Photo: Sam Catchsides, Flickr

Most of us don't want to take prescription drugs unless we have to, and a recent study found that when it comes to diabetes, we might not have to rely on medication to control our blood sugar -- maintaining a healthy diet could be enough. The four-year study from Italy found that participants who were able to stick to the Mediterranean diet were able to lower their blood sugar levels and keep them down over time, suggesting that a healthy diet could reduce the need for diabetes medication. What's more, the study also found that the Mediterranean diet was more effective at controlling blood sugar levels than a traditional American Heart Association-style low-fat diet.

Participants in the study who followed the Mediterranean diet were encouraged to eat lots of fruits, veggies and lean protein, as well as moderate amounts of whole grains and healthy fats, like olive oil. Additionally, they were instructed that carbohydrate intake should be no more than 50 percent of their daily calories, and they reduced their overall calorie intake -- from an average of 1,800 to 1,500 for women, and 2,600 to 1,800 for men.

So, basically, then, healthy food and eating less improves your health? Uh, this isn't exactly news, but experts are still fairly excited about the findings because this is the longest study of it's kind thus far. Still, it's not completely clear whether diet alone is enough to eliminate the need for blood sugar medication, but one thing is obvious: Your are still what you eat.

Find more about the Mediterranean Diet here.

Photo: Darren Hester, Flickr

Some weight loss drugs help you slim down but may cost you your health -- and other products don't even work at all. But there is some promise in a new drug in development that can not only help you lose weight, but can also help treat serious complications of obesity, specifically diabetes and high cholesterol. In recent studies on mice, fatostatin, as it is currently known, led to weight loss of 12 percent, reduction in blood sugar levels of 70 percent, reversal of diabetes and lower cholesterol. According to the findings from Chemistry & Biology, "Fatostatin blocked increases in body weight, blood glucose, and hepatic (liver) fat accumulation in (genetically) obese mice, even under uncontrolled food intake."

As for how it works? In a nutshell, Fatostatin stops the body from producing fat -- it's released as energy instead. It works by effectively 'turning off' proteins that help control fat synthesis.

OK, it's one thing to help mice lose weight -- past experience has proved that what works on a mouse doesn't always work on a human. So can it do the same for us? "I am very, very optimistic," lead author Sahil Wakil tells MSNBC. So are we -- but I'm hoping most of us are taking steps to change our lives today instead of holding out for a so-called miracle drug that's years away.

Wondering how to slim down? Find out how Phylicia Rashad did it.

Late last summer, I'd just kicked off a personal weight loss campaign when I suffered a surprisingly stubborn bout of asthma. Prescribed a tapering dose of prednisone for what ended up being two months, my doctor advised me to keep moving forward with diet and exercise, but warned that I might not lose a pound. "Maintaining your weight on this drug is a feat in and of itself," he said.

I lost 20 pounds.

It wasn't easy ... in fact, it was darn hard. Prednisone plays with blood sugar levels in the body, and it makes me feel hungry even when my brain tells me I've eaten enough. Loren Berlin writes about her own struggles with prednisone-related weight gain after she was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis:

"Initially I got angry. It seemed unfair that I should have to lose my hard-earned shape to regain my health. These weren't the terms I wanted to negotiate. But my gastroenterologist and my blood tests told me that what I wanted and what I needed were at odds, and needs trumped wants."

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Apparently, millions of Americans -- including those at a low-risk of heart attack -- should be on the cholesterol-reducing drugs. In my opinion, this is scary. Don't get me wrong -- statins are a wonderful thing and have helped many, many people. But we are a very medicated society and the fact that the medical community feels the need to medicate the low-risk population is frightening. Especially when healthy living could solve many of the same problems.

People with high cholesterol aren't the only ones who should be paying attention to their numbers. Even if your cholesterol falls in healthy ranges, you should still be taking proactive measures to manage it:

• Exercise regularly. Aerobic exercise increases your HDL cholesterol. HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is the "good" cholesterol because it helps carry the bad cholesterol out of your blood stream. Your HDL levels should be greater than 40 mg/dl.

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Skyrocketing childhood obesity rates have an unwanted side effect -- more kids are being put on prescription medications to combat related chronic diseases.

A recent study revealed there have been surges in prescriptions for children with diabetes and asthma as well as smaller increases in high blood pressure and high cholesterol medications. To varying degrees, obesity can play a role in all of those conditions. While some of the medication increase can be attributed to modified guidelines, the rise is concerning.

If your child is overweight, there are many positive, supportive ways you can help. AOL Health has other suggestions for battling childhood obesity.

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Could the obesity epidemic be coming to an end soon? Perhaps. The so-called 'cure' for obesity is only a few years away, according to leading scientist in the UK. This 'cure' would be a drug, most likely administered in needle form, which could control the hormone responsible for hunger (called ghrelin) and put an end to overeating. And it's hoped this drug could totally wipe out the need for invasive gastric bypass surgery.

I think the term 'cure,' is a bit optimistic. After all, this surgery is supposed to do what gastric bypass surgery does -- eliminate hunger and reduce how much you can eat. And yet gastric bypass surgery often doesn't lead to long-term weight loss. And compulsive overeating often isn't based on hunger -- it's based on emotional factors like stress. And hunger control doesn't automatically lead to healthy habits.

If you ask me, teaching and preaching healthy habits is a much better option for treatment of obesity than a quick fix. What do you think?

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Medicine cabinet is actually a terribly misleading misnomer. Contrary to popular belief, bathroom "medicine" cabinets are among the worst possible places to keep medications, which seems to call for a name change, if you ask me.

Due to the regular warmth and humidity in a bathroom, many prescription and over-the-counter drugs can break down over time. That's why it's best to instead keep medicines in a cool, dry place -- preferably somewhere that is locked up and out of reach of children and pets.

For more examples of some of the worst places for your health, check out this slide show from our sister site, AOL Health.

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A small glass of 100% fruit juice is a good part of a healthful breakfast, right? If you're on certain prescription medications, your fruit juice may be doing more harm than good.

Grapefruit juice, for example, can interfere with blood pressure medication and actually increase its efficacy, subsequently creating a risk of overdose. Conversely, recent research suggests that grapefruit juice may prevent certain anti-allergy medications from absorbing into the bloodstream properly. A component of grapefruit juice called naringin appears to be the culprit.

Researchers state that this finding may be the "tip of the iceberg" as other juices, including orange and apple, also contain naringin-like substances that may have similar effects.

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Medication is supposed to make you feel better, but even the safest medication is not risk-free. Doctors usually weigh the benefit of the medication with the potential risk factors. But some medications have more risks than others. According to Men's Health, there are at least eight commonly-prescribed medications that doctors (the ones interviewed anyway) wouldn't even take themselves.

Before I share the list with you ... a disclaimer. This information came from a magazine. When making medical decisions, you should not rely on a magazine. You should talk to your doctor. So if you are taking one of these eight medications, do not stop taking them. Suddenly quitting a medication can be very dangerous. Instead, do a little research and take the list to your doctor to see what he or she thinks.

Promise? Ok then, here's the list:

• Advair (for asthma)
• Avandia (for diabetes)
• Celebrex (for arthritis)
• Ketek (for infection)
• Prilosec and Nexium (for heartburn)
• Visine Original (for irritated eyes)
• Pseudoephedrine (for sinus trouble)

For better strategies to treat the conditions in question, click through to Men's Health and read what their doctors had to say.

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Children may need medication for a variety of reasons -- high fevers, for one. Most of the time, their complaints can be handled through simple home remedies, a little rest, or a bandage and a kiss. But one mom wants to take the TLC a step further. She's created a placebo pill that parents can give to children to make them believe they're feeling better.

The pill is known as Obecalp (placebo spelled backward) and is a simple sugar pill that has the look and feel of medication. Jennifer Buettner, the mom behind Obecalp, created the pill for parents who want to help their kids feel better, but don't want to give them unnecessary medications.

The product is not without critics: "As a parent of three now grown children," said Franklin G. Miller, bioethicist at the National Institutes of Health, "I can't think of a single instance where I'd want to give a placebo." My concern is that by giving a placebo, parents might be teaching children that reaching for a pill bottle is the only way to feel better. We recently learned that over half of Americans are taking prescription drugs, do we really want to encourage the idea that health comes from a bottle?

Buettner says she expected controversy and is prepared for it. Would you ever use a placebo on your child?

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Here at That's Fit, we've talked a bit about the merits of sunlight and Vitamin D, but a recent article at Prevention really sums up a number of reasons to "light up your life." You'll likely be well aware of some of the benefits of getting the right amount of light, but I think some of them will surprise you -- at least, they surprised me!

For example, did you know that you can use sunglasses to prevent jet lag? Or that using bright lights at night can affect your sleep?

Check out the gallery to see how light can help you improve your health.

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Medication costs aren't set in stone. Recent findings published in the June issue of Consumer Reports show that the costs of medications can vary widely from store to store, even within the same chain of stores.

One hundred and sixty three pharmacies nationwide were contacted and asked the costs for three-month supplies of four common medications: Detrol, Plavix, Levoxyl, and a generic osteoporosis medication. The costs varied greatly -- Detrol ranged from $365-$551, Plavix from $382-$541, Levoxyl from $29-$85, and the osteoporosis medication from $124-$306. While some bigger chains, such as Costco, did prove to have the lowest prices overall, many small pharmacies were competitive.

As consumers, it's important to shop around. However, a good relationship with your pharmacist is also important. And, there are benefits to having one pharmacy that knows your prescriptions and can help detect potential problems.

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I'm convinced cough medicine for kids doesn't work. Whenever my boys suffer with nagging coughs -- the kind that keeps them up at night because they just can't stop hacking -- and I pump them full of any brand of children's cough syrup, it doesn't make a lick of difference. They still hack.

I don't use cough medicine anymore. But apparently, many parents do.

New reports indicate that 10 percent of U.S. kids are dosed with cough medicine every week. Every week? Yep, that's right. About one is ten kids uses one or more cough medicines during a given week, says research from Boston University. Kids ages two to five use the medications most often. But the rate is also high among those under age two. This is scary stuff, especially in light of evidence that proves cough and cold medication use can lead to serious adverse effects, including death.

As scary as it may be, there is a silver lining: The overall use of such medicines declined from 12.3 percent in 1999-2000 to 8.4 percent in 2005-2006.

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Remember the little girl in the movie Signs who kept saying "It's contaminated," referring to the seemingly fine glasses of water she refused to drink? Well, it turns out she may have been right, only for reasons that have nothing to do with a hostile alien invasion; rather, for reasons related to something designed to help us: Pharmaceutical medications.

A few months ago, a report was released on the status of our drinking water in this country. Specifically, this report highlighted the estimated 20 percent of all prescription medications that are flushed away and, in some cases, make their way into our waterways. Thus far, most damage has been found in fish populations. However, a five-month Associated Press investigation determined that trace amounts of many of the pharmaceuticals are seeping into drinking water supplies, and a growing body of research indicates that this could harm humans.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) suggests crushing meds and dissolving them as completely as possible in a plastic container or bag filled with water. To further breakdown the meds, add coffee grounds, cat litter, and saw dust to the water, and then seal and throw the bag away (away as in into the garbage, not flushed down your toilet).

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For all the women out there who are trying really hard, but for some reason can't seem to shed any pounds (or, worse yet, still continue to put on more pounds!), there may be some other factors at play.

WebMD recently listed 5 Surprising Reasons Why You're Gaining Weight. Each represents a possible explanation for why the numbers on the scale keep rising, in spite of your concerted effort to eat right and exercise.

Could any -- or all -- of these possibly be what's holding you back?

1. You're Not Sleeping Enough.

2. You're Stressed Out

3. You're Taking Certain Medications That May Cause Weight Gain

4. You Have a Medical Condition That Can Contribute to Weight Gain

5. You're Going Through Menopause

For a more detailed explanation of each of these potential reasons why your efforts may be falling short, read the whole WebMD article by clicking here.

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