A Letter From the Publisher

By John A. Meyers

During the past few years, as TIME has presented cover stories on the running boom, stress, cholesterol and the changing images of beauty, it has become apparent that Americans have developed a new awareness about the way they look and feel. Responding to that interest, the magazine this week inaugurates a new section, called Health & Fitness, with an evaluation of how well Americans shape up, along with the latest news about nutrients. Says Managing Editor Ray Cave: "A major change in modern life has been the increasing understanding of the benefits of fitness and preventive medicine. It is not a fad or craze. It is not a jog, it is here for the long run."

In TIME's first issue, dated March 3, 1923, some of its departments bore such whimsical names as Imaginary Interviews, Point with Pride (the good news) and View with Alarm (the bad news); they proved short-lived. The hard-news departments have all gone through name changes: National Affairs (now Nation), Foreign News (now World) and Finance (now Economy & Business). Many of the original sections, however, including Art, Cinema, Education, Music, Religion and Science, still appear under their original headings. These sections have been joined by several successful newcomers. Modern Living, now called Living, began looking at American mores and manners in 1961. Law, which had appeared occasionally in the 1920s and '30s, became a fixture in 1963. Essay made its debut in 1965. Behavior and Environment got their start in 1969, and Sexes in 1973. Since 1978 American Scene has examined numerous intriguing corners of American life. Some other new departments: Video (1981), Design (1981), Computers (1982) and Food (1984).

Senior Editor Jose M. Ferrer III, Associate Editor Anastasia Toufexis and Reporter-Researcher Georgia Harbison make up the Health & Fitness team. Promises Ferrer: "We want to take a newsy story and approach it with enthusiasm and a careful eye. We won't be carried away by faddism." Says Toufexis, a veteran medical writer who likes ballet, gymnastics, diving and bicycling: "I used to be obsessive, but now I enjoy exercise in moderation." Harbison, who is a runner, gymnast and tennis player, believes in the long-term benefits of sport. Says she: "I'm not out to beat other people. I just like to feel good. I couldn't live without being fit."