More than a decade ago, the Obama administration passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 as a way to counter the toll the obesity epidemic was taking on children’s health. The goal was to markedly improve the nutritional value of federal food programs that regularly put free and/or low-cost breakfasts, lunches and snacks on… read on > read on >
All Food:
Folks With Type 1 Diabetes Are No More or Less Likely to Be Overweight: Study
Type 1 diabetes has long been considered a thin person’s disease, but a new study challenges that notion. About 62% of adults with type 1 diabetes were overweight or obese, the researchers found. That compared to 64% of those without diabetes and 86% of those with type 2 diabetes. For the study, the researchers used… read on > read on >
Exercise Can Help Shed Dangerous Fat Around the Liver
Often, patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease are advised to lose weight, but that can be hard to do and takes precious time. Now, researchers report they have found another strategy can help lower liver fat in people with this condition, which affects nearly 30% of the global population. Exercise of about 150 minutes each… read on > read on >
Well Water Germ Tests May Depend on Time of Year
Researchers studying well water found current monitoring practices often fail to reflect actual groundwater pollution risks. The problem: Spikes in harmful bacteria, like those from animal and human waste, vary depending on the season. They may be higher at times when testing is less likely to be done. “This is concerning because many residents and… read on > read on >
Mouse Study Hints at New Treatment for Peanut Allergy
People with peanut allergies have to be vigilant about avoiding the food and always be armed with emergency treatment. Now scientists say they’ve taken an early step toward a drug that could prevent severe reactions to peanuts in the first place. The compound has only been tested in lab mice, and no such drug will… read on > read on >
Consumer Reports Warns of Mercury in Canned Tuna
Canned tuna is known to contain low levels of mercury, but a new Consumer Reports investigation has found spikes of the neurotoxin in some cans. The organization tested five popular tuna brands, CBS News reported. While the mercury levels were all within U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards, Consumer Reports urged pregnant women to “avoid… read on > read on >
Cutting Calories May Slow Aging in Healthy Adults
The key to living longer could be eating less. In a new study published in the journal Nature Aging, researchers found that a calorie-restricted diet had substantial health benefits, including delayed aging. “The main take-home of our study is that it is possible to slow the pace of biological aging and that it may be… read on > read on >
Could a Vibrating Pill Ease Chronic Constipation?
A new treatment for chronic constipation may bring relief without having to use drugs. It’s a vibrating pill called Vibrant that stimulates the colon as it passes through the body. Although the pill was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last August, doctors can start prescribing Vibrant this week. “We are working right… read on > read on >
Seniors’ Dental Care Declines After Medicare Kicks In
Without dental coverage, many American seniors on Medicare stop getting the fillings and crowns they may need, a new study finds. The result isn’t pretty. “Without dental coverage for adults who are eligible [for] Medicare, we are seeing a rise in loss of teeth after age 65 among nearly 1 in 20 adults, which represents… read on > read on >
How Are Toxins Like Lead, Arsenic Getting Into Baby Foods?
Parents in the United States may assume baby food is free of impurities, but a recent research review highlights the much different reality: Most foods made for babies and toddlers have some amount of toxic heavy metals. The contaminants include metals, such as lead and arsenic, that can harm brain development, and contribute to learning… read on > read on >