Web searches feed health fears

"Health information online is breeding a generation of cyberchondriacs - people who needlessly fear the worst diagnosis after surfing the net, say researchers. A team at Microsoft studied health-related Web searches on popular search engines and surveyed 515 employees about their health-related searching. Web searches had the potential to escalate fears - like a headache was caused by a brain tumour, for example. Experts said people concerned about their health should see a doctor" - BBC

AthleteInMe.com promotes wellness online to reduce healthcare costs

"The current economic crisis has many consumers looking for ways to reduce expenses. One of the best strategies to reduce healthcare expenses is by exercising regularly. 'Most of the chronic health problems in our society are a result of a sedentary lifestyle,' according to Stan Reents, PharmD, a certified personal trainer, fitness counselor, tennis coach. Diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, coronary artery disease and others are largely preventable with regular exercise. 'Healthcare costs - including medication costs - for these conditions can be reduced by exercising regularly,' says Reents. Statistics from the CDC show that only about half of adults meet current exercise recommendations. Only 15% of adults belong to a gym or health club and 20% of those people haven't used their membership in the past 4 months. However, over 70% of adults use the Internet. This provides a tremendous opportunity when trying to reach people on an individual basis. 'People can exercise at home, if they have proper guidance,' says Reents, who created AthleteInMe.com for this purpose" - BusinessWire