Human Anatomy – Abdomen

Known also as the belly, the abdomen refers to the space between the chest (thorax) and the pelvis. It holds the kidneys and spleen as well as the entire digestive system, which includes the colon, small intestine, liver, pancreas, gallbladder and stomach. Special abdominal tissues called mesentery loosely keep these organs together, leaving just enough space for them to expand.

Besides skin, the abdomen is protected in the front by a thin crust of tissue known as the fascia. The flipside of the abdomen is covered with back muscles.

Several vital blood vessels ply through the abdomen, such as the aorta and the inferior vena cava.

Surprising News: Germs May Be Making Us ... Fat (or So Say Researchers)

The latest word in weight loss? Germs. A new study that's getting a lot of buzz points out that germs may play a role in weight gain. Grab your hand sanitizer and read on ...

Surprising research news: Scientists from Emory University in Atlanta who published a study in the journal Science, say that certain bacteria could play a role in the obesity epidemic.

Their study of mice found that specific bacteria that may cause gut inflammation may also increase appetite and possibly play a role in weight gain. Put simply, certain germs may make you hungry, the scientists say.

"Previous research has suggested that bacteria can influence how well energy is absorbed from food, but these findings demonstrate that intestinal bacteria can actually influence appetite," the lead researcher said to Reuters Health.

Spice It Up--For Your Health

Are you like me--a spice-aholic? I can't get past the condiment bar at the cafe without sprinkling a little cinnamon on top of my latte or enjoy a dinner without a dash of red pepper or maybe some oregano--mmm. It's all good, say experts. Spices have all kinds of health benefits. More after the jump ...

The bloggers over at That's Fit recently posted something on the health benefits of spices--some of which you've probably heard: "Using spice has been linked to weight loss," they write, "and using herbs and spices in place of salt can benefit your blood pressure."

But, there's more: One recent study, which That's Fit points out, found that many herbs and spices may protect your body from inflammation, a big concern for diabetics. The most effective spices, according to the researchers were cloves, cinnamon, allspice, apple pie spice and pumpkin pie spice--among others. (Mmm ... don't you feel like having a slice of pie right now? What is with me and pie these days? Oh, I forgot: I'm pregnant.)

Reader Dilemma: "Help! I Want to Look Amazing When I See My Ex Next Month. What Can I Do to Get in Shape--Fast?"

Oh, isn't this the--secret--concern of every person everywhere (whether you want to admit it or not, or whether it's an ex or just an old pal)? If you have some big event on the calendar in the next few weeks or month and want to do what you can to get svelte beforehand, Jessica Simpson's trainer has some advice for you ...

Vitamin G reader Tanya asks: "I'm going to be seeing my ex next month at a wedding. We're both single again, and I still have feelings for him. I gained a little weight over the winter, and I'd really like to slim down and look great for our meeting. Help!! What can I do?"

Open Enrollment Time: What You Need to Know About Your Health Insurance Plan Choices

It's a popular time of year for open enrollment--when companies allow you to pick your insurance plan and other benefits. Andrew Rubin, Vice President for Medical Center Clinical Affairs and Affiliates NYU Langone Medical Center, estimates that 25 percent of people don't even open their benefits book and just go with the default plan. But this year it's more important than ever to analyze your options. Here are a few things to know:

What's different this year?

Most employers have changed their plans this year due to the economy, say Rubin, and you'll have to foot a much larger portion of the bill. Health care costs have soared, and in flush times, employers have absorbed those increases. But when companies are choosing between layoffs or passing health care costs to employees, they often pick the latter (or both).

Let's Talk About Brooke Shields Virginity Comments, and Her Sex-Weight Connection

I think Brooke Shields is pretty much great. In fact, her Volkswagen minivan commercials have almost convinced me that I need one. Note, the word "almost." But what do you make of her comments in the new issue of Health magazine about virginity, sex and weight? Let's talk about this...

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(P.S. Come on over to Little Miss Fortune today to see photos of my self-haircutting exploits!)

Brooke Shields is speaking out in this issue of Health about losing her virginity at 22. Here's what she had to say about wishing she'd lost it sooner:

"I think I would have had sex a lot earlier!" the actress jokes in the June issue of Health magazine. "I think I would have lost my virginity earlier than I did at 22. I had the public and this pressure, and I wish I had just gotten it over with in the beginning, when it was sort of OK. I think I could have been much more in touch with myself."

Koga: A Fitness Do or Don't?

Some fitness hybrids sound like fun. Yoga + ballet? Sign me up! While I'm all for trying new things, I'm just not sure I could get into this newish yoga hybrid called koga. Want to guess what it's all about?

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Koga = Yoga + Kickboxing.

If you enjoy the fast-paced nature of a kickboxing workout, and you also love yoga, Koga might be for you. Fans say it gets you lean like nothing else (one woman, in this video, raved that it helped her shed 40 pounds fast).

A fitness do? Maybe--if you're the type that likes a lot of action in your workout. I have to admit, I'm just not sure I could get into Koga. I love the meditative and relatively peaceful nature of regular yoga. The idea of jumping around and doing kicks with some guy wearing a headset coaching in the distance, well, doesn't sound that appealing to me.

J Lo Crosses the Finish Line: Could You?

Yesterday, Jennifer Lopez completed in a triathlon (and let's all remember the not-so-minor fact that the gal delivered twins not too long ago!). I don't know about you, but she's just jumped up to the top of my list of celebs who I admire for their gutsy health and fitness choices. Because, seriously people, we're talking about a triathlon here. A triathlon!

Here's the backstory on J Lo's fitness feat: When she was eight months pregnant (describing herself as "beached like a whale"), she saw a triathlon on TV and decided that she wanted to compete in one after the birth of her twins. True to her word, the 39-year-old pop star competed in the 22nd Annual Malibu Triathlon over the weekend (past participants include Jennifer Garner and Felicity Huffman) and raised money for the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles in the process.

Is Your Birth Control Making You Fat?

Most women assume that when they start taking birth control, their weight will creep up. Now, we finally know the truth. Researchers recently put this theory to the test and analyzed three types of contraceptives. Find out which one packed on the pounds...

Scientists at the University of Texas at Galveston followed more than 700 women on birth control over the course of three years. Some of them took oral contraceptives, others used non-hormonal methods (like condoms or getting their tubes tied) and the last group used the birth control shot, called DMPA. Researchers discovered that women on the birth control shot gained an average of 11 pounds, increased their body fat by 3.4 percent and were more likely to become obese.

Health Controversy: This Woman Calls Herself an "Abortion Addict"

No matter where you stand on the abortion issue, I think we all can agree that this story is very, very sad...

In her book, Impossible Motherhood, Irene Vilar writes, writes about her "addiction" to abortion. Over the course of 15 years (she's married), she's had 15 abortions.

While the details of Vilar's life are both sad and shocking, it's clear that her repeated trips to abortion clinics gave her sense of "control" that she couldn't find elsewhere.

"I would take my pills and skip a day, a few, and often give up on the whole month, promising myself I would do better the next time," she writes. "Not knowing how a pill or a handful of them would affect my fertility, my days took on a balancing act, and a high of sorts accompanied the days before my period was due. [...] At times the high took place before pregnancy, waiting for a missed period, my body basking in the promise of being in control. At other times it was the pregnancy itself, the control I embodied if only for a couple of months, and still other times it was leaving the abortion clinic, feeling that once again I had succeeded in a narrow escape. The time of my drama was my time, no one could interrupt it, and what was more important, I could not interrupt it to meet other's needs."

Guess The Most Stressful Part of the Day--For Everyone--And What You Can Do About It

If you had to name the most stressful time of the day for you, what would it be? I caught a Good Morning America Weekend segment on Saturday while sipping coffee and was surprised to hear this...

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According to Dr. Woodson Merrell of Beth Israel Medical Center and author of The Source, the most stressful part of your entire day is the moment when you wake up. More heart attacks happen in the morning hours, he says, than any other time of the day. The logic is that transitioning from sleep to wake is quite stressful on our bods (loud, obnoxious alarm clocks aren't much help either).

Still we have to get up (nothing healthy about staying in bed all day, as comforting as this sounds sometimes--ha!). What can you do? He suggests resisting the urge to bolt to the shower first thing. Instead, sit on the side of your bed for a few minutes and take several deep breaths.

Got Belly Fat? Good News For Women Who Want It Gone

We all have some degree of belly fat--but some of us more than others. I'll admit, I'm far from bikini ready thanks to my sweet little four month old, Russell. A new study sheds light on how to blast that annoying belly fat...

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Belly fat is no good. Not only is it embarrassing and a downer to the ol' body image, it may also be dangerous. Researchers have long known that visceral fat (sounds gross, doesn't it?), which is the technical term for belly fat, may be linked to heart disease and diabetes.

But here's the news that's kind of interesting: In a study that looked at rodents and belly fat, researchers from the University of Illinois found that you don't have to work out like Madonna to zap fat around your mid section (but, here's how to get sculpted arms like hers--that is, if you want them). Moderate exercise works just fine, say researchers.

Do You Want to Be a Mother? New Stats Show a Decline in Women Having Babies

Are you a mother? Do you know if you want to have kids or not? I was on the fence for a long time until I had my two boys, but new research sheds light on a surprising trend. Apparently fewer women are becoming mothers ...

The Washington Post reports that nearly one in five American women in her early 40s is childless. That's double the childless 40-somethings compared to the 1970s, marking a shocking increase in women who either are uninterested in becoming mothers or just don't plan to have children (the study focused on biological kids, not adopted). (Oddly, those with an advanced degree--master's or higher--were more likely to have children by their 40s.)

Body Image: Are You Obsessed With Looking and Staying Young? (Why Many of Us Are)

I have a confession: The other day at the store I bought some anti-aging beauty products--for the first time. Did I mention that I'm 30? Maybe I've gotten to "the age" when you start checking for gray hairs and smile lines and under-eye puffiness--things I never really thought about much in my twenties. The quest to hang on to our youthfulness, it turns out, is a new American phenomenon...

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In this article about how more people--even younger people--are turning to anti-aging cosmetics, treatments, surgeries, even new clinics specializing in "age management" to maintain their youthfulness, I found this quote from a 23-year-old woman in Chicago: "I'll age until I'm 25. Then I'm over it." In other words, she'll allow herself to age to 25, then it's time to start getting serious about turning back the clock.

Are Your Friends Making You Fat?

It might sound like an outrageous idea, that your pals may be to blame for the extra 10 pounds you've gained this year. But think about it: Isn't it tempting to order chocolate ganache cake with the gals, especially when everyone's doing it? Research, in fact, shows a correlation between the friends you keep and your weight.

A study last year found that obseity is actually "contagious"--well, socially contagious. In other words, if your friends are packing on pounds, you're likely to do the same. Not too encouraging, is it?

Find out if your pals are a bad influence on your diet and weight loss goals by taking Glamour.com's new quiz.