The Biggest Health Stories of 2012

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The year in review

By Amanda Gardner

This has been a very busy and occasionally dramatic year in the world of health. In addition to the usual crop of research news, food recalls, and celebrity headlines, 2012 saw a landmark court ruling on health care, controversy over everything from supersize sodas to cancer philanthropy, and the saga of a young woman from Georgia who lost three of her limbs to bacteria but won the nation's heart with her optimism and pluck.

So grab a cup of coffee—according to a major study released in May, it might just prolong your life—and click through our recap of the biggest health stories from the past year.

Next: New-look school lunches