nancy snyderman will be stopping by. it is one where we talk about when you experience seemingly harmless symptoms. easy to ignore like excess saliva or even ice cravings. they may seem like nothing, but they could indicate a more serious condition. we'll talk with dr. nancy. >>> and get the credit card out, jill martin, our good friend is going to be with us. steals and deals, deep discounts, as much as 77% off everything from zodiac

nancy snyderman. >> read the labels. >> thank you.ingerie to accentuate your assets no matter your shape or size. first, these messages. ough of feeling embarrassed about my skin. [ designer ] enough of just covering up my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. i decided enough is enough. ♪ [ spa lady ] i started enbrel. it's clinically proven to provide clearer skin. [ rv guy ] enbrel may not work for everyone -- and may not clear you completely, but for many, it gets skin clearer fast, within 2 months, and keeps it clearer up to 9 months. [ male announcer ] because enbrel suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal, events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're pro

nancy snyderman. >> reporter: this seven-day cruise was anything but a pleasure. hundreds of sick passengers and crew members aboard the luxury "crown princess" were hit by a most unwelcomed party guest, the norovirus. >> it's been a nightmare. we lost two full days of our cruise. >> reporter: another ship "ruby princess" docked early after more than 100 of its passengers and crew became too ill to leave their cabins. >> captain came across and made a few announcements about there is a sickness on the ship. >> they didn't want us to touch anything that somebody else might touch. >> reporter: here is the norovirus under a microscope. it thrives in moist environments, and medical experts say its easiest route of transmission, close quarters. >> because everyone is jammed up so tightly together, it's so easy for that virus to spread one person to another. those people spread it to four others. those four spread it to 18 others. >> reporter: and it's not just cruise ships. in new jersey, more than 150 students contracted norovirus at rider and nearby princeton univers

nancy snyderman. >> reporter: decades of running, biking and competitive sports took their toll on sara kate loman's body. >> the pain was grueling, grinding, constant. i could not get my knee in a position of comfort. >> reporter: now at age 54, she's one of about four and a half million americans walking around with an artificial knee. >> people at work said to me, you know, gosh, you know, we enjoy working with you but we've never seen you smile so much. they didn't know me out of pain. >> reporter: loman is part of a growing trend, people opting for knee replacement surgery earlier in life. >> there were times that this procedure was only done for people who were older than 65 years of age. >> reporter: not anymore. the number of baby boomers getting total knee replacements tripled in a ten-year period. and even though there can be complications, nearly one in 20 americans over 50 is walking around with a new knee. what's behind the increased demand? well, experts point to a few factors. america's obesity epidemic, aging athletes not taking care of their aching joints, genetics, and

nancy snyderman. >> reporter: orthopedic surgeon dr. larry drr does more than fix bones for a living. for years, operation walk, the charity he founded, has provided free surgeries for thousands of vulnerable people around the globe. now with tough economic times in this country, dr. dorr is bringing his charity home. during a recent two-day span, he and 60 other orthopedic surgeons operated on uninsured patients, replacing their bad hips and knees. >> these people all have lost their hope for their tomorrows. >> reporter: 85 people have regained the ability to walk for free in what would normally be a $30,000 to $50,000 operation. this recording artist needed both hips replaced. in the '90s, terry had her own band and hit song that climbed the charts. then came difficulty walking and pain. terry couldn't even stand up long enough to sing. >> feel like you're 100 years old, right? she gave private lessons instead to pay the bills. steven robertson's pain was so severe, he contemplated ending his life. >> when things narrow, you start fe

nancy snyderman, new york. >>> up next, why another kennedy is facing charges tonight. >>> tonight the pakistani government has begun to demolish the infamous compound where osama bin laden spent his final years hiding and where he was killed by u.s. navy s.e.a.l.s last year. crews in the city moved in late in the afternoon with cranes and jackhammers and flood lights. pakistani officials say plans for the site include a park with green areas and benches which they say will be built within a month. >>> and tonight, robert f. kennedy's youngest son is facing misdemeanor charges after a fight at a suburban new york hospital. it started when douglas kennedy tried to take his 3-day-old child outside for a walk. nurses say they tried to stop him because he wasn't allowed to take the newborn off the maternity floor. one nurse claims he twisted her arm and another is seen on the surveillance tape being knocked to the ground. kennedy says it was the nurses that attacked him. >>> and john hinckley, the man who tried to kill president ronald reagan three decades ago, has a request. he says he'd

nancy snyderman will be stopping by. it is one where we talk about when you experience seemingly harmless symptoms. easy to ignore like excess saliva or even ice cravings. they may seem like nothing, but they could indicate a more serious condition. we'll talk with dr. nancy. >>> and get the credit card out, jill martin, our good friend is going to be with us. steals and deals, deep discounts, as much as 77% off everything from zodiac bracelets, to luxurious wraps and skirts. exclusively for our "today" viewers. >> when you and joe and mika, you sit down and watch steals and deals? >> jill martin. >> with their credit card. >> maybe you could buy jill a tie? >> we're working on it. >> lots to get to. let's go inside, amy robach is standing by at the news desk while natalie is on assignment. >>> good morning, everyone, congressional negotiators have reached an agreement to renew a payroll tax cut for some 160 million workers through the end of 2012. that deal also extends jobless benefits for millions of americans. and it

nancy snyderman. >> you're fine.peed dial. >> still ahead, "19 kids and counting" cousin amy duggar opens up about being the target of an extortion plot by a woman claiming to have racy photos of her with an older man. first, these messages. woman: when i left my job, i knew it'd be tough on our retirement savings, especially in this economy. but with three kids, being home more really helped. man: so we went to fidelity. we talked about where we were and what we could do. we changed our plan and did something about our economy. now we know where to go for help if things change again. call or come in today to take control of your personal economy. get free one-on-one help from america's retirement leader. then i found new pronutrients omega-3. it's from centrum. it's a smaller minigel. with two of the best omegas to support my heart, brain and eyes. new pronutrients from centrum. to support my heart, brain and eyes. and, just like toddlers, puppies need food made for them. that's why there's purina puppy chow... with

nancy snyderman answers your questions. time began. not anymore. fiber one is bringing brownies back. at 90 calories, the only thing between you and chocolaty brownies... ♪ ...is a nicely designed package. ♪ you can have brownies again. fiber one 90 calorie brownies. in the granola bar aisle. caramel...pretzel 90 calorie bar. ♪ >>> back now at 8:45. some of the world's most successful people have faced a difficult road to the top. among them, pittsburgh steelers wide receiver and two-time super bowl champion hines ward. in a new documentary "nfl characters unite" about the fight against prejudice and discrimination ward goes to a school outside of pittsburgh to mentor a young man named carlton dennis. take a look. [ cheers and applause ] >> how you guys doing? i'm good. first of all, i want to say i'm proud to be here. today i got a chance to meet carlton. really this whole program is really just perception. you know, how do people outside view you guys? do they think this is a bad place? >> yes. >> is it? >> no. >> exactly

nancy snyderman will answer your questions about it. >> okay. that got a reaction here. we have lingerie in the house. great looks for all body types. >> sometimes a guy wants to feel pretty. >> just in time for valentine's day. that's right. meantime, let's make a little turn to go inside. >> people will be watching "dateline" in a whole new way. >> let's go inside for a check of the news with tamron in for natalie this morning. >> good morning. new details in the murder-suicide of josh powell and his two young sons. powell told his 7-year-old son charlie that he had a, quote, big surprise for him just before attacking him and setting the house on fire. this according to the social worker sent to supervise powell's visit with the boy. she said she heard the younger boy, braden, crying as she was blocked from entering the home. overnight, officials said a computer in powell's home was found to have pornographic images that led a psychologist to recommend that he undergo a psycho-sexual evaluation. >>> outrage from jewish organizations and other

nancy snyderman reporting. she adds that eating disorders are a real psychiatric illness and that treatment including hospitalization and therapy is imperative. >>> well, if you were sneezing or itching, scratching, coughing out there today. >> all of it. >> it could be worse tomorrow air saying all because of the breeze. >> all because of the breeze. the wind. it's going to be gusty tomorrow. a lot more so than today. along with it, it's going to be just as warm, maybe even a few degrees higher tomorrow. that is going to kick the numbers way up again. we are talking about a little rain for tomorrow. it's going to come in two different parts. let's go ahead and walk over to the weather wall and i'll explain. 61 in gaithersburg still up just a couple degrees higher and one degree higher too in warranton. there is the 70-degree temperature we've been waiting on and looking for. meanwhile, your good night wakeup forecast. look at how mild it is going to be during the overnight, early morning period. only down to t

nancy snyderman is here with more on the study that was part of a commentary in the journal "nature." are they saying sugar is dangerous? what do they have against it? >> they're going further than that and saying sugar is toxic and should be up there with tobacco and cigarettes. the reason it's not is because we just haven't been able to disassociate ourselves from the food we eat. we now eat three times as much sugar as we did a generation ago. and that accounts for 75 pounds of sugar for every man, woman, and child in the united states. and these researchers are linking sugar not just to obesity but sugar to problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, dementia, you name it they think it should be out of our foods. except for natural sugar that you might find in a little bit of natural juice or in the fruits we eat. >> so what does this mean, nancy? might we likely see more regulations? >> i think what we're looking at is a big battle. these researchers would like some regulations. they would like everything from attacks, the amount of sweetness, a tax, much like the t

nancy snyderman. >> reporter: thomas, a straight a student, exceptional athlete a boy secretly obsessed with diet and exercise in hopes of achieving the perfect body. >> he wanted a six pack. he wanted rock hard abs, he wanted muscles. that's how it started. >> reporter: it was anorexia, a life-threatening eating disorder. for eight years t.j. starved himself and exercised compulsively. eventually he stopped eating up to 23 hours a day while exercising close to five. >> he would ask us, beg us, please don't tell anybody. it's so embarrassing. everybody thinks this is a girl's disease. >> reporter: t.j. died in the middle of his nightly routine doing 1,000 sit-ups, weighing just 78 pounds his heart gave out. >> the look in his eyes, the last pictures he took of himself on his camera, it wasn't t.j. it was not my son. >> reporter: t.j. is the new face of anorexia. at least one million males suffer from eating disorders, dying to be thin. experts say it takes a certain kind of personality to go to this extreme. >> it's very unusual for someone to come onto my office for an assessment of an

nancy snyderman is with us to talk more about this before people go out and there is a run on fish oil. does this look to be what it is? >> it's exciting. this study comes from ucla. basically, they did mri scans of the brain in about 1,600 people, average age about 67 years of age. in people showing no signs of dementia. what they found was stunning. people with low levels of omega 3 fatty acids had brains with less volume compared with people who had higher levels of the same fatty acids. they tested mention function and body mass and amount of omega 3 fatty acids in blood cells. people with lower levels tested poorly for problem solving, multitasking, visual memory and executive function, all things that could be hurt with dementia. while everyone agrees the best way to get your omega 3 fatty acids is with your diet, think fish. two 3 1/2 ounce servings of fatty fish from a salt water. these are the ones that are rich in omega 3 fatty acids. if you hate fish, there is something you can do. there is one time where supplements can work. the american heart association recommends a dail

nancy snyderman is here with us. in our lifetimes, we watched this go from being surgery to an elective alternative for some women. >> it started today because a study looked at the importance of perhaps doing c-sections on fetuses 34 weeks or less not growing. that was the jumping off point today. the idea if you could get baby out of the womb into an incubator those babies that weren't growing well would, in fact, do better. now it's the jumping point for a larger conversation. that conversation is this. that more and more women are having c-sections. why? sometimes it has to do with the fact because we have more in vitro fertilization, we are seeing more multiple babies that require c-sections. and there's also something called convenience. a term called too posh to push. women who don't want to go through a delivery. the possible pain with the vaginal deliveries. so they and their doctors opt for this idea of maybe scheduling something around birth time. >> the bottom line of this news today was a risk to the chi

nancy snyderman has more. >> reporter: like most patients john harrison put his faith and trust in the surgeon standing over him in the operating room. >> i had to have surgery to repair my shoulder. i was not worried one bit. >> reporter: two weeks after rotator cuff surgery, john was back in the hospital with a life-threatening infection. the cause? a dirty surgical instrument. and a new report says surgical tools contaminated with hidden blood, tissue or other debris are showing up with alarming regularity. >> it is a job that cannot be given to robots because the robot doesn't have the critical thinking to say this is still dirty. >> reporter: at a hospital in virginia, which is not the hospital where john was treated, sharon greengolden has made her sterile processing department a model for what should be happening across the country. because in every state, except new jersey, there are no requirements that workers who sterilize instruments have any kind of training or certification. >> a barber has a license. the dog groomer has a license. the tattoo artist has a license. and i'm

nancy snyderman is nbc's chief medical editor. good morning.hould repeat at the outset we don't know the cause of death for whitney houston. the l.a. times reports prescription drugs were found in her room and investigators are looking at the pharmacies where the drugs were prescribed from. setting that aside, i guess the issue is first of all, why does it take so long for the toxicology results to come back? >> i'm not sure it's taking so long. i think they have a good idea now. at the time of the initial autopsy it was immediately looked for a source of immediate drowning. they ruled out sources of immediate death -- they ruled out drowning quickly. it came pretty fast through spinal fluid, blood that they can find out what drugs are there. they will look for drug resid s residues. they want to get this one right. i have a feeling they know well but they want a complete report. >> this has raised the issue of the use of prescription drugs. some are now household names like xanax, the benzodiazepines. celebrities are known to use them but regu

nancy snyderman here with us tonight. this is a provocative topic. >> reporter: it is a very provocative topic. not just talking about the glass of orange juice or occasional cupcake that is a treat. scientists are sounding the alarm. that is the amount of sugar in our diets that's literally killing us. stephanie mccabe tries her best to limit the amount of sugar her children eat, but knows the occasional treat is part of childhood. >> my kids eat well for dinner and lunch and get a good breakfast and they play. >> reporter: our sugar consumption crept up on all of us. the last 30 years, the amount of sugar we eat tripled. today the average american consumes 22 teaspoons a day, three times what we need. that's equal to 75 pounds of sugar a year for every man, woman and child in the united states. now an article sparked a national debate. is sugar toxic and should it be taxed and regulated like alcohol and tobacco. >> sugar promotes the same phenomena in the brain addictive substances do. >> reporter: this doctor is a chil

nancy snyderman. >> where you going? >> to the post office. >> reporter: when her elderly father walked out the door and headed for his car, cynthia and tom used to hold their breath. a few years ago, they had an honest conversation with ralph now 94 about limiting where and when he drives. >> i think he brought it up himself about his trepidation with driving at night. >> reporter: it's so hard for a lot of people as they age to give up any part of their independence. what allowed you to have the confidence to make that first step? >> safety, of course. >> reporter: really? >> yeah, safety. because i treasure another man's life just like i treasure my own. >> reporter: ralph's concerns are supported by tragic facts. every day in this country, 600 drivers over the age of 65 are involved in an accident. and nine of them are killed. what are the warning signs your loved one is in trouble? >> the best thing is ride along. when you're riding along observe for things. is their reaction time slow? are they getting lost? is the

nancy snyderman has our report. >> reporter: beverly's diagnosis of hepatitis c came five years ago after a visit to her doctor. now at age 56, every day is a struggle. >> i'm always tired, nauseated, very weak. fatigued. >> reporter: more than 3 million americans are infected with hepatitis c. even more alarming, 1/2 to 3/4 don't realize it. >> we want to find hepatitis c before the patient develops cirrhos cirrhosis. cirrhosis means the liver is severely injured, has scar tissue and is not working the way it's supposed to work. >> by the time scar tissue is found, the liver is damaged so badly it often leads to cancer or a need for a transplant. hepatitis c is spread primarily through iv drug use, blood transfusions before 1992 when screening for the virus began, and by sexual contact. and it kills, causing 8,000 to 10,000 deaths per year. there's no vaccine for hepatitis c like there is for its cousin hepatitis b. but a simple blood test can detect the virus, and there are medications for treatment. >> if you need to call me, leave me a message. >> reporter: unfortunately for beverly,

nancy snyderman answers your questions. first, this is "today" on nbc. >>> back now at 8:45. to the top. among them, pittsburgh steelers wide receiver and two-time super bowl champion hines ward. in a new documentary "nfl characters unite" about the fight against prejudice and discrimination ward goes to a school outside of pittsburgh to mentor a young man named carlton dennis. take a look. [ cheers and applause ] >> how you guys doing? i'm good. first of all, i want to say i'm proud to be here. today i got a chance to meet carlton. really this whole program is really just perception. you know, how do people outside view you guys? do they think this is a bad place? >> yes. >> is it? >> no. >> exactly. these are good people here. >> hines ward, carlton dennis, good morning. >> good morning. >> you're part of the nfl documentary about nfl players and coaches including tony dungy who do something to fight the idea of prejudice. in your case, hines, as i mentioned you were a two-time super bowl champion, mvp of super bowl xl and you have been called perhaps the greatest wide rece

nancy snyderman, new york. >>> up next, why another kennedy is facing charges tonight. [ charlie ] we're the heartbeat of this place, the people on the line. we take pride in what we do. when that refrigerator ships out the door, it's us that work out here. [ michael ] we're on the forefront of revitalizing manufacturing. we're proving that it can be done here, and it can be done well. [ ilona ] i came to ge after the plant i was working at closed after 33 years. ge's giving me the chance to start back over. [ cindy ] there's construction workers everywhere. so what does that mean? it means work. it means work for more people. [ brian ] there's a bright future here, and there's a chance to get on the ground floor of something big, something that will bring us back. not only this company, but this country. ♪ my son and i never missed opening day. but with copd making it hard to breathe, i thought those days might be over. so my doctor prescribed symbicort. it helps significantly improve my lung function, starting within 5 minutes. symbicort doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symp

nancy snyderman has our report. >> reporter: beverly's diagnosis of hepatitis b came five years ago afterit to her doctor. now at age 56, every day is a struggle. >> i'm always tired, nauseated, very weak. fatigued. >> reporter: more than 3 million americans are infected with hepatitis c. even more alarming, 1/2 to 2/3 don't realize it. >> we want to catch it before you develop cirrhosis. that means your liver is severely injured with scar tissue. >> by the time scar tissue is found, the liver is damaged so badly it often leads to cancer or a need for a transplant. hepatitis c is often transmitted through intravennous drugs and sexual contact. there's no simple test for hepatitis b like there is for hepatitis b. unfortunately, for beverly, her body can't tolerate the drugs and she may soon be placed on a transplant list. her case is not rare. that's why her doctor recommends that patients in their 40s and older be screened for the virus. >> the only way to find it is to go after it and look for it. so everybody should be, adults, should be screened for hepatitis c virus. >> obviously scre

nancy snyderman will be stopping by.t card out, jill martin, our good friend is going to be with us. steals and deals, deep discounts, as much as 77% off everything from zodiac bracelets, to luxurious wraps and skirts. exclusively for our "today" viewers. >> when you and joe and mika, you sit down and watch steals and deals? >> jill martin. >> with their credit card. >> maybe you could buy jill a tie? >> we're working on it. >> lots to get to. let's go inside, amy robach is standing by at the news desk while natalie is on assignment. >>> good morning, everyone, congressional negotiators have reached an agreement to renew a payroll tax cut for some 160 million workers through the end of 2012. that deal also extends jobless benefits for millions of americans. and it now heads to the house and senate for votes as early as friday. >>> now to the latest on the investigation into the death of whitney houston. subpoenas have been issued to doctors and pharmacists as investigators try to figure out what killed the pop star. nbc'

nancy snyderman reporting. >>> speaking of spreading, we really have been able to skate by this winter. >> what winter? it's barely been cold at all. >> we're in for a big change, a lot of people with sniffles. >> a lot of people will spend time inside as seriously cold air finally makes its way out of canada into the mid-atlantic. we haven't had to deal a lot with super cold weather this winter. tomorrow, you need to be able to bundle up, have a pot of soup ready to go. tomorrow will be very windy and cold outside. on a saturday morning, it's cloudy and chilly outside. don't worry, the arctic air is sliding southward. current temperature, mix of rain and snow. 36 at the airport. dew point 34 degrees. that's important. the temperature can never fall below the dew point. we'll drop below freezing tonight to tomorrow morning and that can mean for slippery going early sunday morning. your saturday off to a chilly start. 32 gaithersburg, 34, rockville, all above the freezing mark but the further north and west, slightly colder air. 32 haguersburg, martinsburg and winchester. don't expect a

nancy snyderman. good to see you.s that are now on the market right after this. capital one's new cash rewards card gives you a 50% annual bonus! so you earn 50% more cash. according to research, everybody likes more cash. well, almost everybody... ♪ would you like 50% more cash? no! but it's more money. [ male announcer ] the new capital one cash rewards card. the card for people who want 50% more cash. what's in your wallet? woah! [ giggles ] ♪ a refrigerator has never been hacked. an online virus has never attacked a corkboard. ♪ give your customers the added feeling of security a printed statement or receipt provides... ...with mail. it's good for your business. ♪ and even better for your customers. ♪ for safe and secure ways to stay connected, visit usps.com/mail - it's the moment when forever begins. kay jewelers presents the ring that lives up to the moment. neil lane bridal from hollywood's premiere jewelry designer. - the setting has to be perfect. it's where the diamond lives. - uniquely beautiful hand-craft

nancy snyderman. >> today's professionals, welcome. >> thank you.ter they break up because he abused her, two songs hit the internet on which they have collaborated. star, is this something she should be doing? >> i have held the hands of a number of women as a prosecutor who went back to their abuser. i was in pain during that time. what i learned quickly is i couldn't tell them that they needed to get help. i had to let them come to that on their own. they had to do the work behind it. i'm not sure what rihanna and chris brown have done in the background. have they done the emotional work to get to this point? if they have, i'm glad they are able to work together. if they haven't then this goes down a bad path. >> it sends a message. does it send the right message? >> i'm not a role model and she is. i'm not telling anybody how to live their life but there is nothing more heinous than a man hitting a woman or whatever that abuse was. i think you have an obligation as a woman that young women look up to not to send a signal that it's okay and we ar

nancy snyderman reports. >> reporter: this cruise was anything but a pleasure.undreds of luxury cruise members were hit by an unwelcome party guest, the nor row virus. >> it's been a nightmare. we lost two full days of our cruise. >> reporter: another ship, he ruby princess, docked early after 100 of its passenger and crew were unable to leave their cabins. >> the captain came across and said there was sickness on the ship. >> they didn't want us to touch anything somebody else might touch. >> reporter: here's the norovirus under a microscope. it thrives in moist environments and its easiest route of transmission, close quarters. >> because everyone is jammed up so tightly together, it's so easy for that virus to spread one person to another, those people spread it to four others, those four spread it to 18 others. >> reporter: it's not just cruise ships. in new jersey, more than 150 students contracted norovirus at dozens of universityies and the were gripped by painful stomach cramp, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. both universities stepped up cleaning and sani

nancy snyderman. >> reporter: this seven-day cruise was anything but a pleasure. hundreds of sick passengers and crew members aboard the luxury "crown princess" were hit by a most unwelcome party guest, the norovirus. >> it's been a nightmare. we lost two full days of our cruise. >> reporter: another ship, the "ruby princess" docked early after 100 members of its passengers and crew became ill. >> the captain came across and made a few announcements that there was a sickness on the ship. >> they basically didn't want us to touch anything somebody else might have touched. >> reporter: here's the norovirus under a mike row skroep. they say it's easiest route of transz mission, close quarters. >> because everyone is jammed up so tightly together, it's so easy for that virus to spread one person to another. those people spread it to four others. those four spread it to 18 others. >> reporter: and it's not just cruise ships. in new jersey, more than 150 students contracted norovirus at nearby princeton university. hundreds were taken to the hospital after painful stoma