In Brief

By Janice M. Horowitz

BOSOM BUDDIES Twelve years ago, researchers announced that breast-cancer patients who participated in support groups coped better and lived longer than those who didn't. The only problem: the subjects were almost all upper-middle-class white women in California. A larger, more comprehensive study now shows that support groups do not, in fact, prolong life--which may come as a relief to women who felt compelled to join them. But the sessions do help patients control pain and overcome the depression and anxiety that often accompany a breast-cancer diagnosis.

BOMBED Doctors used to think the main drawbacks of naltrexone, one of two drugs prescribed for alcoholism, were that it was expensive (about $1,000 a year) and had to be taken every day. Now a new study suggests it may not even work--at least for male veterans who have had a drinking problem for 20 years or more. For study participants who fit that description, naltrexone was no better than a placebo in reducing alcohol consumption.

GIRTH OF A NATION Like their plump parents, American children are growing fatter at an alarming rate. According to the latest results of an ongoing study, the problem is particularly acute among black and Hispanic kids. More than 20% of them are overweight today, double the rate of 12 years ago. Among white kids, the rate jumped 50%, from 8% to 12%. The most likely culprits: too many soft drinks, too much fast food, too much time spent sitting in front of televisions and computers and too little exercise.

--By Janice M. Horowitz

Sources: New England Journal of Medicine (1 & 2); J.A.M.A.