At the grocery store or in the news, you’ve likely come across the controversy over products made with genetically-modified organisms, or GMOs. Scientific advances that use biotechnology to create plants that can resist disease and insects, offer higher yields and include additional nutrients have sparked fear among the public. The worry is that that genetically-modified foods will harm human health and the environment. [Read more…]
GMOs: Agricultural improvement or health threat?
June 15, 2016 By Leave a Comment
When should kids start kindergarten?
June 6, 2016 By Leave a Comment
It’s the season when parents of incoming kindergartners register their children for school. For many parents, myself included, deciding which year children should start formal schooling is difficult. [Read more…]
Checking Up on the Science of Homosexuality
May 17, 2016 By 1 Comment
Diversity in sexual orientation—whether gay, straight, bisexual, or somewhere in between—has sparked long-standing controversies across the globe. In the United States, recent debates have centered around the civil rights for same-sex couples. In many other countries, homosexuality is considered illegal; in some, it’s punishable by death. [Read more…]
Exercise for Weight Loss?
May 11, 2016 By 3 Comments
Contestants on the reality television show “The Biggest Loser” exercise for hours a day and follow restricted diets to lose dozens of pounds on the show. But a longitudinal study published this week found very few of them were able to maintain their weight loss in the years following their appearances on the show. (The New York Times published a story this week on the study and the contestants experiences.) [Read more…]
What we know about kids and screen time
April 22, 2016 By 1 Comment
New findings about screen-time for babies and kids are something I keep a close eye on. As parent of three young children, I want to do what’s best for them. And yet I’m often tempted to use the television – “just one show” – when I need to get something done. [Read more…]
The evidence on retirement
April 15, 2016 By Leave a Comment
The other day, a friend who is nearing retirement age stopped me in the gym locker room. “I want to know what the evidence says,” she told me. “Is retirement going to be good for me?” [Read more…]
The evidence on house-hunting
March 31, 2016 By 1 Comment
As I drive my children to their after-school activities, I’ve noticed more and more for sale signs along the roads around our house – a sure sign of spring! As we approach house-hunting and moving season, it’s a good idea to look at the evidence on house-hunting. [Read more…]
Kids these days…: The evidence on teen behaviors
March 25, 2016 By Leave a Comment
At one time or another, we have all heard someone say, “Kids these days…” in the lofty tone that suggests children from generations past were better behaved, more responsible and less troubled than today’s youth. Maybe you’ve even said something similar yourself; I know that I have. [Read more…]
What we know — and what we don’t — about standing desks
March 22, 2016 By Leave a Comment
If you pay any attention to news stories about health and wellness, you’ve likely read or heard that sitting for long periods of time can harm your health.
There is evidence to suggest that sitting for hours at a time leads to a host of health problems including heart disease, diabetes, bone and joint problems, poor posture, weak muscles and even some types of cancer. [Read more…]
Does fasting work for weight loss and health?
March 16, 2016 By 1 Comment
Every few years, a new diet becomes popular for its promise to help people lose weight and improve their health. Sometimes, these diets are based on sound evidence, and other times they are not. Often when new diets first become popular, there is not enough data to know whether they really work. [Read more…]
Revisiting the evidence on climate change
March 10, 2016 By 1 Comment
It’s 73 degrees in Ithaca, New York today, according to the thermometer on my minivan. My 7-year-old begged to wear shorts to school today, and soon thereafter reminded me, “It’s still winter mom!” Given such an early spring-feeling day in this northern latitude, I thought it’d be a good time to revisit the evidence on global warming. [Read more…]
The evidence on salt? The jury is still out
March 2, 2016 By 1 Comment
To most people across the globe, salt tastes delicious. It’s the reason most people crave foods like potato chips, peanuts and pretzels. There’s also a sizeable dose of salt in most processed foods, such as soups, frozen entrees and store-bought sauces. Salt even turns up in foods you wouldn’t expect, such as Corn Flakes and cookies. [Read more…]
