Confession: I have, at various moments over the course of my thirty-one years, drunk excessively, smoked cigarettes, smoked other things, and, yes, eaten non-organic foods. Ho hum. Call the Surgeon General if you must. I know I'm guilty. Worse yet, my family has a history of both cancer and heart disease, not to mention the not-so-small herd of mentally ill on my father's side. Does it bother me that I'll probably never make the cover of a Health and Fitness magazine? No, not really. It does, however, make me wonder if I should take advantage of modern medical technology, and ask the parents to contribute to a full body scan in lieu of my next birthday gift.

According to the FDA, whole body CT screening is currently being marketed as a preventive health care measure to symptom free individuals, and "typically involves scanning the body from the chin to below the hips with a form of X-ray imaging that produces cross-sectional images." In theory, it offers peace of mind to those - not unlike myself - who place cancer and bug bites in the same category: the unavoidable. The downside... "CT scans result in relatively high radiation exposure." In other words, there's risk the procedure itself will increase your chances of developing cancer later in life. And, like all other forms of imaging, there's still room for diagnostic error. "Out of every 1,000 people screened, 908 had at least one false-positive result that required further testing." No, it should not go unsaid that "because a real-life study into the cost and benefits was not feasible, [Harvard researchers] turned to a detailed mathematical model to help determine the cost-effectiveness of [the test]."

The cost of a total body scan ranges from $300.00 to $2500.00, depending on where it's done. Generally, it's not covered by health insurance. Doctors in favor of the screening view it as a tool "'to detect three of the major killers in our society - heart disease, lung cancer and colon cancer.'"

For more information, visit the American College of Radiology, or speak with your primary care physician.