaways sprinkled into our regularly scheduled programming, or is this blog a “safe haven” for marketing and swag avoidance? Do you like when we do the legwork by researching/trying all those new amped-up waters, or do you come here just for the posts about farts, toilets, and weird bodily accomplishments?

Drop us a super quick comment and let us know your thoughts. Because it’s our goal to be the best Bolt we can be…for you.

Post from: Healthbolt

Photo Credit

In an effort to serve you even better (no, really. We’re being serious.), we are ramping up our blogroll here at Healthbolt, an entity that was heretofore non-existent, despite years of being on the web.

Our intentions are noble, but there are so many fantastic sites/blogs/magazines out there, we’re bound to miss a bunch. So we’re asking you, dear readers, to help us out. If you have a health-related blog that you write/read, a site you visit often or a mag you can’t live without, let us know. Be sure to give us a title and a link, if you have one. You can either hit the email button in the right sidebar by our names, or you can leave the link right here in the comments. We do, however, reserve the right to delete comments that are spammy and/or naughty. We also reserve the right to be discerning in who we add to the blogroll, so we’re sure we aren’t wasting our readers’ time.

So if you want to see your blog/site’s name in lights, give us a holler. And don’t forget to give a shout out to your other favorites, too.

Thanks, guys! Have a kick-ass day!

Post from: Healthbolt

So I course I had to go and investigate. What I found was a treasure trove of advertising posters for all things health. Turns out that the RX Club Show has been around for years. It was created in 1986 to provide a worldwide forum that acknowledges the work and creativity of pharmaceutical product advertising and promotion. Each year a group of experts gather and determine the award winners based solely on creative concept and innovation.

Here’s some of my favorites…

My advice. Head over to the site and check out the whole list of gold, silver, and awards of excellence advertisements. It’s worth it.

Post from: Healthbolt

Photo Credit

Reading food labels can be a lot like studying for NASA privileges or deciphering a cryptic code. It takes a lot of work, it takes a lot of effort, and it takes a lot of time…which most of us don’t have.

So when Shape magazine posted a poll online asking whether a food’s packaging should clearly state whether or not it meets healthy guidelines, I got wondering what you all would say.

In your opinion, should a manufacturer be forced to disclose whether a food item is a “healthy” choice on its packaging, or no? If yes, would you still buy an item even if it was designated “Unhealthy”? If you vote “No”, what would be your suggestion for consumers trying to assess a product’s health quotient?

After you discuss, I’ll post the percentages of the Shape readers’ votes and some of their thoughts. Until then, have at it…

Post from: Healthbolt

Antibacterial soaps and wipes were one thing, but antibacterial air freshener? (For air that’s let itself go.)

And antibacterial pocket pens?

Antibacterial Q-tips? I want, I need!

Antibacterial lip gloss? Pucker up!

And to finish off the cosmetic safety, an antibacterial eyelash curler. These things were scary to begin with!

Enough!

A good friend of mine works in a specialized burn unit and routinely rises at 3 a.m. in order to participate in some of the most risky surgeries imaginable. After six hours of working in ninety-one degree heat and wading around in various human bits, she takes what can only be described as a veritable swim in antibacterial gel. Exciting as the offerings of the hospital floor may be, that extra bit of disinfectant caution is just thoughtful. So while there’s a time and a place for not just killing bacteria but killing them dead, for everyday cleanliness and cold prevention, you really only need soap. Antibacterial products are nothing more than marketing to paranoia.

In fact, antibacterial products may actually be harmful because they destroy beneficial bacteria right along with the nasty stuff. Most antibacterial products that do not contain alcohol use triclosan. Triclosan can lead to increased resistance to antibiotics, though admittedly this hasn’t been proven outside the lab. Still, plain old soap works just as well for keeping both clean and safe. Technically, soap does not “kill” germs – it’s simply a surfactant that helps everything to slip off your skin more easily than with water alone. (And while we’re being technical, dermatologists will tell you that you could just bathe with pure water – but you’ll have to get scrubby with it!) Guess what? A wee bit of exposure to routine household germs develops the immune system.

Because you’re curious:

The history of soap

When in Rome

Post from: Healthbolt

When It Touches Your Lips

Beer is the binge-drinker’s beverage of choice by a very wide margin. Beer benders cause the most accidents and health problems. Beer drinkers are also the most likely to drink and drive. (Binge-drinking is defined as having five or more drinks in row.)

Stop Complaining: Millions Go Hungry in South Asia

The most severe flooding in decades has caused an alarming food shortage – upwards of 20 million souls face the double threat of disease and starvation. In some areas, hundreds of thousands of people are still marooned and await rescue.

Lactivism

The debate over breast-feeding continues. Unicef and other charitable organizations want baby formula advertising to be banned. The formula companies say inducing guilt in mothers who do not breast-feed their infants is hardly commendable.

Newsflash: Kids Like Name Brands!

Captain Obvious reports that children favor McDonald’s food because of the packaging. When tots were given identical food in both McDonald’s packaging and plain packaging, they said that the former food tasted better. Should we be surprised by this? We have an entire segment of food marketing explicitly geared to teaching children that kids’ food and adults’ food are separate categories. Branding is more American than obesity.

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