Bridging the gap between research and real life
After a holiday season full of good cheer—and extra cocktails for many—more Americans than ever participated this year in “Dry January,” a month-long sobriety challenge that began as a public-health campaign in England. Surveys found that between 13 and 15 percent of Americans decided to forgo alcohol that month, an increase from last year.
That’s likely a good thing for their health. [Read more…]
An estimated 3 percent of Americans follow a vegan diet, not consuming any animal products at all; an additional 5 percent follow a vegetarian diet, eating eggs and dairy, but not meat. At the same time, Americans are eating more meat than ever. In 2020, we consumed an average of 265 pounds of meat per person, up from 97 pounds per person in 1999. [Read more…]
Currently, 62 percent of Americans age 5 and up are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, with 34 percent having received a booster dose. That leaves more than 100 million Americans who have made the choice to skip the COVID-19 vaccine despite clear evidence that the jabs help prevent serious illness.
Vaccine hesitancy is a serious public health challenge—one that researchers are learning more about. What’s going on here? [Read more…]
You probably know from personal experience that the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on sleep for many people. If your own sleep hasn’t been affected, chances are you know someone who has experienced sleep problems in the past year and a half. [Read more…]
When a doctor prescribes medicine, he gives a precise dose calculated to maximize the health benefits while minimizing any side effects. Similar to medicine, we know that exercise is good for our health; it reduces the risk of developing chronic disease and prolongs our life. In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates that more than 8 percent of people in the U.S. over age 40 die as a result of too little exercise. [Read more…]
Talk to people who are middle-aged or older about body weight, and you’ll likely hear them complain about how their metabolism has slowed down. But our commonly held beliefs about metabolism – primarily, that it slows for older people and women – are likely completely wrong, according to a new groundbreaking study published in the journal Science this month. [Read more…]
Nearly 15 percent of people age 70 and older experience some form of dementia; that number jumps to nearly 35 percent for people over age 90. And yet other people live more than 100 years with sharp minds.
What helps some people protect their brain health well into the later years of life? That’s the question researchers from the Netherlands asked in a new, longitudinal study published in JAMA Network Open that examines mentally sharp 100-year-olds. [Read more…]
Sixty-four percent of Americans drink coffee, adding up to 400 million cups daily. That’s a lot of coffee!
Researchers have long debated the health effects of one of America’s favorite drinks. In 1991, coffee was listed as a possible carcinogen by the World Health Organization. Research has demonstrated that coffee increases blood pressure and heart rate, but less is known about its impact on cardiovascular health. Coffee is not recommended for pregnant women because it’s unknown how it affects unborn babies. [Read more…]
Sexual assault is a serious problem on college campuses across the United States. Nearly 16 percent of female college students in the U.S. report experiencing an attempted or completed sexual assault before starting college and 19 percent report experiencing attempted or actual sexual assault during college, according to a comprehensive study. [Read more…]
Most kids in the U.S. have spent more time on screens during the COVID-19 pandemic for a myriad for reasons: to complete schoolwork virtually, stay occupied while parents worked at home and maintain connections with friends and family members. [Read more…]
Work is a major component of most people’s lives. On average, Americans spend 41 hours working outside the home each week, according to the International Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. [Read more…]
We’re more than one year into the global pandemic that has kept many Americans sequestered in their homes and taking precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 when they go out. Not surprisingly, these changes in how and when we interact with others has led to changes in our mental and physical health. Among those changes, emerging data show that many Americans have gained weight, are drinking more alcohol and are not sleeping well. [Read more…]
This form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
