Look, we know that sitting down is going to kill us. We've been warned many times before about how excessive sitting can make us fat, give us heart problems and even cancer, but until now, we've been at least figured we're in the clear mentally while our physical selves fall to pieces. Whoops. more ›

More good news for gay newlyweds (and even the not-so-newlyweds, too): getting married is good for your health! A new study from the American Journal of Public Health uses the power of science to prove that in states where gay marriage is legal, gay men visit doctors less and are generally happier with their lives. more ›

Michael Douglas told Oprah today that his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones was "outed" in her struggle with bipolar II disorder. Zeta-Jones's story has been big news lately, landing the star on the cover of People and inspiring encouraging responses from everyone from ABC News to Jezebel, but Douglas's interview implies that not all of the attention is welcome. more ›

The Bronx man who left his Maltese dog in his van parked at Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park this summer, is going to undergo a mental evaluation. The dog died in the van after overheating (it was 140-degrees) and last we heard Heriberto Palacio facing jail time. Now the Daily News reports that the 42-year-old was back in court yesterday, where his hearing was delayed in order for a mental health group to review him—but his lawyer says, "I don't believe there will be any mental health issues for Mr. Palacio." more ›

Even though he made the most dramatic exit ever from his job last month, it seemed Steven Slater had second thoughts about leaving his post as a JetBlue flight attendant. However, last week the airline just made it official, saying Slater resigned or was fired or something. And today he'll be paying for his actions even more, as the NY Post reports he's in court today for a routine hearing on criminal-mischief charges. more ›

So St. Vincent's isn't closing yet, but it is losing many of its major functions. Last week it closed its outpatient HIV and mental health clinics and with a $6 million injection from the state and other lenders—meant to hold the hospital over until the end of the month while it tries again to restructure its debt—the facility will lose two-thirds of its beds. To save St. Vincent's "shared sacrifices" will be necessary from all parties, said Governor Paterson. He and other officials are frustrated that unions aren't giving an inch—even faced with the hospital's $700 million debt and $5 million to $10 million monthly losses. Hospital officials told the Daily News the no-interest loan will give them "the time we need to put together a potential plan for the future of St. Vincent's." more ›

According to the Daily News, there were 260 new cases of the syphilis in NYC during the first quarter of 2007 compared with 128 cases during the same [period last year. more ›

Oh, Fred the Cat, how we miss stories about you! The legacy of Fred is mentioned as the NY Times updates what's happening with the fake vet the undercover kitty cat helped bust. more ›

but a very reliable source on comedy assures us that "it's the funniest movie ever." While the officials from Kazakhstan may not be happy about how their people are being satirized, it's just the kind of humor that appeals to us young urban professionals. So get your tickets for this weekend early, it's sure to be hugely popular at the cineplex. more ›

Clearly, this is a way to drum up business for the DMHH's safety courses. The real question is will restaurants like Le Bernardin, Jean-Georges, Alain Ducasse, Bouley, and Daniel want to put a sticker like that in their restaurant? It might be a good tool for small restaurants, but for bigger, high-end ones where health and safety are assumed, this is an interesting question. Perhaps if one restaurateur decides to go for it, others will follow. more ›

What would be interesting is to see if there was a jumped due to the number of NYU students who are upset about the recent suicides now racing to the Mental Health services for some 'scripts. At any rate, while these stats seem alarming, Gothamist feels that counseling and treating depression constructively and in the context of mental health professionals can only be a good thing. more ›

New Yorkers like to name their dogs Max, Lucky, and Princess according to information released from the Department of Mental Health and Hygeine. However, this is only based on licensed dogs, which number 100,000, while the estimated number is 500,000. Health department spokeswoman Sandra Mullin tells the Daily News, "The names reveal an uncharacteristic lack of imagination for New Yorkers," but wonders what names would rise to the top if the other 400,000 dogs were licensed. more ›

The Department of Mental Health and Hygeine has fined 524 NYC restaurants for violating the new no-smoking laws between May 1 and August 29. The Post reports that 40 of those restaurants are three time violators, which means they could be shut down. Some establishments (like movie theaters) are being ticketed for not having proper signage. Which may be why, as the Daily News says, why Blue Hill was fined as it doesn't seem like a place one would have smoked in pre-smoking ban in our book. The Health Department points out the fact that only a small fraction of the city's restaurants were fined shows many restaurants are complying.
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It's a cup half-full or half-empty situation: Cocaine and heroin abuse-related visits have gone down in New York emergency rooms, however prescription narcotics painkiller abuse has skyrocketed. A report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration says that at 30 local hospitals, 2000-2002, "showed abuse of narcotic pain relievers jumped 79 percent, but cocaine and heroin abuse dropped about 9 percent." Leah Young, the report's author, notes while national cocaine abuse rose, in New York cocaine abuse dropped. She tells the Post, "That could mean there's less cocaine use in New York City or it could mean other things." Ha - like New Yorkers can handle their crack better or something? Nice one, Young, Gothamist can read between the lines. more ›

The Big Apple isn't just phat - we're also fat. The City's Department of Hygiene and Mental Health says one out of six New Yorkers is obsese and half are overweight. There are socio-economic correlations (African-Americans, Hispanics, and those making under $25,000 skewed towards obesity) and the figures are also broken down by borough: Bronx had an obesity rate of 24%, Brooklyn 20%, Staten Island 18%, Queens 16%, and Manhattan 13%. (The national obesity rate is 21%.) Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz both coordinated borough-wide weight loss programs in the past years. more ›

Do you, like Gothamist, suffer from: more ›