In China, Grass-Roots Groups Take On H.I.V./AIDS Outreach Work

By DAN LEVIN

Gilles Sabrie for The New York Times

In October, a student gave blood for an H.I.V. test at the Lingnan Health Center in Guangzhou. The center tries to be a safe space for gay men in an environment that can be hostile toward them.

Community organizations are slowly facing less resistance from government officials as they offer services to H.I.V.-infected people, many in the gay community, who are often stigmatized.

Study Suggests Lower Mortality Risk for People Deemed to Be Overweight

By PAM BELLUCK

A report on nearly three million people found that those whose body mass index ranked them as overweight had less risk of dying than people of normal weight.

The Long Life of the ‘Perfect’ Woman

By PAM BELLUCK

Elsie Scheel, who 5 foot 7 and 171 pounds when she was called the epitome of “perfect health” a century ago at age 24, valued being active and athletic and lived to 90.

Hillary Rodham Clinton leaving New York-Presbyterian/Columbia hospital on Wednesday with her family.

Clinton Out of Hospital After Treatment for Clot

By DENISE GRADY and MARK LANDLER

Doctors said Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton would make a full recovery after being treated for several days for a blood clot in a vein in her head.

5-Hour Energy says users will not experience letdowns later.

Energy Shot’s ‘No Crash’ Claim Is Disputed by Watchdog

By BARRY MEIER

An advertising watchdog group says it told the distributor of 5-Hour Energy years ago that a claim that the drink did not cause a letdown once the effects wore off was unfounded.

Skin Deep

While the exotic look of two different eye colors may work for rock stars and models, others find this condition to be troubling to the point of seeking surgery to match colors.

Looking for a Match

By ABBY ELLIN

Some seek surgery to address their problem of having a different color for each eye.

Well

Good and Bad, the Little Things Add Up in Fitness

By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS

Perhaps the most dominant exercise-science theme of 2012 was that little things add up, with both positive and pernicious effects.

5-Hour Energy contains quantities of Vitamin B12 that dietary experts say offer no real benefits to those who take it.

Energy Drinks Promise Edge, but Experts Say Proof Is Scant

By BARRY MEIER

The popularity of the drinks reflects success in convincing consumers that they provide an edge, but most of their ingredients have no or little benefit, research shows.

Graphic: Inside the Energy Drinks | Document: 5-Hour Energy Study

Drug Makers Losing a Bid to Foil Generic Painkillers

By KATIE THOMAS and BARRY MEIER

The companies making the narcotic painkillers OxyContin and Opana have introduced tamper-resistant pills, hoping to slow adoption of the drugs’ generic versions.

Recipes for Health

Rice Bowl With Sweet and Sour Purple Cabbage, Red Peppers and Baked Marinated Tofu

By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

A colorful dish that uses up any sticky rice left in your pantry.

Employers Must Offer Family Care, Affordable or Not

By ROBERT PEAR

The Obama administration said Monday that employers must offer health insurance to employees and their children, but will not be subject to any penalties if family coverage is unaffordable to workers.

Making a Case for the Medical Checkup

January 3, 2013

Juggling Diabetes and Cancer

December 31, 2012

Regimens: The Confusion of Pill Coloring

December 31, 2012

Patterns: Motor Skills May Predict Success in School

December 31, 2012

Risks: Inflammation Byproduct Linked to Stress

December 31, 2012

Go to Well »

Podcast: Science Times

This week: we take up infinity (though this podcast will be finite) and a secret weapon against the bloodsuckers of the night — you, on deworming pills.

An Endless Subject, and a Way to End Bedbugs?

Columns

Op-Ed Contributor

Our Absurd Fear of Fat

By PAUL CAMPOS

A new study illustrates just how exaggerated and unscientific the government’s claims are on the relationship between weight and mortality risk.

Advertising

A commercial for Planet Fitness tells members they won’t experience “gymtimidation” from muscle-bound brutes.

A Gym for People Who Don’t Like Gyms

By ANDREW ADAM NEWMAN

A campaign for Planet Fitness, a national chain of fitness clubs, pokes fun at fanatics and promises an anxiety-free haven for regular people.

Personal Health

What You Think You Know (but Don't) About Wise Eating

By JANE E. BRODY

Joe Schwarcz, a scientist at McGill University, sets the record straight on a host of widely circulated nutritional falsehoods.

More Personal Health Columns »

Really?

The Claim: Dieting Is a Popular but Short-lived New Year’s Resolution

By ANAHAD O'CONNOR

A study of Google searches on diet-related keywords indicates that people are more likely to consider dieting in December and January, but interest drops off sharply thereafter.