Can you imagine how sick you'd be if you ate only fast-food chicken nuggets and nothing but chicken nuggets (apart from the occasional order of fries) for years and years and years? Um, yeah … pretty sick, as it turns out. A British teen named Stacey Irvine apparently learned that the hard way. After eating a diet almost exclusively comprised of fast food nuggets for the last 15 years – yes, since she was only 2 – the 17-year-old factory worker was rushed to the hospital two weeks ago after she collapsed, unable to breathe. Her unhealthy fast food addiction (no fruits, no vegetables; only fried chickenish items and french fries) had caused her to suffer from anemia, extreme deficiencies in vitamins and nutrients, and (get this) inflamed veins on her tongue. (Ick!)

First they came for your trans fats. (Gross.) Then they came for your soda. (Whatever, water's cheaper anyway.) But now a group of scientists has a food ingredient in its sights that will really hit a lot of us where it counts: sugar.

Researchers at University of California, San Francisco, say sugar's damage goes way beyond making us fat through empty calories -- that it's actually toxic, leading to metabolic changes that can cause diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other deadly diseases. Eating sugar to excess, they say, is like drinking to excess. Consequently, they suggest, public health policy should be reshaped to control sugar the way it does alcohol and tobacco: possibly by boosting sales taxes on sugary products, controlling access to them, and changing licensing requirements on vending machines. 

Sometimes, you should just stick with what you know. While Jay-Z is an amazing musician and a mogul in many respects, the food biz doesn't seem to be his place to shine. This weekend his high-end New York sports bar, the 40/40 Club, was shut down for some major health code violations.

Guess that's another problem to add to those 99 other ones. The things the health inspectors found will make your stomach turn.

It seems like everyone I know has jumped with full force on the exercise bandwagon lately. Whether they're hitting the gym or running marathons or sitting in hundred degree rooms doing yoga and sweating buckets, they are exercising in some way. And, personally, I find it disturbing. What ever happened to good, old fashioned walking? Like, to the refrigerator for a snack?

If you are like me and wondering what everyone else sees in that 10K that you don't, I present to you ten reasons NOT to exercise. Pull up a chair ...

We've all heard about how dangerous it is to drink and drive. But did you know it's also dangerous to drink and walk? Walking it off is the alternative for a lot of over-doers, especially on New Year's Eve -- and especially since it's nearly impossible to get a cab that night. But if you look at the numbers it's actually more dangerous to drunk walk than it is to drunk drive!

Scary but true -- you are 8 times likely to die if you walk a mile drunk than if you drive that mile drunk. This is according to economist Steve Levitt, who wants to be clear about something up front: he is NOT at all advocating for driving while drunk. Both are horribly dangerous. He's just pointing out that walking is not the safe alternative we think it is. 

It's been almost a year since I started the Confessional on Scary Mommy. I've laughed, I've gagged, I've teared up, and I've dropped my jaw. With the year drawing to a close, I thought I would share the most popular confessions -- those with the most "likes" and "OMG me too's." Can you relate to any? Got anything to get off your chest before stepping into 2012?

The countdown to Christmas is on, and just one week from today the bows will have been flung aside, the presents unveiled, and all will be merry and bright. But after the excitement of the morning, there's typically one last  crowning glory on the glorious day: Christmas dinner.

There's not quite the mandated main course like there is with a turkey at Thanksgiving, rather Christmas offers plenty of flexibility. From ham to turkey again, pretty much anything goes. The thing goes over best in my house, however, is prime rib. Elegant, hearty, and delicious, it's one of my favorite meals of the year.

If you've never fixed it before, it can sound a bit intimidating, but it's really quite easy. Plus, it's quite versatile and there are number of ways to serve it you're in the mood for trying a new recipe. Here are five prime rib recipes so you can pick the perfect one for your feast.

I've always had a soft place in my heart for those "best place to live," "most unhealthy," "worst air quality" reports that publications roll out on a surprisingly regular basis. Although these lists can make you feel left out if your own city doesn't rank favorably, they also can provide a wonderfully smug sense of satisfaction when your place of abode gets a nice gold star -- or even if it just doesn't rank poorly.

Prevention's list of the 8 Most Artery-Clogging Cities in America, in which the magazine has ranked the U.S. major metropolitan areas with the highest rates of heart disease and obesity, based on CDC research, will undoubtedly please those of us who live in cities that weren't included. On the other hand, those of us who live in cities that made the list will probably feel pretty ... rankled. (Don't get too worked up about it, though, guys. The stress isn't good for your hearts.)