The Alternative Medicine Home Page
www.pitt.edu/~cbw/altm.html
Alternative medicine encompasses so many fields, schools, theories and philosophies, that all you could expect from this site - and exactly what you will get - is a large collection of quality links to a wide range of alternative medicine sites. Basically anything that isn't recognised by your local GP is linked to here, for people who have not had much luck with mainstream medicine. HIV/AIDS, cancer, CFS, migraine, stress and a whole range of other conditions are catered for in the links. The distinction is blurring, as more and more people are having success with herbal remedies, relaxation and lifestyle change, that this 5 year old site is really starting to build a substantial library of on-line help.
Verdict: Take two bookmarks, and call me in the morning. - SS
NetWorth: ****
Better Health
www.betterhealth.com
Created by two very well meaning doctors, this rather highly commercial site is packed with a lot of features to make it quite a valuable web resource for women's health. If you can ignore all the banner ads and sponsors messages, you will find every physical ailment you can think of covered by chat rooms, support groups, advice, information and a few nifty extras. A "conscience" can be arranged to email you regularly reminding you to stay healthy, and some scheduled on-line events allow you to meet with experts and network with people who may be suffering the same problems as yourself. It's like a big support group for anything and everything, but it is paid for by advertising dollars, so be prepared to be constantly bombarded with ads.
Verdict: Join now to empower yourself and the sponsors. - SS
Net Worth: *****
BeWell.com - Medical Information for Everyone
www.bewell.com
I think the local GP's must be starting to get worried as this outpouring of advice becomes more and more available on the Internet. This site covers some pretty wide ground in an attempt to inform, empower, diagnose and cure people suffering all manner of ailments. From a range of electronic magazines, to a giant medical database, through to 110 topics, the basic work your local Doctor would probably like to do, is now up to you. A diagnosis section provides you with all the information on how diagnosis is obtained, and puts you in the drivers seat of your own health juggernaut.
Verdict: Well done BeWell! - SS
NetWorth: *****
OnHealth Home Page
www.onhealth.com/ch1/0,1091,,00.htm
This is an on line magazine created by specialist health journalists wit the intention of participating in the health revolution. No longer can a patient sit there and accept anything their doctor tells them. People are starting to realise that they know themselves better than anyone else, and if they can only understand the science and practice of well-being a little more, the chances of getting the right help when needed is far greater. A health tracker helps you search and retrieve pertinent information, and the A-Z of conditions will get you started. There are news reports, guides and in-depth articles as well and although this site is commercially maintained, the creators strongly insist on editorial independence, when it comes to the information provided.
Verdict: The pixels on my screen are beginning to get a healthy glow about them. - SS
NetWorth: ****
Mens Health
www.menshealth.com
It is widely known that men never go to the doctor unless they are completely incapacitated, which leads to many a condition becoming so much worse through being unchecked at the early stages. Perhaps now men can hang onto their shame and embarrassment but still get the help they need, as they surf the net in the privacy of their own home, rather than being forced to sit in a waiting room with a lot of women and children. Unfortunately this site is the real commercial end of this saga, cashing in on the SNAG and selling a magazine pretending to be really helpful, but more interested in babes, muscles, tans and good sex, rather than babe troubles, heart conditions, skin cancer and prostate trouble.
Verdict: Men's health for healthy men. - SS
NetWorth: ***
World Fitness On-Line
www.sound.net/~fitness
The Gym culture has spawned a whole lifestyle and language of it's own, and although to some it all seems like some kind of egocentric obsession, fitness is actually good for you. Here we have a whole collection of good advice, tips, encouragement and psychological support for your confidence levels to get you pumping iron, stretching, lifting, puffing and panting your way to feeling good and looking good. Plenty of experts are waiting for your e-mail to offer their advice on any particular problem you have with either motivation or your fitness regime.
Verdict: It's like your own team of personal trainers, working for you 24/7 - SS
NetWorth: ****
The Fitness Zone
www.fitnesszone.com/profiles
Here is a neat little form that you input your vital statistics to obtain a fitness profile and establish your plan to get fitter, fatter, slimmer, depending on the results. It looks OK, but you will need to know your blood pressure, something most people probably, don't have at the tip of their fingers. The FAQ want any help to even guess it. The aim of this form, besides finding out how fit you are, is really to sell you some fitness products like work-out tapes, heart rate monitors and exercise equipment. Not bad, though, and a good place to start, read a few message board postings and move on.
Verdict: Prognosis - you need to buy more stuff. - SS
NetWorth: ****
Online to Fitness
www.onlinetofitness.com/fitwin.shtml
It's all a bit clunky and under construction here, but the well-meaning site offers tips and opportunities to get into the fitness habit. The library has a comprehensive selection of facts and advice about how to go about your exercise, sport and weight training effectively. The general fitness chat is a bit of a waste of time, as it's just like walking into the locker room and yelling out a question. Better off trying some of the other more specific forums elsewhere in this chapter. Ones with the bigger budgets, unfortunately.
Verdict: Get online to another website. - SS
NetWorth: ***
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