By Elizabeth Comeau, Boston.com Staff

What is the difference between heat stroke and heat exhaustion, and what should you do if you think someone is suffering from these heat-related illnesses?

Recognizing the symptoms of heat stroke and heat exhaustion is important on days such as this when temperatures are expected to near 100 degrees in some areas.

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By Karen Weintraub, Globe Correspondent

Could household chemicals be causing an increase in autism? The evidence isn’t cut and dried, but a coalition of environmental and health advocates said yesterday that it’s suggestive enough for people to worry.

Shoppers can’t possibly avoid all potentially dangerous chemicals on their own -- questions have been raised about chemicals found in canned foods, clothing, furniture, cleaning products, pesticides, air pollution, cosmetics, toys and baby items. So, the government must do more to regulate them, the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families group said.

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By Deborah Kotz, Globe Staff

A new research finding could help parents and public health specialists deal with one of the more troubling conundrums of the new millennium: how to keep teens from getting fat. The study, published today in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, found that girls who followed basic principles of the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet through their teens had a smaller tendency to gain an excess amount of weight by the time they reached early adulthood than teens who didn't stick to this diet.

The DASH diet centers around high consumption of low-fat dairy products, fish, chicken, and lean cuts of beef, as well as nuts, fruits, whole grains, vegetables, and legumes. This is the diet that’s recommended by the US government in its dietary guidelines, says study author Dr. Jonathan Berz, an assistant professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. "And I absolutely think this highlights what we felt in our gut is true -- that it can prevent extra weight gain over time."

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By Deborah Kotz, Globe Staff

The number of measles cases in the state has remained steady at 17 since May 25, but that's no reason for residents to think that they can be complacent about the outbreaks surging abroad in 33 European countries, India, and Southeast Asia. (France reported 10,000 measles cases through April.)

"We want to get out the message to folks before they travel abroad this summer," says state epidemiologist Dr. Al DeMaria. "Get the MMR [measles, mumps, rubella] vaccine or an antibody test from your doctor to see if you're still immune."

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By Deborah Kotz, Globe Staff

As college and graduate school students turn the tassels on their graduation caps, many will instantly find themselves without health insurance -- even in Massachusetts with its insurance mandate. Some students were insured through their school policies, which run out after graduation. Others may have been on their out-of-state parents' plan, but may be stuck without a local primary care physician if they settle in Mass. permanently.

Keith Mendoza, consumer specialist with the online insurance broker eHealthInsurance provides some tips for Mass. graduates on finding affordable coverage for those currently without jobs that offer health plans.

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By Deborah Kotz, Globe Staff

I have to confess that last year I let my 12-year-old son join Facebook, a few months before his 13th birthday. I figured what's the harm, as he entered a fake birth date and instantly gained access to an account.

Despite the fact that a federal law bars anyone under 13 from opening a social media account unless they get verifiable parental consent, as many as 7.5 million Facebook users are under that legal age, according to a May survey conducted by Consumer Reports.

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By Deborah Kotz, Globe Staff

On the heels of the World Health Organization's decision to place cellphone use on its list of items that can potentially cause cancer, Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) today issued a call for a "thorough review" of the research on the long term health risks of using mobile phones.

He co-wrote a letter with two other Congressmen asking the Government Accountability Office to determine what the heck the federal government is doing about studying potential cellphone risks and making consumers aware of possible problems -- like a small increased risk of brain tumors -- that may or may not be real.

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By Deborah Kotz, Globe Staff

Measles continues to spread in the state, with two new cases confirmed on Monday. One involved a 23-month-old boy from Boston who had received his first measles vaccination last year, according to the Boston Public Health Commission. The other was a teen-age boy from outside the city who was treated at a Boston health care facility.

That brings the state total to 17 this year -- and counting. In each of the previous four years, Massachusetts has had just one to three cases. The surge has been occurring nationwide as well, with federal health officials announcing yesterday that measles cases have been on their fastest pace since 1996. Some 118 infections have been reported so far this year in 23 states, compared with 50 in a typical year.

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By Deborah Kotz, Globe Staff

Last January, I questioned the value of toning shoes and body wear, including Skechers Shape-ups that promise to "promote weight loss and tone muscles." Well now, there are Shape-ups for preteens being advertized on Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon -- much to the chagrin of some parents who'd like to protect their daughters from obsessing over their bodies for as long a possible.

Huffington post blogger Augusta Christensen set up this online petition, which has garnered nearly 8,000 signatures, opposing the marketing of these sneakers to girls as young as seven. And the National Eating Disorders Association also expressed dismay yesterday at the target audience for the Shape-ups, implying that the commercials could fuel body image issues and anorexia in girls who are susceptible. (The product isn't made for boys.)

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By Deborah Kotz, Globe Staff

Any Little League parent who saw the Saturday night pitch that smacked Chicago Cubs batter Marlon Byrd in the eye may be wondering whether they should worry about all those errant throws by small tykes on the field -- and what sorts of precautions they should take. (I often bring a couple of ice packs to my 11-year-old son's baseball games, and they're frequently used for team injuries.)

Byrd -- who took a direct hit to his eye from a ball thrown by Red Sox pitcher Alfredo Aceves -- was treated for multiple facial fractures and released after spending the night at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear infirmary, according to Cubs spokesman Peter Chase.

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