Q Could you please find some information on the weight-loss program at Duke University in Durham, N.C. – what it offers, length, cost and whether Medicare will pay for any portion of it? D.S.P., Williamsburg.
A The Duke University Diet and Fitness Center at Duke University Medical Center offers a four-week residential program that covers nutrition, fitness and behavior. “We really put together a very comprehensive, individual approach for that person. We try to teach them a lifestyle they can take home,” says Dawn Schiffhauer, the center’s administrative director.
The “core” cost of the four-week program is $4,335, Schiffhauer says. That includes medical/physical evaluations, including an exercise stress test and individualized exercise prescription; three meals a day; and full use of the facilities, which include a fitness facility and Olympic-size swimming pool, massage therapy and classroom and kitchen demonstrations. Living accommodations are $1,000 additional. Schiffhauer says Medicare does not pay weight-loss fees; occasionally, Medicare will pick up some of the medical tests. For more information, call (800) 362-8446.
Q How can I obtain articles concerning juvenile delinquents that have been in the Daily Press from June to the present? J.G., Hampton
A The Daily Press can provide a list of story headlines, based on a state and local index, on a topic between the years 1989 and 1993. The cost is $1.05 a sheet, which is about 60 headlines, says Elizabeth Joines, Daily Press senior librarian. With the list, you may go to certain local public or university libraries to reference the stories on microfilm and make copies if you like, for 15 cents to 20 cents a page, depending on the library. Joines or another library staffer can direct you to the area libraries.
Other options are:
* Select a story, or stories, from the headline list and get a printout from the Daily Press at $1.05 a page. For more information, call Daily Press library manager Melissa Oakley Simpson at 247-4882.
* Purchase the paper with the story you want from the Daily Press, which keeps papers for up to a year. Some issues probably are gone so call 247-4800 for availability. The regular prices of 35 cents for a daily paper and $1.25 for a Sunday paper are charged when purchased at our counter. The cost is 90 cents for a daily paper and $2.75 for a Sunday Daily Press if they are mailed to you.
Q Is there some sort of national reference book, with telephone numbers, listing manufacturers and service providers that can help me shop at home? P.K., Newport News
A CATALYST, The National Consumer Guide, is a new brand-name directory of 14,000 listings. Included are products and services, from household appliances to racquet sports and travel resorts; references on where to get more information from other consumer publications, rating services and suppliers; and input from 26 contributors, including The New York Times consumer electronics columnist Hans Fantel. Cover price is $10.50; there may be some promotional offers for less. For a copy, call (800) 2-FIND-IT, or write Consumer Direct Access, Department C, 345 California St., 21st Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104.
Send your questions in writing to Answer Lady, Features Division, MP1203, Daily Press, 7505 Warwick Blvd., Newport News 23607. Include name, city and a DAYTIME phone number.
