Intermittent fasting is cutting yourself off from any food or beverages, other than water, for a certain amount of time. Some fasting is for religious reasons, while others fast for weight loss. But is it a healthy way to lose weight?

"We're hearing a lot more about intermittent fasting, and it essentially means the voluntary abstinence of food...Read more

WASHINGTON -- Most large employers say a "Medicare for all" system would lower the number of uninsured people in the United States, but they are concerned it could increase health care costs and taxes while stifling innovation and quality, a new survey shows.

The concerns come as health industry groups seek to block momentum for plans from ...Read more

Does following a weight-loss or healthy diet mean you must swear off fast food? Not necessarily.

An occasional stop for fast food can fit into a healthy diet -- if you're careful about what you order. Consider the following tips.

Keep portion sizes small. If the fast-food restaurant offers several sandwich sizes, pick the smallest. Bypass ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Leading her congregation in prayer last Sunday, the Rev. Paige Blair-Hubert realized that her mind had wandered from the sacred to the shooters.

"I'm thinking 'If something goes down, how do I get the acolytes out of there? The kids? Everyone else?'" said Blair-Hubert, the rector at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Del Mar.

"I ...Read more

Dear Mayo Clinic: My tailbone has been hurting for the past few weeks. I have read that it takes a while to heal, but is there anything I can do in the meantime to lessen the pain? At what point would it be necessary to see my doctor?

A: Although tailbone pain can be uncomfortable, in most cases it will go away on its own within a few months. ...Read more

Colorado's ski resort areas in Summit County have a high cost of living, among the highest in the country. The people who visit these places -- Keystone, Breckenridge and Copper Mountain -- can afford it.

Many of those who live and work there can't, especially when they get sick.

In addition to expensive rent, they pay some of the steepest ...Read more

It's back-to-school time, the time of year that often has parents rushing to buy school supplies, new clothes and healthy snacks to stock the pantry. It also tends to bring stress around homework, earlier bedtimes and an influx of colds and coughs. Dr. Tina Ardon, a family medicine physician and mom of three, provides some back-to-school tips to...Read more

Your weight can certainly affect your health, but so can your body size, according to a new report.

Researchers from the University of Iowa, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and other health institutions across the United States recently conducted a study to determine the association between waist circumference and overall health.

To do so...Read more

WASHINGTON -- Congress this year could enact the biggest overhaul of Medicare's prescription drug benefit since it was first established in 2003. If successful, seniors -- and taxpayers -- would be more insulated against the cost of the most expensive drugs.

One proposed change is meant to help Medicare control the costs it absorbs so that the ...Read more

Good news for women who can't quite bring themselves to go vegetarian, but don't mind giving up burgers and steaks: A new study finds red meat may increase breast cancer risk, while substituting poultry may lower it.

The study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, looked for links between meat consumption patterns and the incidence...Read more

As families around the country get ready to send their children off to school -- and some for the first time -- it's important to ensure their vaccinations are up to date. Dr. Robert Jacobson, a Mayo Clinic pediatrician, explains why the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is so important to the health of children and those around them. ...Read more

Which dietary supplements should you take to improve heart health? The answer may be none. Research published in Annals of Internal Medicine shows that many supplements do not reduce your risk of heart disease. Dr. M. Hassan Murad, a Mayo Clinic preventive medicine specialist, is a co-author of the study.

"There's really no supplement that can ...Read more

Measles infections are now confirmed in 30 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "We have more measles cases than we have had in the last 30 years," says Dr. Gregory Poland, director of the Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group.

"This is an explosive outbreak."

"This is a reflection of people not being ...Read more

WASHINGTON -- In April, many of the top Democratic presidential candidates eagerly lined up to co-sponsor Bernie Sanders' Medicare for all bill -- a vast restructuring of the U.S. health care system that would go far beyond Obamacare.

Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker and Kirsten Gillibrand, along with Reps. Tim Ryan and Tulsi ...Read more

NEW YORK -- The Trump administration is considering releasing a health care plan next month to counter the push by some 2020 Democratic candidates for a "Medicare for All" program, Dow Jones reports, citing people familiar with the discussions that it didn't identify.

The plan could include a guarantee to maintain coverage for people with ...Read more