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WEEKLY NEWS 2: Top Ten Health Stories of 2003

On Tuesday, December 23, 2003, WebMD Health released their list of the Top Ten Health Stories of 2003. WebMD Health is one of the leading sources of health information for both the public and medical professionals. The doctors and editors of WebMD Health choose the top 10 stories of the year. Some of them were about nutrition, diseases and surgery.

The top health story of 2003 was about obesity and weight loss. Most people have heard that America has a growing problem with obesity. Concerns about nutrition, fad diets and the country's expanding waistlines were among some of the most popular stories this past year.

Another top story in 2003 was the respiratory disease, SARS. The disease started in China and quickly spread around the world, proving fatal for many people. SARS stands for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, and it's most dangerous to the very young and the very old.

Plastic surgery was another major news story. It used to be just for rich, famous celebrities, but now almost everyone is considering it as a way to improve their appearance. Both men and women are going under the knife in the name of vanity or corrective surgery.

Diabetes is another disease that received a lot of attention in 2003. It used to be considered a childhood disease, but more people are realizing that it affects adults, too. In fact, new guidelines were established for a disease called pre-diabetes, which now affects an estimated 20 million Americans.

So what types of stories will be popular in 2004? No one knows yet, but you can read them as they happen at WebMD Health's website www.webmd.com.

--Written by Carla Shives

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