Health Rewind: 500,000 Americans Sign Up for Health Care

Plus, do doctors believe that Blacks experience less pain?

Despite Web Issues, Half a Million Americans Filed for Obamacare - Even in the wake of serious complaints about the Affordable Care Act’s website, almost 500,000 Americans filed for Obamacare on healthcare.gov, says White House officials. However, it’s unclear just how many people are actually enrolled. Time will tell if the government’s goal for having 7 million people enrolled by March 2014 will be reached, according to CBS.com. (Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

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Despite Web Issues, Half a Million Americans Filed for Obamacare - Even in the wake of serious complaints about the Affordable Care Act’s website, almost 500,000 Americans filed for Obamacare on healthcare.gov, says White House officials. However, it’s unclear just how many people are actually enrolled. Time will tell if the government’s goal for having 7 million people enrolled by March 2014 will be reached, according to CBS.com. (Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

Health Rewind: Is DNA to Blame for High Obesity Rates Among Blacks? - A recent study suggests that DNA may be behind Black obesity rates in the U.S. Researchers from Dartmouth found that African-Americans have three variant genes that predispose us to obesity and a higher Body Mass Index (BMI), reported the Huffington Post. Unhealthy eating and lack of exercise also play a huge role too.  (Photo: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)

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Is Weight Loss Surgery Better Than Diet and Exercise? - For the obese, does diet and exercise keep the weight off better than weight-loss surgery? A new study says surgery may be more effective in the long run. Researchers from Switzerland found that on average, people who had weight-loss surgery lost more weight and were more likely to lower their risk for diabetes, HealthDay News wrote. (Photo: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)

Drug Possibly Saves Ebola Patients - Two American missionary workers were given an experimental drug that might have saved their lives. After being administered the medication, Dr. Kent Brantley and Nancy Writebol reportedly began to do better. Biotech firm Mapp Biopharmaceutical created the drug by first testing it in monkeys. Two out of four monkeys given the drug survived. Prior to its use on the American patients, the drug had not been tested on humans before. (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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The Flu Vaccine Can Protect Your Heart - Another great reason for getting vaccinated for the flu: It can protect your heart. A new study found that the flu vaccine slashed one’s risk of having a heart attack by 50 percent. Researchers from University of Toronto believes that the flu shot reduces inflammation in the body, which may put someone with heart disease at higher risk for a heart attack, says USA Today. (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

One of Two Conjoined Twins Passes Away - A’zhari Lawrence, one of the African-American conjoined twins born last October, has died, says a Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center press release. However, her sister, A’zhiah, who is also hospitalized, is in “good condition.” The twins were conjoined at the chest and stomach and were surgically separated in April of 2013. (Photo: Courtesy A'zhari Renai Lawrence Family via Hamilton Funeral Chapel)

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One of Two Conjoined Twins Passes Away - A’zhari Lawrence, one of the African-American conjoined twins born last October, has died, says a Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center press release. However, her sister, A’zhiah, who is also hospitalized, is in “good condition.” The twins were conjoined at the chest and stomach and were surgically separated in April of 2013. (Photo: Courtesy A'zhari Renai Lawrence Family via Hamilton Funeral Chapel)

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STD Risk-Reduction Counseling Does Not Reduce STD Rates - One part of an HIV tester’s job is to test people for HIV, but the other part is counseling patients in how to reduce their risky sexual behaviors. Yet, a recent report found that, contrary to popular belief, these one-off counseling sessions DO NOT bring HIV or STD rates down. Researchers found that STD and HIV rates were the same, regardless of being counseled or not, when people came back to get tested 6 months later. (Photo: Jeff Fusco/Getty Images)

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Gabrielle Union, Aisha Tyler Urge Women to Get Health Care - Talk show host Aisha Tyler and actresses Gabrielle Union and Scarlett Johansson recently lent their voices to a new phone campaign for Planned Parenthood (PP). The women recorded messages expressing how important the Affordable Care Act is for uninsured women and how and where women can go to enroll, according to a PP press release. (Photos from left: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images, Valerie Macon/Getty Images)

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Gabrielle Union, Aisha Tyler Urge Women to Get Health Care - Talk show host Aisha Tyler and actresses Gabrielle Union and Scarlett Johansson recently lent their voices to a new phone campaign for Planned Parenthood (PP). The women recorded messages expressing how important the Affordable Care Act is for uninsured women and how and where women can go to enroll, according to a PP press release. (Photos from left: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images, Valerie Macon/Getty Images)

Fast Food Restaurants Encouraging Healthier Options - Some fast food companies are trying to make right with their consumers, NBC.com writes. Burger King has launched their low-cal French fries, Satisfries, and McDonald's, for a limited time, is putting children’s books into Happy Meals to encourage parents to read with their children. Earlier this year, McDonald's added apple slices to their Happy Meals and next year they will offer steamed vegetables as a side. (Photo: AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

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Fast Food Restaurants Encouraging Healthier Options - Some fast food companies are trying to make right with their consumers, NBC.com writes. Burger King has launched their low-cal French fries, Satisfries, and McDonald's, for a limited time, is putting children’s books into Happy Meals to encourage parents to read with their children. Earlier this year, McDonald's added apple slices to their Happy Meals and next year they will offer steamed vegetables as a side. (Photo: AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

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Four Out of Five College Students Text While Driving - Even though it’s well documented that texting while driving is dangerous, a new study found that four out of five college students still do it. Researchers from King’s College in Pennsylvania also found that young men are more likely to overestimate their ability to drive, text and multi-task, HealthDay News writes. In 2010, according to a FCC study, 11 percent of drivers (ages 18-20) who got in an accident admitted that they were texting while their car crashed. (Photo: GettyImages) 

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Why Society Believes Blacks Feel Less Pain - Does the medical community believe that Blacks feel less pain? A new report says yes. Researchers conducted numerous experiments and concluded that the medical community is less likely to give Blacks pain meds, more likely to place hurt NFL players back into games after being injured and are more likely to have Blacks undergo painful procedures, the Huffington Post reported. (Photo: GettyImages)

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Juggling HIV and Motherhood - In a new installment of This Positive Life, Tonya, an African-American woman, shares her story of being diagnosed with HIV in 2002 after her boyfriend tested positive, too. Tonya opens up about raising three teenage girls, the difficulties of taking her AIDS meds and trying to no be angry at her boyfriend, who passed away from AIDS in 2004, for infecting her. See the entire interview at TheBody.com.  (Photo: Courtesy The Body)

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Juggling HIV and Motherhood - In a new installment of This Positive Life, Tonya, an African-American woman, shares her story of being diagnosed with HIV in 2002 after her boyfriend tested positive, too. Tonya opens up about raising three teenage girls, the difficulties of taking her AIDS meds and trying to no be angry at her boyfriend, who passed away from AIDS in 2004, for infecting her. See the entire interview at TheBody.com.  (Photo: Courtesy The Body)