Blog Magazine

Rodale Magazines Cover Health, Healthcare, Obamas

Upcoming issues of four Rodale magazines--Men's Health, Women's Health, Prevention and a special issue called Children's Health will feature interviews with both President and Mrs. Obama on various topics in health and healthcare.

In Men's Health, President Obama appears on the cover of the October issue and discusses his healthcare plan. According to The New York Times, Men's Health magazine clearly endorses the plan.

In Women's Health magazine, Michelle Obama is interviewed about healthcare reform and her personal family health experiences; Mrs. Obama does not appear on the Women's Health magazine cover, though.

In Prevention, healthcare isn't mentioned in the Michelle Obama interview; instead Michelle Obama talks about her exercise, eating and sleep habits as well as aging and skin care.

And finally, Rodale features Mrs. Obama on the cover of its new magazine, Children’s Health, and talks about her family’s eating habits. Children's Health magazine is a special issue--not a new launch of a regularly published magazine.

Cooking Light Magazine Listens to Readers, Makes Changes

We love it when magazines make design and content changes suggested by readers. According to this month's "Note from the Editor," that's exactly what Cooking Light magazine has done. Among the changes are: every recipe has a photo, there are more "quick and easy recipes," there are more "real-world" reviews and wine recommendations. Have you received your September issue of Cooking Light? If so, let us know what you think of the changes.

Is Time Magazine's Cover Story "The Myth About Exercise" Irresponsible?

This week's Time magazine cover story "The Myth About Exercise" is stirring up a lot of controversy and frustration among health, fitness and medical professionals.

In the article writer John Cloud attempts to make the case that while exercise does burn calories, it has the effect of stimulating hunger, thus canceling out its weight-loss benefits.Cloud cites a research study of 464 overweight women overseen by Dr. Timothy Church and published in the non-profit Public Library of Science journal. The study results found that the women who exercised didn't lose significantly more weight than the non-exercising women in the control group.

At a time when the majority of Americans are overweight or obese (let's not forget that obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer and type 2 diabetes) and preventative health care seems more important than ever, is Time's article irresponsible? Tell us what you think.

Women's Magazines: Helpful or Harmful Advice?

Earlier this week Writer Cathy Alter, author of the memoir, Up for Renewal: What Magazines Taught Me About Love, Sex, and Starting Over, defended the relevancy and helpfulness of women's magazines. What do you think? Tell us if you think advice from women's magazines is helpful or harmful. Have you followed advice from a women's magazine? What was the outcome?

People en Español Rejuvenates

In hopes of continuing to stay alive in the diminishing arena of Spanish-language magazines, People en Español is adding health content and new design elements. People en Español debuted in 1996 and is currently has 6.4 million readers in the U.S.

Magazines Testing Innovative Ideas in Print

Recently the Wall Street Journal ran this interesting article on how innovative magazines are looking past the standard format, past recent trends of free content and online solutions and experimenting with different expressions of what a magazine can be in print.

Maxim Includes First Lady on Annual "Hot 100" List

While the top 10 women on Maxim magazine's annual "Hot 100" list out today, is an unsurprising group that includes young actresses, models and singer Rihanna, #93 might be a little unexpected: First Lady Michelle Obama.

Maxim editor Joe Levy told USA Today why Mrs. Obama made the cut: "Her accomplishments, her fashion sense, her triceps," said Levy. "We merely want to acknowledge that the overall package is one of remarkable beauty, intelligence and talent."

Vanity Fair Magazine/Miley Cyrus Scandal: One Year Later

Last week Miley Cyrus'"Hannah Montana: The Movie" topped the box offices and became the highest-grossing opening day for a G-rated live action movie in history, raking in $34 million. So we're guessing this means that a lot of parents have forgotten the sort-of-scandal )that may or may not have enraged them) that Miley Cyrus embarked on almost exactly one year ago today.

Midwest Living Inspires Readers to Experience Best of the Midwest

For its March/April issue Midwest Living magazine kicks-off "My Midwest," a new editorial focus encouraging readers to experience all the Midwest has to offer. The magazine will continue My Midwest highlighting unique places and things to do in the region throughout its 2009 summer, fall and winter issues.

Martha Stewart Living Magazine Expands Content Focus

Martha Stewart Living magazine, usually a favorite among marketers and advertisers, is also confronting ad page declines like the majority of magazines right now. In an effort to bolster its appeal, the magazine is expanding its editorial focus to include fashion, beauty and travel with its April issue.