Nation Topics - Health and Disease | The Nation

Bad peanuts and killer spinach: that's the food story of 2009. But in the coming months we may see a huge turning point in the fight for safety.

Epidemiologist Philip Alcabes discusses the social fears surrounding epidemics and why risk can't be eliminated from life.

Why is our public health policy driven by fear?

It's easy enough for the government to tell people to stay home or keep their kids home from school if they have flu symptoms--but what if they can't afford to miss work?

The new Obama protocols on scientific research will influence not just stem cells but climate change, genetics, sex education and food safety.

America is literally awash in antidepressants. Blame the surfeit of drugs in our system on a confusion between illness and suffering.

Research subjects in developing countries--often the poorest, the sickest and with the fewest options--become more vulnerable.

The psychological wounds of war will be with us for years to come.

An eviscerated Consumer Product Safety Commission means American children still face perils from their toys.

As safety scandals dampen the public's appetite for cheap imports, the European Union is raising doubts about standards and oversight in the US toy industry.