This new health portal from CBS and Medscape offers a large number of health care resources for consumers. These include general health news, 22 "channels" with features and related resources, and a library containing a medical dictionary, drug directory, a collection of articles on topics A to Z, a guide to self-care and first aid, and related sites. Also at the site, My Health Manager...

The Mayo Clinic has a terrific public outreach program, and this website provides a rich array of materials that deal with common and uncommon medical conditions. The Healthy Lifestyle area contains a range of tools and information for a healthy lifestyle. The sections include Healthy Lifestyle Topics, Life Stages, and Healthy Recipes. Within each section, visitors will find multimedia clips,...

On September 15, Health and Human Services Secretary Donna E. Shalala released "Healthy People 2010 Objectives: Draft for Public Comment," which proposes more than 500 national objectives for improving the health of Americans by the year 2010. First began in 1979, Healthy People, a national initiative to prevent disease and foster better health, is widely used as a strategic management tool by the...

The Mayo Clinic offers a wide range of outreach services for the general public, including websites providing basic information about cancer, smoking cessation techniques, and others. Their online Fitness Center website will be a real boon to anyone who is looking to pick up some basic fitness awareness, learn about strength training, or read up on sports nutrition. First-time visitors can start...

The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports was created by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 to encourage American children to lead healthier and more active lives. Over the years, Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson expanded the Council's mandate, adding emphases on Americans of all ages and a prime focus on sports. Their Web site contains information about some of...

Persons with an interest in public health will want to make a beeline for this rather helpful and well-done journal offered by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). This online-only publication was started in January 2004, and contains a healthy mix of peer-reviewed articles, CDC announcements, and general interest pieces. The journal's interests are quite broad and include reproductive health,...

The main goal of the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion is "to improve the health and well-being of Americans by developing and promoting dietary guidance that links scientific research to the nutrition needs of consumers." Visitors to the site can take advantage of the very useful and pragmatic guidelines surrounding daily calorie intake suggestions, the MyPlate food suggestions, and...

The National Library of Medicine has the world's largest collection of poster art dealing with questions of health in the United States, so it would stand to reason that it would be able to sponsor a fine online collection of the various ways in which visual culture has been used to inform the general public about a number of health concerns ranging from lead poisoning to tuberculosis. Visitors to...