The Washington monthly's Monthly Journalism Award.

• Position: 10 MILES SQUARE

Susan Kelleher & Duff Wilson The Seattle Times

(June 26-30,2005)

"Suddenly Sick: The hidden big business behind your doctor's diagnosis."

The obesity epidemic and other apparent public health crises may be manufactures of the pharmaceutical industry, two Seattle Times reporters found. The Times reports that though 75 percent of Americans have been diagnosed with hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, or obesity, "millions of them are not truly sick and may never be, even without medication." Why are they getting diagnosed? Studies funded by pharmaceutical company money have expanded definitions of diseases--and then recommended new, expensive remedies to solve the problems they created.

The Monthly Journalism Award is presented each month to one or more newspaper, magazine, radio, or television stories...