Are you planning to reduce or eliminate fast food from your diet this year? You probably should. Despite the epidemic of obesity in the U.S., there’s been little change in portion sizes and meal formulation between 1996 and 2013. An analysis of calorie, sodium, saturated fat and trans fat content of popular menu items served… Read More Fast Food Still Too High in Salt, Fat and Calories
A new policy brief from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation finds that health care inequities are still a serious problem for many Americans, depending upon their race, gender, income, location and other social factors. The report is available for download on the Health Affairs website. Researchers analyzed more than a decade’s worth of results from… Read More Health Disparities Still Problematic
Adults at high risk of developing lung cancer – especially smokers – should have low-dose CT scans annually, according to new recommendations by the US Preventive Services Task Force. The panel determined that yearly scans “can prevent a substantial number of lung cancer-related deaths,” according to a press release issued today. Smoking causes some 75… Read More USPSTF Recommends Annual Lung Screening for High Risk Adults
Well, this sure is depressing. Amid all the news about more Americans gaining health insurance, the to-do over New York City Mayor Bloomberg’s war on super-sized sugary drinks, and efforts to provide healthier school lunches, there’s this: The U.S. ranks at or near the bottom in nine key areas of health: infant mortality and low… Read More Health of Americans Ranks Worst Among High-Income Countries
Day One at the Association of Healthcare Journalists conference in Boston and I already feel like a better journalist. Today focused in part on skepticism. This morning, Marshall Allen of ProPublica helped us make more sense of hospital ratings. When an organization or facility pronounces a “tops in…” or “ranked one of the best in…”… Read More Conference message to health journalists: be skeptical.
The Human Factor 