There has long been a perception that Californians are thin and healthy. The truth is the perception is quickly turning into a myth. Outside of the television and movie industries the real world has continued to put on weight. Californians are no longer the exception.

 While the best method to quit smoking will be continually debated, few will deny the deadly effects of smoking. Dr. O’Toole explains to his patients that smoking can considerably increase the risks associated with plastic surgery.

 High blood pressure is known as the silent killer. Now, that studies show younger people are affected it can be even more of a surprise when doctors discover a patient has high blood pressure .

 As Allergan begins to court the teenage market it seems as though no one is talking about the white elephant in the room; the loose skin left behind after lapband surgery. Dr. O’Toole explains to his patients that after losing a large amount of weight loose skin is inevitable. Most patients are concerned with loose skin on the arms, abdomen, and thighs.

According to The Los Angeles Times The gluten-free crowd is growing cranky. So-called prominent members of the “gluten-free community” are gathering next month in Washington, D.C., to clamor for attention. They want the FDA to get cracking on setting label standards for gluten-free products. 

According to CBS  being overweight or obese can cost you more than good health, it’s also hitting your wallet hard.

According to a study by George Washington University’s School of Public Health and Health Services, the annual costs of being obese are $4,879 for a woman and $2,646 for a man.

According to CBS 2 McNeil Consumer Healthcare is voluntarily recalling another batch of Tylenol due to complaints of a musty, moldy smell.

The latest recall is for roughly 34,000 bottles of Tylenol 8 Hour extended release capsules.

According to KTLA an open bus seat could be harder to find. That is, if the Federal Transit Administration has its way. The agency recently asked to add 25 pounds to passenger weight allowances when factoring safe loads for buses.

According to KTLA exercising or having sex could increase chances of having a cardiac event in the short-term, although the overall risk is low and decreases with regular exercise, a study finds.

According to The Los Angeles Times heart disease and depression often go together, for reasons that physicians don’t really understand. So it would seem an especially bitter pill that patients with depression who are suffering from heart attacks get slower care at emergency rooms.

According to  The Los Angeles Times Here are some facts to consider in deciding whether to have weight-loss (bariatric) surgery — and then which procedure to pick. There are four main options:

According to ABC 7 news as they approach menopause, many women experience serious symptoms like hot flashes, trouble sleeping and mood swings.

Doctors can prescribe hormone-replacement thapy, but some women are looking for drug-free alternatives.

According to KTLA question and answer segment:

Q: I’m just entering menopause and I’m starting to have more hot flashes. I’d rather not take hormones. What do you suggest?

According to KTLA knee replacements last — and last and last. We now know this thanks to a study presented Wednesday at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons annual meeting. But that doesn’t mean the prospect of such an operation isn’t scary.

According to The Los Angeles Times no one really knows what dreams are for. But evolutionary psychologists theorize that humans started dreaming to promote survival by “rehearsing” adaptive responses to challenges.

According to The Los Angeles Times if you hate enforcing bedtime with your kids, here’s another good reason why you should. A new study suggests that younger children who get more regular sleep are less likely to be obese.

According to KTLA Hot flashes are difficult to treat. Hormone therapy works well, but many women are reluctant to take hormones because of concerns about the side effects of long-term use. Natural remedies are safer, but several studies show they help little, if at all.

According to MSNBC  with all the studies touting the health benefits of alcohol, you might be thinking you can imbibe with abandon this holiday season. Not so fast, experts say.    

In fact, doctors have even given a name to what can happen when people overindulge at festive times: Holiday Heart Syndrome.

According to channel 7 in a study reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine, Australian researchers surveyed men aged 75 to 95, most of whom were married or living with a partner.

They found that almost a third of the men aged 75 or older were sexually active at least once a year, including about 1 in 10 men aged 90 to 95.

Forty percent said they had sex less often than they would like. Forty-eight percent claimed sex remained an important part of their life.

Just half of one percent of men said they were having more sex than they would like to. Many sexually active older men also said they'd love to be having more sex.

According to Fox TV obesity is far riskier but, according to research published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, merely being overweight can also lead to premature death.

The new information appears to contradict some commonly-held beliefs that carrying a little extra weight is not harmful.

According to ABC news before the Thanksgiving holiday celebration begins, there's a lot of stress. But experts say it doesn't have to be that way. If you pay attention to what's most important, experts say you can save yourself a lot of time, money, and worry.