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First, the bad news. A report just published in The Lancet depicts a true obesity epidemic.
On a lighter and certainly brighter note, a new study published in the journal Obesity refutes the rather bizarre theory that diet beverages are linked to weight gain rather than weight loss.

Since the 1960s there has been a highly effective and safe drug to reverse the effects of narcotics (mostly heroin) overdoses. Naloxone (Narcan) is found in every emergency room and if it is administered in time it is almost miraculous. A person who has had a overdose even those who are near death (narcotics will stop you from breathing if you take too much) will wake up instantly.

Regular physical activity can be beneficial at all ages, but may be especially important for seniors as loss of mobility can both be a result of, as well as cause, chronic illnesses. A new study

We ve known for a long time that people can reduce their risk of cardiovascular events (heart attacks and strokes) if they habitually consume moderate amounts of alcoholic beverages no more than one or two standard drinks per day. But the data on stroke in particular have been somewhat inconclusive. Now a huge new meta-analysis demonstrates that some alcohol consumption may significantly reduce the risk of stroke.

The latest health news: e-cigarette study shows devices effective for quitting smoking, why GM labeling likely won't happen, and how Yelp is helping to crack down on food-borne illnesses

Cancer treatment and cures are the elusive goals of millions of people, including patients, familial caregivers, medical providers, and researchers. Although certain cancers are indeed curable, many of

Dr. Mark Lorch, who is a senior lecturer in biological chemistry at the UK s University of Hull, seems to be channeling what we at ACSH have been saying for years:

We guess it would be too much to hope for: finding two sound-science-based stories in the New York Times on the same day. While one did alert readers to a widely circulated weight-loss scam, the writer of a Health column, of all things, went out of her way to disseminate specious concerns about GMO ingredients in food as a platform for endorsingGMO-labeling

Catch the latest health news from bacteria lurking in Trader Joe hummus, surprising study on diabetes, and how Yelp is helping health officials track down food-borne illnesses

edia connects and informs communities about everything from local

A number of food companies have recalled 15,000 pounds of hummus after listeria contamination was discovered by the Texas Department of Health in hummus produced by Target Archer Farms and sold by various companies. According to Food Safety Working Group, a federal agency that coordinates information from various sources, such as the CDC and FDA, the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes is the fourth leading cause of bacterial food poisoning.

If not well-controlled, diabetes either type 1 or type 2 can result in a number of debilitating complications. Some or these are due to negative effects on small blood vessels or microvasculature throughout the body. Thus, problems with vessels in the eyes (retinopathy), kidneys (nephropathy) and nervous system (neuropathy), can result in blindness, kidney damage, and/or pain and numbness in the legs and feet, respectively.

ACSH friend (and the creator of the enormously popular Science 2.0 website) has the uncanny ability to sniff out bad (and hypocritical) science, and when he does, he is not shy about speaking his mind.
This time he goes after the radical environmental group Friends of the Earth, and by the time they read his piece they will not be Friends of Hank.

There are currently about 42 million Americans who still smoke. And smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death,

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) an organization not exactly known for its acceptance of modern technology has given its OK to a new genetically engineered soybean produced by Monsanto.

If I m Ed Begley, Jr., Josh Tickell or Mariel Hemingway I m probably going to spend a whole lot of time hiding under my organic bed for the foreseeable future. Because if they got a Ph.D. in How to Look Bad,

One thing that everyone should know by now is that smoking during pregnancy can harm a baby in several ways. For example, smokers babies are typically smaller than they should be, and their lungs may be less well developed than those of babies born to non-smokers. However, despite these well-publicized facts, recent data from the CDC indicate that over 12 percent of pregnant women smoke.

Dr. Josh Bloom on Science 2.0, May 21, 2014.
Is life great or what?

The New York legislature, like those in other states, is considering mandating labeling of genetically engineered (GMO) foods. ACSH is firmly against such laws, for reasons we have presented on numerous occasions.

Yesterday, at the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens committee hearing in Trenton, New Jersey, the focus was on a bill that would impose a wholesale sales tax of 75 percent on e-cigarettes.

Critics of aspartame (NutraSweet) who may be getting tired of trying (unsuccessfully) for 35 years to get the sweetener off the market may have something to look forward to. Yesterday the FDA approved advantame the sixth approved sugar substitute on the market today.

The latest health stories from the hefty price of cancer, the unintended consequence of a successful HIV drug, and why we shouldn't tax food to fight obesity

Hats off to Paul Howard at the Manhattan Institute for a fascinating and very timely commentary entitled Sure, We'll (Eventually) Beat Cancer. But Can We Afford To?
Howard s piece is about the disconnect between emerging scientific advances to fight cancer and our ability as a society to pay for them.

We ve been hearing them for years proposals to tax certain foods or beverages because of their purported health effects. Now a Belgian professor, Olivier de Schutter, has issued a statement, according to a Reuters report, that Unhealthy diets are now a greater threat to global health than tobacco.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) prevalence is on the rise, increasing 13% over the last twenty years in the United States alone. Its incidence is expected to