Figuratively Speaking: Survey: 75 percent of professionals work while sick

Percentage of professionals who say they very often or somewhat frequently go to work when they feel sick, according to a survey developed by OfficeTeam: 75

When executives were asked how often they think employees come to work when they feel sick, percentage who said very frequently: 17

Career choices

Percentage of U.S. doctors who would choose a different profession if they could start over today, according to the National Physicians' Study conducted by HCD Research: 30

Ranks of negotiated rates and malpractice suits on the list of the reasons cited by doctors for wanting to switch professions: 1, 2

Cost-prohibitive care

Percentage of Americans who have gone without medical or prescription drug care in the past year, due to the cost, according to a survey by Zogby International: 16

Percentage of those Americans with less than $25,000 in household income who admit to doing without medical care: 34

Percentage of those from households with more than $100,000 in income who say the same: 10

Image enhancement

Number of cosmetic plastic surgery procedures performed in 2008 - up 3 percent compared to 2007, according to theAmerican Society of Plastic Surgeons: 12.1 million

Amount spent on cosmetic procedures in the U.S. in 2008: $10.3 billion

Fighting flu

Percentage of the nation's home medical equipment and service providers that have formal plans to respond to a pandemic flu, according to a survey conducted by the American Association for Homecare: 53

Percentage that have stockpiled N95 masks or other supplies related to a flu pandemic: 23

Percentage that said they are working on a formal plan and expect to have one in place: 18

Healthy ethics

Percentage of Americans who rate the honesty and ethical standards of nurses either "high" or "very high," according to Gallup's annual "Honesty and Ethics in Professions" survey: 84

Number of years in a row that nurses have enjoyed top public accolades: 7

Ranks of pharmacists (70 percent), high school teachers (65 percent), medical doctors (64 percent), police (56 percent) and clergy (56 percent) on the Gallup list: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Percentage of Americans who rate the honesty and ethical standards of congressmen either "high" or "very high": 12

Percentage of Americans who rate the honesty and ethical standards of bankers either "high" or "very high": 23

Health care in retirement

When factoring in inflation and increases in medical costs, percentage of their final pay at retirement that employees will need to replace, according to Hewitt Associates' "Total Retirement Income at Large Companies: The Real Deal" report: 126

Traditional percentage pay replacement targets: 70 to 90John MacIntyre is a Nova Scotia-based author and former city magazine editor. His "Figuratively Speaking" column, launched in 1989, is published in more than 40 newspapers and magazines.