Only in the last decade have health professionals begun to scrutinize how stressful life events may contribute to the onset of illness. Stress’s impact on physical & psychololgical wellness may be mediated by body chemistry & personality traits, which may predispose one to greater resilience or vulnerability. Research on the stress-illness link, particularly eating disorders & myocardial infarction, is reviewed; efforts at life-event scaling & avenues for further research are discussed. (KM)