REAL World Wellness

Kim Kardashian lasers with her boyfriend; Kate Winslet has waxed for years; and Jennifer Love Hewitt proudly vajazzles so she can shine "like a disco ball." But family physician Emily Gibson wants to do away with all of these practices in her call...

Under the health care law, insurers must issue refunds if less than 85 percent of premiums pay for care. But people on employer plans may have to wait for the cash, if they see it at all.

In recent years, employees have shouldered more and more of the cost so dollars should be returned directly to them either via their paycheck or into their health saving account.

The rules also need to be relaxed so that more ca be covered with the health savings account such as over-the counter therapies.

Keep calling and asking your employer for the refund.

Throughout my childhood, my family life was ruled by my father's weight loss struggles. But everything was different in my grandmother's kitchen.

A look at the three factors that lead older homeowners to move from homeownership to renting.

The intricate properties of the fingertips have been mimicked and recreated using semiconductor devices in what researchers hope will lead to the development of advanced surgical gloves.

Papa John's CEO says healthcare reform law will increase price of pizza | Modern Healthcare...

And the price of pizza which has lots of ingredients that can be detrimental to health should be higher. However, pizza addicts would rather pay higher pizza prices than decrease their pizza intake.

Social media continues to shape our everyday lives, so it's no surprise that the rise of social media is also transforming how we use the Internet to enhance our health. For example, 61 percent of Americans go online for health information, according to the Pew Research Center. Of that percentage, women in particular, find health information gained through online resources like social media to be especially useful.

With busy, demanding lives, a trip to the doctor's office or a phone call to a nurse's hotline is not always possible, let alone convenient - particularly if the issue is more of an annoyance than threat. Plus, women tend to gravitate toward communities where they can talk among "friends" before bothering their doctor about their symptoms. And, in situations where women avoid dealing with health issues - like heavy periods or bladder leakage - they tend to internalize them because they're embarrassed. Talking about these issues online can be easier, without the awkwardness many might feel in face-to-face discussions about such personal health issues.

While websites like WebMD.com and Mayoclinic.com offer a plethora of information about a variety of minor and major health issues, social media networks help put this information into context, and connect users with others who share their health experiences and concerns.

If you are among the 64 percent of women that Pew Research also says turn to online resources for health information, you may be interested to learn how other women are using social media to help them better manage their health.