COVER
Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin (The Well / Cover Story)
You've heard it for years: to lose weight, hit the gym. But while physical activity is crucial for good health, it doesn't always melt pounds — in fact, it can add them. Here's why
NATION
Inside the Fight Against a Flu Pandemic (The Well / Nation)
More than 2 billion people worldwide could get it. Hundreds of schools may shut down. And 160 million Americans will need to be vaccinated — twice
Mapping Swine Flu
Graphic: A look at where it has spread so far — and who is vulnerable
H1N1: How the Virus Works
Graphic: H1N1 is an entirely new virus, but it still works the way past flus have — by invading the body cell by cell. The question is whether our immune systems can respond in time — and before the virus mutates
Charles Rangel: The Lion of Harlem (The Well / Profile)
Charles Rangel, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, is under fire. So is the President's agenda
The Fatal Flaw of Obamacare (The Well / Commentary)
Democrats claim their plans will save money, but they have too many conflicting goals
ESSAY
Cheating: It's All-American — And It's Great! (The Awesome Column)
Steroids and polyurethane suits may make us queasy — but they also make us perform better
WORLD
In France, a New Generation of Women Says Non to Nude Sunbathing (Postcard: Paris)
Whether it's worry about the sun or a return to conservative values, young women beachgoers are spurning their topless mothers by covering up. France's new modesty
The China Model (The Well / World)
While the West slumps, China's economy has quickly sprung back to life. What that does — and doesn't — say about the new economic order
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Is My Child Really Overweight? (Wellness / Obesity)
Doctors and parents can't help kids get fit if they don't acknowledge the problem
In Marriage, Worse First Can Mean Better Later (Wellness / Marriage)
Why facing stressful life events early in coupledom can lead to longevity
LETTERS
Inbox
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Julie & Julia: Streep, Ephron and the Joy of Cooking (Movies)
In Julie & Julia, two women master the art of French cuisine. And at least one of them is having a ball
Cooking with the Real Julia Child
Photos: There was always plenty of adventure to be found in the kitchen of the original top chef
Cooking with Gas (Television)
Five simple rules for how to beat the competition and bring home the bacon on Top Chef
Thomas Pynchon's Magical Mystery Tour (Books)
Thomas Pynchon has decided to give his fan base a break. His seventh novel is practically beach reading
Bernie Madoff — Publisher's Best Friend? (Books)
Publishers have invested in three books on the Madoff scandal. Is there a payoff for the reader?
Short List
TIME'S PICKS FOR THE WEEK
SOCIETY
Ann Arbor Kills Its Newspaper — To Save It (Life / Media)
Ann Arbor is the first big town to lose its daily paper--now it's a laboratory for new media
Ranking Your Alma Mater on How Much You Make (Life / Education)
A website is ranking colleges by how much money alumni make — and is catching flak for it too
Urban Animal Husbandry (Life / Food)
Why a growing number of city folk are turning their backyards into barnyards
Goats in the City
Photos: Urban farmer Novella Carpenter breeds goats and more outside her apartment in Oakland, California
Barnyard Animals in Back Yards
Video: Novella Carpenter raises dwarf goats and chickens at her home in Oakland, Calif. She's written a book on urban animal farming
BRIEFING
The Moment
8|4|09: Pyongyang
The World
10 ESSENTIAL STORIES
Spotlight: Cash for Clunkers
Verbatim
Brief History: Congressional Recess
The Skimmer
Book Review: Imperial by William T. Vollmann
Barack Obama: America's (Not So Great) Golfer-in-Chief (White House Memo)
What Barack Obama's little known habits on the links reveal about his approach to the presidency
Gayatri Devi (Milestones)
Appreciation: Naomi Sims, the First Black Supermodel (Milestones)
Sims, who died on Aug. 1 at age 61, broke the color barrier at mainstream women's magazines when she appeared on the cover of Ladies' Home Journal
Milestones (Milestones)
People Power's Philippine Saint: Corazon Aquino (Appreciation)
At a critical time in her country's history, the shy widow took up her charismatic husband's legacy and led it through a valley of the shadow of death