In our crazy-busy expat lives, it’s easy to be distracted from the basics of safety — take seat belts, for example. Even if you want to wear them, it’s almost impossible to find working seat belts in the back of a Beijing taxi. And for those of you with cars, studies show that a surprisingly …

On this week’s podcast from the Beijing Hour morning show on CRI Radio’s EZFM 91.5, we spend 5 minutes talking first about an exciting meta-analysis that everyone can relate to: chocolate. This study examined all relevant research and found that regular eaters of chocolate had a 37% reduction in cardiovascular disease and a 29% reduction …

I’ve lived in Beijing almost five years now and often write about food safety issues in China — but the recent deluge of new scandals seems to be setting a new high (or low?). The latest involves a very scary story from Xinjiang, where at least 11 persons died two weekends ago from eating food …

Here are this week’s top ten postings on my Weibo microblog. Don’t know about Weibo? Please read my how-to guide for using Weibo. 1 H1N1 Flu treatment and Chinese herbs: a new study shows one TCM was as good as Tamiflu to “reduce fever”. Interesting study — but it was not a “blinded” study, so …

How many of my readers have experienced both a local Chinese hospital and an international, “expat” hospital? The differences can be quite striking, and last week I had the honor of discussing some of those differences in a lively debate on CCTV News’ Crossover program. We mostly chatted about two specific cases in China, one …

As I mentioned last week, I am now a weekly contributor on EZFM’s Beijing Hour, which is broadcast on 91.5FM from 7-8am every weekday by host Paul James. Paul and his excellent team have given me five minutes each week to discuss that day’s top health headlines in the Chinese newspapers. EZFM is the popular bilingual radio station …

Some long-term MHBJ readers may have noticed that my blogging output is slowing a bit; one major reason is that I have a new toy: Weibo. I’ve mentioned Weibo a lot already, but I’m still increasingly impressed with its potential  for better healthcare. For me, I suddenly have a legitimate Chinese platform to share the …

It’s middle August again — and hundreds of new expat  families have been arriving to Beijing these last couple weeks. Most expats who are new to Beijing, no matter which country they are from, have the same health concerns: How can I make my kids safe? Where can I find a good doctor? Just how …

Don’t you wish there were a weekly health show for expats, on TV or on radio, that intelligently discussed serious issues about public health and personal wellness in China? I certainly do…

It’s no secret that obesity, and its twin sister disease of diabetes, have become epidemics of every modernizing country. I’m now witnessing firsthand the expanding waistlines of Chinese people as they quickly adopt the “Western” diet. Unfortunately, diabetes is already a scourge here as well. But how does it compare to the US, or to …

I’ve been biking to work for all of my five years here in Beijing, and I still love that community connection I feel during my commute. Sandstorms, rainstorms, winter cold – dou meiwenti. I’ll even bike during the bad pollution days, with an N95 mask. But one thing was conspicuously missing: a bike helmet. I have …

A few weeks ago I wrote a piece discussing options for smoking cessation, and I specifically plugged varenicline, known as Chantix in most countries (“Champix” here in China), as being perhaps the most effective tool we doctors can now offer. Since my posting, a few drug warnings have come out, and it begs the question: …