Not necessarily. A vegetarian diet is not inherently a weight-loss diet, but rather a lifestyle choice.

It is true, however, that adults and children who follow a vegetarian diet are generally leaner than those who follow a nonvegetarian diet. This may be because a vegetarian diet typically emphasizes more fruits and vegetables and includes whole grains and plant-based proteins — foods that are more filling, less calorie dense and lower in fat.

But a vegetarian diet isn't automatically low calorie. You can gain weight on a vegetarian diet if your portion sizes are too big or if you eat too many high-calorie foods, such as sweetened beverages, fried items, snack foods and desserts.

Even some foods marketed as vegetarian can be high in calories and fat, such as soy hot dogs, soy cheese, refried beans and snack bars.

Whether you avoid animal products or not, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight comes down to eating a healthy diet and balancing calories eaten with calories burned.

Given the success of drugs to treat erectile dysfunction, such as sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis) and vardenafil (Levitra), drug companies have sought a comparable drug for women.

Viagra has even been tried as a treatment for sexual dysfunction in women. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasn't approved this use of Viagra.

Indeed, until recently there were no FDA-approved drugs for treating problems with sexual arousal or sexual desire in women. Yet 4 in 10 women report having sexual concerns.

A prescription medication known as flibanserin (Addyi) — originally developed as an antidepressant — has been approved by the FDA as a treatment for low sexual desire in premenopausal women.

A daily pill, Addyi may boost sex drive in women with low sexual desire who find the experience distressing. Potentially serious side effects include low blood pressure, dizziness and fainting, particularly if the drug is mixed with alcohol. The FDA recommends avoiding the use of alcohol if you take this drug. Experts recommend that you stop taking the drug if you don't notice an improvement in your sex drive after eight weeks.

An injectable medication, bremelanotide (Vyleesi), has been approved by the FDA as a treatment for low sexual desire in premenopausal women. The medication should be injected in the abdomen or thigh at least 45 minutes before anticipated sexual activity. It shouldn't be used more than once a day or more than eight times a month. Potential side effects include nausea, headache, vomiting and reactions at the injection site. Talk to your health care provider for additional information about whether this might be an option for you.

Female sexual response is complex. Sexual problems may be due to difficulties with arousal, a lack of desire or both. Many factors can influence sexual desire in women. For example:

• Many women find that the stresses of daily life deplete their desire for sex.
• Highs and lows in sexual desire may coincide with the beginning or end of a relationship, or major life changes, such as pregnancy or menopause.
• For some women, orgasm can be elusive — causing concerns or preoccupations that lead to a loss of interest in sex.
• Desire is often connected to a sense of intimacy between partners, as well as past experiences. Over time, psychological troubles can contribute to biological problems and vice versa.
• Some chronic conditions, such as diabetes or multiple sclerosis, can alter the sexual-response cycle — causing changes in arousal or orgasmic response.

If you're experiencing changes or difficulties with sexual function, consult your doctor. In some cases, medications, hormones, creams, clitoral stimulation or other treatments may be helpful. Your doctor may also recommend consulting a sex therapist.

Vicks VapoRub — a topical ointment made of ingredients including camphor, eucalyptus oil and menthol that you rub on your throat and chest — doesn't relieve nasal congestion. But the strong menthol odor of VapoRub may trick your brain, so you feel like you're breathing through an unclogged nose. By contrast, decongestant tablets and nasal sprays sold over-the-counter may narrow blood vessels in your nose's lining, leading to reduced swelling in your nasal passages.

VapoRub has drawbacks in addition to its ineffectiveness as a nasal decongestant. It's unsafe for any use in children under 2 years old. In adults and children age 2 and older, use it only on the neck and chest.

Swallowing a few teaspoons of camphor — one of the main ingredients in VapoRub and other topical medications, such as Campho-Phenique and Bengay — can cause deadly poisoning in toddlers. Topical camphor absorbed through mucous membranes or broken skin also can be toxic. That's why you should never put VapoRub in or around the nostrils — especially a small child's nostrils. And if VapoRub gets in your eye, it can injure your cornea.

Vitamin B-12 and other B vitamins play a role in producing brain chemicals that affect mood and other brain functions. Low levels of B-12 and other B vitamins such as vitamin B-6 and folate may be linked to depression.

Low levels of a vitamin can result from eating a poor diet or not being able to absorb the vitamins you consume. Older adults, vegetarians and people with digestive disorders such as celiac disease or Crohn's disease may have trouble getting enough B-12. Sometimes a vitamin B-12 deficiency occurs for unknown reasons. Your doctor may order a blood test to check levels of B-12 or other vitamins if a deficiency is suspected.

If you have a vitamin B-12 deficiency, taking a daily supplement that includes vitamin B-12 may help your body get the nutrients it needs. But study results have been mixed and questionable on whether vitamin B-12 supplements can help reduce the risk of depression. Because B-12 and other vitamin supplements can interact with some medications, especially in high doses, talk to your doctor before you take a vitamin supplement.

The best way to make sure you're getting enough B-12 and other vitamins is to eat a healthy diet that includes sources of essential nutrients. Vitamin B-12 is plentiful in animal products such as fish, lean meat, poultry, eggs, and low-fat and fat-free milk. Fortified breakfast cereals also are a good source of B-12 and other B vitamins.

Keep in mind, the role of B vitamins in depression isn't clear and more research is needed. And no supplement can replace proven depression treatments such as antidepressants and psychological counseling.

There's no solid evidence that vitamin B-12 injections aid weight loss.

Vitamin B-12 is a water-soluble B complex vitamin found naturally in a variety of foods, including meat, fish and dairy products. Vitamin B-12 is also added to some foods and is available as a dietary supplement. Vitamin B-12 injections are commonly prescribed to help prevent or treat pernicious anemia and B-12 deficiency.

Some weight-loss clinics offer vitamin B-12 injections as part of their weight-loss programs. Proponents of vitamin B-12 injections say the shots give you more energy and boost your metabolism, helping you shed unwanted pounds. But unless you have a vitamin B-12 deficiency, vitamin B-12 injections aren't likely to give you an energy boost.

Metformin (Fortamet, Glucophage, Riomet) is a drug sometimes used as part of a weight-loss strategy for people with type 2 diabetes. Vitamin B-12 deficiency can be a side effect of this drug. If you take metformin, talk to your doctor about strategies to maintain adequate B-12 levels.

Getting large amounts of vitamin B-12 through vitamin B-12 injections isn't likely to harm your health. But vitamin B-12 can interfere with the effectiveness of some medications, so if you receive vitamin B-12 injections, be sure to let your doctor know.

If you're hoping to lose weight, resist the lure of quick and easy solutions. What counts is a healthy lifestyle. Enjoy healthier foods in appropriate quantities and include physical activity in your daily routine.

Vitamin B-12 helps maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells. Vitamin B-12 deficiency — most common in older adults and vegetarians — can cause various signs and symptoms, including memory loss. In these cases, vitamin B-12 supplements can help improve memory.

Aside from treating vitamin B-12 deficiency, there's no clear evidence that vitamin B-12 supplements improve memory for people with Alzheimer's disease.

Some studies suggest low vitamin B-12 levels may be associated with an increased risk of dementia. But supplementation with B vitamins has not been shown to improve brain function or symptoms of memory loss.

Regardless of its role in memory, vitamin B-12 remains an important part of a healthy diet.

Vitamin B-12 is found naturally in foods that come from animals, including fish, meat and poultry. Many breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamin B-12.

If you're concerned that you're not getting enough vitamin B-12 or other specific nutrients, consult your doctor — especially if you're an older adult or a vegetarian.

Research over the years has shown that maintaining adequate levels of vitamin D may have a protective effect and lower the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). A number of studies have shown that people who get more sun exposure and vitamin D in their diet have a lower risk of MS. Therefore, vitamin D supplementation is considered an important modifiable environmental risk factor for development of multiple sclerosis.

Some studies suggest that for people who already have MS, vitamin D may offer some benefits. These benefits include lessening the frequency and severity of their symptoms, improving quality of life, and lengthening the time it takes to progress from relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis to the secondary-progressive phase. But the evidence isn't conclusive. Vitamin D supplementation in people with MS appears to be safe but at high doses can lead to changes in calcium levels. More research is needed to determine whether it's truly beneficial.

Experts also need to better understand how vitamin D might affect MS. When a person has MS, his or her immune system attacks the coating that protects the nerve cells (myelin). Research suggests that a connection between vitamin D and MS could be tied to the positive effects vitamin D has on the immune system.

The connection between vitamin D and MS is strengthened by the association between sunlight and the risk of MS. The farther away from the equator a person lives, the higher the risk of MS. Sunlight is the body's most efficient source for vitamin D — suggesting that exposure to sunlight may offer protection from MS.

The Institute of Medicine recommends 600 international units (IUs) of vitamin D a day for adults up to age 70. The recommendation increases to 800 IUs a day for adults age 71 and older. The recommendation for women who are pregnant or breast-feeding is 600 IUs per day. However, the Institute of Medicine recommends avoiding taking more than 4,000 IUs a day.

Research studies have indicated that taking 400 IUs or more of vitamin D per day significantly decreases the risk of MS in women.

If you are diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency, it may be appropriate to use up to 50,000 IUs weekly for up to three months until your vitamin D levels become normal, and then switch to a maintenance dose. The maintenance dose varies, but is usually between 2,000 and 5,000 IU daily.

Very large doses of vitamin D over an extended period can result in toxicity. Signs and symptoms include nausea, vomiting, constipation, poor appetite, weakness and weight loss. In addition, vitamin D toxicity can lead to elevated levels of calcium in your blood, which can result in kidney stones.

If you're considering vitamin D to reduce your risk of or help manage multiple sclerosis, talk with your doctor about what's both safe and helpful for you.

Vitamin D deficiency — when the level of vitamin D in your body is too low — can cause your bones to become thin, brittle or misshapen.

Vitamin D also appears to play a role in insulin production and immune function — and how this relates to chronic disease prevention and cancer — but this is still being investigated.

Although the amount of vitamin D adults get from their diets is often less than what's recommended, exposure to sunlight can make up for the difference. For most adults, vitamin D deficiency is not a concern. However, some groups — particularly people who are obese, who have dark skin and who are older than age 65 — may have lower levels of vitamin D due to their diets, little sun exposure or other factors.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for adults is 600 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day. That goes up to 800 IU a day for those older than age 70. To meet this level, choose foods that are rich in vitamin D. For example, choose fatty fish, such as salmon, trout, tuna and halibut, which offer higher amounts of vitamin D, or fortified foods, such as milk and yogurt.

Don't overdo it, though. Very high levels of vitamin D have not been shown to provide greater benefits. In fact, too much vitamin D has been linked to other health problems.

If you're concerned about whether you're getting enough vitamin D, talk to your doctor about your diet and whether a vitamin supplement might benefit you.

It depends on whether you breast-feed your baby or how much vitamin D-fortified formula or cow's milk your baby is drinking.

Consider these guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics for vitamin D for babies:

• If you're breast-feeding or partially breast-feeding your baby, give your baby 400 international units (IU) of liquid vitamin D a day — starting soon after birth. Continue giving your baby vitamin D until you wean your baby and he or she drinks 32 ounces (about 1 liter) a day of vitamin D-fortified formula or, after age 12 months, whole cow's milk.
• If you're feeding your baby less than 32 ounces (about 1 liter) a day of vitamin D-fortified formula, give your baby 400 IU of liquid vitamin D a day — starting in the first few days after birth. Continue giving your baby vitamin D until he or she drinks at least 32 ounces (about 1 liter) a day.

When giving your baby liquid vitamin D, make sure you don't exceed the recommended amount. Carefully read the instructions that come with the supplement and use only the dropper that's provided.

While breast milk is the best source of nutrients for babies, it likely won't provide enough vitamin D. Your baby needs vitamin D to absorb calcium and phosphorus. Too little vitamin D can cause rickets, a softening and weakening of bones. Since sun exposure — an important source of vitamin D — isn't recommended for babies, supplements are the best way to prevent vitamin D deficiency.

As your baby gets older and you add solid foods to his or her diet, you can help your baby meet the daily vitamin D requirement by providing foods that contain vitamin D — such as salmon, egg yolks and fortified foods.

If you have questions about your baby's need for vitamin D supplements, consult your baby's doctor.

Vitamin D toxicity, also called hypervitaminosis D, is a rare but potentially serious condition that occurs when you have excessive amounts of vitamin D in your body.

Vitamin D toxicity is usually caused by large doses of vitamin D supplements — not by diet or sun exposure. That's because your body regulates the amount of vitamin D produced by sun exposure, and even fortified foods don't contain large amounts of vitamin D.

The main consequence of vitamin D toxicity is a buildup of calcium in your blood (hypercalcemia), which can cause nausea and vomiting, weakness, and frequent urination. Vitamin D toxicity might progress to bone pain and kidney problems, such as the formation of calcium stones.

Treatment includes stopping vitamin D intake and restricting dietary calcium. Your doctor might also prescribe intravenous fluids and medications, such as corticosteroids or bisphosphonates.

Taking 60,000 international units (IU) a day of vitamin D for several months has been shown to cause toxicity. This level is many times higher than the U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for most adults of 600 IU of vitamin D a day.

Doses higher than the RDA are sometimes used to treat medical problems such as vitamin D deficiency, but these are given only under the care of a doctor for a specified time frame. Blood levels should be monitored while someone is taking high doses of vitamin D.

As always, talk to your doctor before taking vitamin and mineral supplements.