The importance of a name

The New York Times had an article today about the intangible importance of having a name for a disorder and how patients claim ownership of that name. The issue is being raised by a group of patients unhappy that the term Asperger's Syndrome will be removed from fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Asperger's Symdrome is a mild form of autism, in which children and adults often are socially awkward but many are verbal prodigies and highly skilled in specific expertise. But inconsistent diagnosis and a move to depict mental illnesses as falling on a spectrum rather than "they-have-it-or-they-don't" mentality have lead the editors of the D.S.M.-V to place what is known as Asperger's on the autism spectrum. But patient advocates are concerned that losing the well-known and well-accepted term will make others reluctant to seek treatment if they exhibit mild autism spectrum symptoms.

The American Psychiatric Association is expected to post a draft of the new terms and diagnostic criteria and solicit feedback from the community. There will likely be a lot of it, and the feedback will give the authors insight into how patients see themselves and their community.

A book that is good for your help

The New York Times printed an article yesterday about a study out of Duke University. The study examined whether fiction books with health messages impact the health of the young girls who read them. There is some indication that the books with healthy messages certainly don't hurt and may even help.

You can find the article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/14/health/14well.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

The article generated considerable discussion about the value of hiding messages in entertainment novels and other ways to influence children's health decisions. You can find the discussion here: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/books-for-girls-with-a-health-message/.

So what do you think of the approach? Is it just preaching that most girls will ignore? Is it potentially useful? What might work better?

Coffee!!

Let me begin by confessing, I am a coffee snob. I had an espresso machine in my apartment before I had a bed. I take the time to make my own lattes, just the way I like them at home. Even better, are the ones my Dad makes.

Still, I do find myself at a Starbucks every now and again. That's why the article from The New York Times Health blog caught my attention this morning. Starbucks is trying to shorten the lingo when it comes to ordering drinks. Customers can now ask for a skinny drink and it will come with nonfat milk, sugar-free syrup and no whip, rather than asking for each of these things individually http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/15/the-skinny-at-starbucks/.

It raises some interesting rhetorical connotations when you call a drink skinny. Can you really call a nonfat latte a healthy drink? And does the word "skinny" insensitive to those with weight insecurities?

Besides that, it doesn't really help me. I like to order half the sweetener, even the sugar-free, because they over-sweeten their drinks and an extra shot because their drinks are too weak. Or I just go to a independent coffee shop or my dad's kitchen.