Tax Time Tips
If your fees for a weight-loss program are considered medical expenses, you may be able to write them off on your taxes! A weight-loss program prescribed by a doctor in order to treat a specific medical condition (i.e., obesity, diabetes) is required.
While OTC diet products do not qualify for the break, if your doctor prescribes a special food or beverage you may be able to deduct the extra cost (if it is more than the cost of your normal food expenses).
You can only deduct these or any other kind of medical expenses if you itemize and the expenses are greater than 7.5% of your AGI (adjusted gross income).
For a list of qualifying expenses, see IRS publication 502 at irs.gov or talk to your accountant.
Tax Time Tips originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Saturday, March 13th, 2010 at 00:28:39.
Increasing Soda Consumption Fuels Rise in Diabetes, Heart Disease (HealthDay)
HealthDay - FRIDAY, March 5 (HealthDay News) --Increasing consumption of
sugary soft drinks contributed to 130,000 new cases of diabetes, 14,000
new cases of heart disease and 50,000 more life-years burdened with heart
disease in the last decade, a new U.S. study finds.
Processed Meat May Harm the Heart (HealthDay)
HealthDay - FRIDAY, March 5 (HealthDay News) -- Conventional wisdom has
dictated that fat from red meat is a risk factor for heart disease, but a
new analysis from Harvard researchers finds it's eating processed meat --
not unprocessed red meat -- that increases the risk for heart disease and
even diabetes.
Gut bacteria and disease may be linked (Reuters)
Reuters - Some of the hundreds of bacteria found in the digestive systems of humans may be linked to specific diseases like cancer, diabetes and obesity, an international team of scientists said in a paper on Thursday.
A1c diabetes test is a better indicator of risk (Reuters)
Reuters - A test that shows blood sugar levels over a span of several weeks is not only the best way to diagnose diabetes but also may be better at identifying who is at risk of getting diabetes than standard blood sugar tests, researchers said on Wednesday.
Having Prediabetes May Not Kick-Start Prevention Efforts (HealthDay)
HealthDay - TUESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- Knowing you're on the cusp of
developing diabetes apparently isn't enough to make most people take steps
to prevent it.
Health Tip: What’s Gastroparesis? (HealthDay)
HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Gastroparesis, commonly affecting people with
diabetes, occurs when the vagus nerve is damaged and the stomach and
intestines don't process food normally. As a result, the stomach takes too
long to empty.
Glaxo defends handling of Avandia heart risks (AP)
AP - GlaxoSmithKline said Wednesday a Senate report criticizing its handling of heart risks with its diabetes drug Avandia "mischaracterizes and distorts" the company's record.
Report: Avandia, heart attacks linked
The diabetes drug Avandia is linked with tens of thousands of heart attacks, and drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline worked to keep the risks from the public, a Senate committee report says.
Remove Diabetes Drug Avandia From Market: FDA Documents (HealthDay)
HealthDay - SATURDAY, Feb. 20 (HealthDay News) -- The blockbuster type 2
diabetes drug Avandia raises users' odds for heart attack and heart
failure and should be removed from the market, according to confidential
government reports.
U.S. reviewers urge Glaxo’s Avandia come off market (Reuters)
Reuters - Two U.S. drug safety reviewers have recommended that GlaxoSmithKline PLC's diabetes drug Avandia be pulled from the market after concluding it is more dangerous to the heart than a rival medicine, according to documents released on Saturday.