Three-quarters of Americans plan to start the New Year with a resolution to be more healthy, including 28% who want to focus on improving their mental health, a new survey has found. These folks plan to exercise more (67%), meditate (49%), keep a diary (26%), or see a therapist (35%) or psychiatrist (21%), according to… read on > read on >
All Lifestyle:
Holiday Foods You Need to Keep Away From Your Pets
The holidays are all about treats and most pets are thrilled to partake in the indulging, but some foods you might give them could make them sick or worse. “Pets tend to get more treats at holiday time — from their owners or from houseguests — which can put them at risk for health issues… read on > read on >
Record Number of Americans Choose Obamacare
Over 15 million Americans have signed up for health insurance using the Affordable Care Act’s federal marketplace, a 33% increase from the year before, preliminary government data shows. On Dec. 15, the deadline for coverage that starts Jan. 1, a whopping 745,000 people picked their health insurance plan using the healthcare.gov website, the U.S. Department… read on > read on >
Losing Sleep Makes for Unhappy, Anxious Days
An exhaustive review of sleep research spanning five decades underscores the importance of getting your Zzzzzs. Sleep loss undermines emotional functioning and increases a person’s risk for anxiety and depression, the study found. It also takes a toll on positive emotions like joy, happiness and contentment. “In our largely sleep-deprived society, quantifying the effects… read on > read on >
Gradual Weight Loss Using Meds Helps Folks With Arthritis Live Longer
Using a weight-loss medication to help you shed pounds gradually appears to help extend life for people with arthritis of the hips or knees, a new study finds. However, folks with arthritis who dropped pounds very quickly showed no benefit in terms of survival, and even a slight uptick in their risk for heart disease,… read on > read on >
‘Morning After’ Pill Sales Surge on Day After New Years’ Eve
Even Valentine’s Day apparently doesn’t trump the start of a brand new year when it comes to getting frisky. Sales of the morning-after pill surged across the U.S. after New Year 2022, new research shows. Nearly 41,000 extra pills were sold in the following week, a period linked to increased risks of unprotected sex. Sales… read on > read on >
Could Spinal Cord Stimulation Ease Depression?
Believe it or not, your spinal cord may be a pathway to better mood and even an end to depression, new research suggests. Investigators at the University of Cincinnati stressed that their pilot study — to see whether tweaking the spinal cord can ease depression — is in its very early stages. However, 20-minute sessions… read on > read on >
Holidays Can Be Tough on Kids With ADHD, Anxiety: Some Tips for Parents
Kids with emotional problems or ADHD can find the holidays a very challenging time, as all the routines that provide a sense of order are jumbled in a whirl of activities. The kids are home from school and restless, their parents are hauling them along to Christmas shopping and holiday gatherings, and they’re eating lots… read on > read on >
The ‘Most Wonderful’ Time? Maybe Not, Say Holiday-Stressed Americans
What’s even more nerve-wracking than paying taxes? The holidays, according to a majority of Americans, who say it takes them weeks to recover from seasonal stress. “The holidays are an easy time to justify putting off healthy habits, but it’s important to manage chronic stress and other risk factors to stay healthy during the holiday… read on > read on >
WHO Declares JN.1 a COVID Variant of Interest as It Spreads Widely
The new COVID variant known as JN.1 was named a “variant of interest” by the World Health Organization on Tuesday, which means health officials are now closely tracking its rapid spread across the globe. So far, the highly mutated variant has not been shown to trigger more severe illness than previous incarnations of the coronavirus.… read on > read on >