WEDNESDAY, Aug. 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) – If you’re like many people, your waistline has expanded during the pandemic. “The world shut down,” said Heather Tressler, a registered dietitian at the Penn State Celiac Clinic at Penn State Health’s Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. “Maybe you didn’t change what you ate, but you became less…  read on >  read on >

Kids may be able to swim their way to a deeper vocabulary. That’s the takeaway from a study in which researchers taught 48 kids ages 6 to 12 a few new words before they swam, did CrossFit-type exercises or coloring. The swimmers did 13% better in follow up tests of the new words — an…  read on >  read on >

Sun protection is essential as you enjoy the outdoors this summer, a skin expert stresses. “Skin cancer is the most common cancer in humans so it’s important that we do what we can to protect ourselves,” Dr. Ida Orengo, a professor of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said in a school news…  read on >  read on >

Young soccer players have more head impacts during practices but experience more severe head impacts during games, a small, preliminary study shows. The findings could help devise ways to improve head impact safety in youth soccer, according to the researchers. “Headers are a fundamental component to the sport of soccer. Therefore, it is important to…  read on >  read on >

This summer has brought dangerous, record-breaking heat to parts of the United States and Canada. The hot weather poses an extra challenge for pregnant women. Mothers-to-be need to stay cool to avoid heat exhaustion and its complications, according to an expert at Baylor College of Medicine, in Houston. “The summer is tough on pregnant women…  read on >  read on >

COVID-19 outbreaks among unvaccinated NFL players could result in forfeited games and loss of pay, the league announced Thursday. The policy sends a strong message about COVID-19 vaccines and is likely to be followed by others in the United States, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, told CBS News. The NFL has…  read on >  read on >

Before you sign your young pitcher up to play baseball in multiple leagues, familiarize yourself with guidelines that can protect them against overuse injuries. Sound obvious? A new survey shows it isn’t, because most parents have no idea what those guidelines are. Players under age 18 are pitching more and more frequently, often for several…  read on >  read on >