Americans love sweeteners but can't shake their distrust of the stuff. The science can confuse.WHAT is it about artificial sweeteners?

  Go ahead, eat that pie. But the rest of the year, beware: If emotions drive your appetite, you may pack on pounds.Turkey and dressing. Mashed potatoes and gravy. Corn bread and cranberry sauce.

  Here's some tips to keep holiday weight under control.On average, people gain a little less than a pound between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, according to one study.

  The "common cold" is just that -- common. Adults get an average of three colds per year, and children can get as many as eight to 10.

  It helps maintain the health of older people, can work as an antioxidant and lowers mortality.The path to healthy aging has plenty of signposts -- eat more fruits and vegetables for their antioxidants, get enough calcium for strong bones, have a few fish meals a week to protect the heart.

  Nursing home patients with properly prescribed glasses are less depressed.NURSING home residents with proper glasses enjoy life more and are less depressed than those with uncorrected vision problems, a study has found. Obvious? Perhaps, but nursing home residents have three to 15 times higher rates of uncorrected vision impairment than seniors living independently.

  A dermatologist gives unwanted advice, and he later gets something unexpected.Ipulled a chart from the rack on the examination room door. It was empty, except for a demographics sheet -- a new patient, Ms. Cornish (name changed), age 47. I knocked twice on the door and entered.

  An injury scene in 'The Unit' has a couple of holes you could have driven a Sherman tank through."The Unit," episode: "Five Brothers," Nov. 6, CBS, 9 p.m.

  With bacteria at the gym, ash in the air and stress everywhere, the kitchen becomes an exerciser's safe place.My usual walking routine is to trek briskly for at least an hour a day, up and down the neighborhood hills. I find this to be the perfect way to ward off osteoporosis and scare away extra pounds. It's also good for my mental health. As my feet pound the pavement, I think about everything and anything and, sometimes, nothing at all.

  The death of Kanye West's mother is a reminder that going under the knife, and under anesthesia, is always riskyBigger breasts, smaller breasts, a different nose -- plastic surgery, these days, is common. But the death of Kanye West's mother, Donda West, after a tummy tuck and breast-reduction surgery raises questions about how safe the procedures are.