Americans spent more on health care in 2016, even though their use of health care did not increase, and rising costs are the reason why, a new report shows. “It is time to have a national conversation on the role of price increases in the growth of health care spending,” said Niall Brennan, president of… read on >
When eating out, helpful tricks like sharing an entree or ordering an appetizer instead of a main dish can curb calories. But your choice of dining companions may factor into the equation, too. An experiment done at the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab confirmed the theory that people are less likely to stick to… read on >
Are bleary-eyed Americans getting a break at last? New research suggests that people are sleeping a few more minutes each night than they used to. “Over 14 years [2003 to 2016], Americans were getting 17 minutes more sleep every night, or a full four days more sleep per year,” said study lead researcher Dr. Mathias… read on >
Severe weather, an earthquake, a fire or flood all present unique challenges for people with Alzheimer’s disease. Their impaired memory and reasoning severely limits their ability to act appropriately during a crisis, the National Institute on Aging says. If you are preparing an emergency kit for someone who has Alzheimer’s, the agency suggests including: Incontinenceundergarments,… read on >
Probiotics are live microorganisms (such as bacteria) that are sold as supplements, included in topically-applied skin creams and added to food products such as yogurt. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved any health claims for probiotics. But the some people take probiotics for potential health benefits. The U.S. National Library of Medicine… read on >
If you’ve just shed a lot of pounds, you might want to hold off on buying a new wardrobe full of “thin” clothes. That’s because new research finds that lost weight starts creeping back almost immediately after a diet stops. “We noticed that individuals transitioned from a weight loss intervention immediately to weight gain,” said… read on >
Don’t let cold weather keep you from being active — that’s a surefire route to winter weight gain. Exercise keeps you healthy, trim and happy, and it’s a great antidote to the gray-weather doldrums. With the right layers of clothing, walking in a winter wonderland can be fun. But in bad weather, head over to… read on >
In yet another example of how far-reaching the fallout from America’s opioid epidemic is, researchers report that babies exposed to these narcotics while in the womb run the risk of certain head and neck abnormalities. One is a twisting of the neck (torticollis) and the other is a flattening of the head (plagiocephaly), which often… read on >
Millions of American families struggle to find and keep stable housing — and the fight to do so may end up harming kids’ health. Researchers found that when families faced various types of “housing instability,” moms had a higher risk of depression and kids were more likely to be in “fair” to “poor” health. It… read on >
As people age, the amount of muscle decreases and the amount of body fat increases, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. This slows a person’s metabolism and makes it easier to gain weight, which heightens a person’s risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and certain forms… read on >
