Doctor's Orders: Oct. 17, 2005

PEDIATRICIANS TO PARENTS: NO SHOTS, NO SERVICE Failing to inoculate your children leaves them vulnerable to illness, in more ways than one. In a survey of 302 pediatricians published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 39% of doctors said they would stop caring for families that refused vaccinations.

OLD P.E. OR NEW P.E.? IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE Youngsters who took gym classes that maximized movement and focused on fitness-boosting activities like walking and cycling showed more fat loss and cardiovascular improvement than kids in standard P.E.

ON THE HORIZON: THE FIRST CANCER VACCINE A large-scale trial found Merck's experimental vaccine Gardasil 100% effective against two strains of human papillomavirus thought to cause 70% of all cervical cancers. If FDA approved, it may arrive in 2006.

90% Percentage of U.S. men who were overweight by the end of a large 30-year study funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. For women, the long-term risk of becoming overweight was lower, at 70%.