Topics:

In the media: Evidence-based mental health therapy?

depression440

The New York Times' Well Blog has a fascinating post this week on why mental health therapists do not consistently use evidence-based techniques in treating their patients. The post cites a meta-analysis conducted in 2009 that found patients rarely received evidence-based psychological treatments.  And when patients do receive them, they are often not implemented as well as they should be. In addition to referencing a wide range of studies, the author quotes mental health experts on possible … [Read more...]

How gay marriage impacts the well-being of children

Gay-Marriage

As the U.S. Supreme Court is set to consider a historic case on gay marriage, new evidence is available on how same-sex unions impact children. For the past four years, researchers working for the American Academy of Pediatrics have conducted an extensive review of the evidence on gay marriage, specifically examining how it impacts the health and well-being of children. The review led to a new policy statement for the Academy - an organization of 60,000 pediatricians - that says same sex marriage … [Read more...]

New evidence about the federal food stamps program

food-stamps

Nearly 45 million American receive help purchasing food each year through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly called food stamps.  Here on EBL, we've written about the federal program in the past, specifically how it helps keep families out of poverty. Now a new report from the National Academies of Sciences Institute of Medicine examines the evidence to determine if SNAP benefits provide sufficiently for the families they serve. Jamie Dollahite, associate professor … [Read more...]

Evaluating programs to promote teen sexual health

Father_of_the_Teen__Growing_Up_With_Your_Kids_photo

Teenagers and young adults represent only 25 percent of the sexually active population in the U.S., but they acquire nearly half of all new sexually transmitted infections, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. In addition, about 3 in 10 girls in the U.S. become pregnant before age 20. Clearly, encouraging the sexual health of young people is an important public health priority. But what's the best way to go about it? A new systematic review evaluates interventions parents can take … [Read more...]

The murky evidence about saturated fat

butter

For decades, it has been accepted as truth that eating foods high in saturated fats  such as  full-fat milk products and fatty cuts of meat -- lead to an increased risk of heart disease. Yet a small but growing body of evidence is raising questions about whether reducing saturated fat intake impacts health outcomes. Let me start by saying, the U.S. government unequivocally recommends a diet low in saturated fat. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reviewed the evidence in 2011 and concluded that … [Read more...]

The latest evidence on Vitamin D

vitamins

Keeping track of the latest evidence on which vitamin supplements to take can be confusing. Although new information is available regularly, mainstream media outlets don’t always report the full story, which can result in conflicting reports. There is new, clear evidence this month: The U.S. Preventative Services task force is recommending that healthy, postmenopausal women should not take Vitamin D and calcium supplements to prevent fractures. The task force - an independent panel of medical … [Read more...]

Debunking weight-loss myths

obese1

As our nation continues to struggle with an obesity epidemic and individuals work to lose weight with diet and exercises programs, a group of researchers from University of Alabama at Birmingham want to make sure we know what not to do. In an article published earlier this year in the New England Journal of Medicine, obesity researchers reviewed the evidence about losing weight to identify what we really know about the best ways to lose weight. They identified 7 commons myths about losing weight … [Read more...]

The serious effects of physical discipline

corporal-punishment

There are many factors that influence how parents discipline their children: parents' own upbringing, family customs and stress levels all factor in. But there is clear evidence that some forms of discipline - specifically physical punishment - have negative effects on children throughout their lives. A new systematic review reveals a body of evidence demonstrating physical punishment may increase the chances of antisocial behavior and aggression, depression, anxiety, drug abuse and psychological … [Read more...]

Exercise: One of the best medicines for your heart

aging_active

We all know that exercise is good for us.  But a new systematic review shows that regular exercise can significantly reduce cardiovascular risk factors, which ultimately reduces the risks of dying from heart disease. The review spells out detailed evidence about how much exercise is needed to improve cardiovascular health, and which populations benefit the most.  Here are some of the take-home messages that I found most interesting: The more your exercise, the more you reduce your risk of … [Read more...]

The evidence on yoga and the mind

yoga

We've all heard about the benefits of practicing yoga: Increased strength and flexibility, and well as peace of mind. Now there's a growing body of evidence that suggests yoga is helping for treating psychiatric disorders including depression, schizophrenia and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A systematic review published last month provides a good summary of the evidence on using yoga to treat mental health problems. The review identified 16 studies which examined yoga as … [Read more...]