Calcium

Q.Please tell me about drug-induced gynecomastia (breast enlargement in men). Taking Haldol has caused weight gain and given me breasts that now resemble those of the opposite sex.My doctor maintains that if I lose weight through diet and exercise, this abnormality will disappear. I have been dieting for two years with no change in the size of my chest. The guys at the gym make derogatory remarks that are very embarrassing.Will dieting ever help, or do I need cosmetic surgery? This abnormality has caused me shame and depression and made others question my sexual reference.

Fruity dish gives calcium boostThis recipe for Blue Cheese-Stuffed Figs and Apricots (pictured above) not only tastes good but also boosts your calcium intake for the day, the American Dairy Association says. Halve 3 fresh figs (or plums) and 3 apricots (seeds removed), and top with 6 ounces crumbled, domestic blue cheese. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon honey and sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped, toasted hazelnuts. Serves 12.Buying antiques for the holidaysAs the holidays approach, the kinds of food we serve may not be our only dilemma.

Q. I had toenail fungus so bad that my family doctor said it would take three visits and three treatments to clear it up, and the medicine can be hard on the liver. What really got my attention was the cost: $700.I checked with a friend who is a podiatrist. He confirmed what the doctor said but assured me that the liver scare was no big problem.A week later, just before my wife and I left on a one-month trip to Europe, she read your column about using Vicks VapoRub to kill toenail fungus.

Looks like candy. Chews like candy.But it's not candy.Move over Tums, here come "calcium chews."Mead Johnson's Viactiv and Nature Made's CalBurst -- supplements that can be munched like saltwater taffy -- are the latest products aimed at helping you meet your daily dietary requirement of calcium.They're convenient, that's certain. But it's not a good idea to substitute them for natural calcium sources such as broccoli, spinach and milk, says a report from the American Dietetic Association.

There's a "calcium crisis" among teen-agers, according to health and nutrition experts. Nearly nine out of 10 girls and seven of 10 boys get too little calcium. The National Academy of Sciences recommends 1,300 milligrams of calcium daily for teens -- the equivalent of four 8-ounce glasses of milk. It's needed because 15 percent of adult height and half of all bone mass are added during the teen years. Blame soda for adolescents' calcium deficit: As teens have double or tripled their soda intake in the past two decades, their milk consumption has fallen by 40 percent.

At dinner, Mom, your kid asks you how come you get to drink a soda while she has to drink milk. "I'm done growing," you tell her. "Your bones are still growing; you need milk." But you're wrong. Your kid is right, and you should be drinking milk, too -- and taking a calcium supplement and lifting weights. And if that kid takes a soda in her lunch, she is contributing to what promises to be a major national health crisis in years to come -- an epidemic of osteoporosis. Health experts are alarmed by the fact that women -- and the young girls who will be women -- are getting less calcium than ever, even as the recommended daily allowances have increased to reflect the new understanding of bone growth, even as report after report has made osteoporosis a household word in recent years.

Q. I have heard there is a new medicine for people with arthritis. Please tell me the name of this drug and when it will become available.My knees are in bad shape, and I took Advil until it gave me an ulcer. Now I get by on Tylenol but would appreciate something stronger.A. Celebrex (celecoxib) is a new kind of prescription arthritis medicine that the Food and Drug Administration may approve any day now. It probably won't be more effective against arthritis pain than current medications, but it is less likely to irritate the stomach lining.

Q. My aunt heard that cod liver oil is good for arthritis and has started taking it twice a day to ease her aches and pains. I worry about this since she doesn't always use common sense. Is there any danger?A. A recent study from Sweden shows this could be a problem. Researchers found that women who got too much vitamin A in their diets had weaker bones and were more susceptible to hip fracture. A major source of vitamin A in Scandinavian countries is cod liver oil.Norway and Sweden have some of the highest rates of hip fracture in the world.

WASHINGTON -- They warned you about Chinese food, oil-soaked movie popcorn and cinnamon buns. They said no to chimichangas and called fettuccine Alfredo a "heart attack on a plate."Now, the nation's food police have taken on a new scourge: Soft drinks.Today's kids are drinking too much of the stuff -- and not drinking the things they should, such as milk, water and fruit juice, said Michael F. Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington watchdog group.

Web site gives rise to TV cooking showComputer-savvy cooks know that food.epicurious.com is one of the most useful food-related sites on the Web. Now the Conde Nast site has inspired "Epicurious," a new TV show on the Discovery channel. The hosts will be chef Ishbel MacIntosh and Jonathan Karsh (pictured above).Recipes, tips and techniques featured on the show will be available on the Web site. "Epicurious" premieres Oct. 3 from 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. A second show airs from 11:30 a.m. to noon the same day.All about seafoodIt's no fish story.