Most Americans receive more than half their calories from ultra-processed foods, those tasty, energy-dense foods typically full of sugar, salt and unhealthy fats, according to a new federal report. Nutrition research has shown for years that ultra-processed foods make up a big chunk of the country’s diet, especially for kids and teens. For the first [...]
NEW YORK (AP) — Kindergarten vaccination rates inched down again last year and the share of children with exemptions rose to an all-time high, according to federal data posted last week. The fraction of kids exempted from vaccine requirements rose to 4.1 percent, up from 3.7 percent the year before. It’s the third record-breaking year [...]
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump last week reestablished the Presidential Fitness Test for American children, a fixture of public schools for decades that gauged young people’s health and athleticism with 1-mile runs, sit-ups and stretching exercises. “This is a wonderful tradition, and we’re bringing it back,” Trump said of the fitness test that began [...]
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has announced a plan for a new private health tracking system that will make it easier for patients to access their health records and monitor their wellness across health-care systems and technologies. The collaboration between the federal government and Big Tech would allow patients to more seamlessly track and [...]
Recently published research from the Ohio State University College of Public Health suggests a correlation between living longer and calling the Atlantic, Pacific or Gulf coast home. In its analysis of population data of more than 66,000 census tracts throughout the United States, the research team compared the data, which included life expectancy, based on [...]
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health officials are warning Americans about the risks of an opioid-related ingredient increasingly added to energy drinks, gummies and supplements sold at gas stations and convenience stores, recommending a nationwide ban. The chemical, known as 7- hydroxymitragynine, is a component of kratom, a plant native to Southeast Asia that has gained [...]
A quarter-size device that tracks the rise and fall of sugar in your blood is the latest source of hope — and hype — in the growing buzz around wearable health technology. Continuous glucose monitors, small patches that provide 24-hour insight into concentrations of sugar in the blood, could be a tool for Americans to [...]
The Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education at Ohio State University has launched the first university-level psychedelic education program designed specifically for non-clinical audiences, university officials recently announced. Early enrollment for the online Certificate in Interdisciplinary Psychedelic Studies, which started June 15, has demonstrated strong demand from a diverse pool of learners, according to [...]
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) — UnitedHealth Group said last week it was under a Department of Justice investigation. The company said it has started complying with both criminal and civil requests from federal investigators and it was cooperating with them. “(UnitedHealth) has a long record of responsible conduct and effective compliance,” the company said in [...]
More than 50 years after the Safe Drinking Water Act was passed to ensure that Americans’ water is free from harmful bacteria, lead and other dangerous substances, millions of people living in mobile home parks can’t always count on those protections. A review by The Associated Press found that nearly 70 percent of mobile home [...]