Healthalert

Thursday's Health Headlines

South Beach Diet, Cancer Costs, Sharing Pills

Here's skinny on a new version of the South Beach Diet.

The diet's creator says mixing the South Beach program with interval walking will burn many more calories than moderate walking, and continue to burn calories throughout the day.

Doctors say that's not true.

While interval walking may burn a few more calories, the difference will be negligible, and it won't help your body burn extra calories after exercising.

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21-billion dollars.

The Journal of National Cancer Institutes says that's how much it will cost for five years of cancer care for America's elderly.

And that figure is expected to go up as baby boomers get older.

Researchers say the highest costs come in the first year because of the expensive treatments and in the last year when in-hospital expenses skyrocket.

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We know we're not supposed to do it, but research finds lots of Americans share prescription drugs anyway.

The American Journal of Public Health found one in four people either barrow or lend medicines from allergy pills to high strength pain medication.

Researchers say they are shocked the rate is so high.