Smoking is bad for you – that’s common knowledge. Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability and death in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. [Read more…]
Paying Smokers to Quit Really Works
July 22, 2019 By Leave a Comment
The Growing Problem of Weight Discrimination
July 16, 2019 By Leave a Comment
More than 93 million Americans are obese. That’s nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population. Researchers and healthcare providers have invested time and money in studies to explain why so many Americans are so overweight and what our society can do about it [Read more…]
Early-life Conditions Identify People at Risk for Suicide
June 13, 2019 By Leave a Comment
Suicide is devastating for those it touches. Family members and friends of those who die by suicide are frequently left wondering why their loved ones would take own lives. [Read more…]
Should You Wear Sunscreen?
May 29, 2019 By Leave a Comment
If you follow health and wellness news, you have probably seen the building hype this year about sunscreen. Popular news outlets have been questioning if the ingredients in sunscreen pose health threats. One even questions whether sunscreen is the new margarine? (Many margarines – developed to encourage people to avoid the saturated fats in butter – contain transfats, which turn out to be more unhealthy than butter.) [Read more…]
Is Kombucha Really Good For You?
May 16, 2019 By Leave a Comment
If you haven’t tried it, you’ve at least heard of it. Kombucha – a beverage made of sweet tea fermented with yeast and bacteria – is the latest drink touted to improve your health. [Read more…]
Does Getting Less Sleep Affect Your Health?
May 1, 2019 By Leave a Comment
Over centuries, the human body has developed a natural rhythm that uses biological and environmental factors to determine when to sleep and eat. But continued advances in technology – starting with the light bulb and moving all the way to on demand entertainment – allows people to ignore these natural rhythms in a phenomenon that researchers call “social jet lag.” [Read more…]
Can Someone Really Die of a Broken Heart?
April 30, 2019 By Leave a Comment
If you haven’t observed it first-hand, you’ve likely heard of “the widowhood effect” – where older people who lose a spouse have an increased chance of dying themselves. [Read more…]
The Health Risks of Climate Change
April 19, 2019 By Leave a Comment
Climate change is a well-documented phenomenon. 2018 was the 42nd consecutive year that the global temperature was above average, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. [Read more…]
Can Vitamins Help to Prevent Dementia?
April 15, 2019 By Leave a Comment
One in three senior citizens dies with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. So it’s no surprise that medical researchers have spent decades looking for a way to prevent or treat cognitive decline. [Read more…]
The Complex Links Between Social Media and Mental Health
March 26, 2019 By 1 Comment
Over the past decade, social media platforms have completely transformed how billions of people interact with each other. Of the 7.7 billion people on the earth, approximately 3.3 billion have at least one social media account. The average person spends nearly two hours a day on social media apps or web sites. [Read more…]
What to Do If a Loved One Self-Injures
February 26, 2019 By Leave a Comment
Research shows that approximately 17 percent of youth intentionally injure themselves at some point – not in an effort to take their own lives, but as a cry for help or an emotional release. Self-injury is most common among teenagers, and more common among sexual minorities and youth with mental health disorders. [Read more…]
Exploring the Link Between Health and Happiness
February 18, 2019 By Leave a Comment
It’s common sense that it’s difficult to feel happy when you are seriously ill. But do feelings of happiness help to prevent people from becoming sick, or help them to get better quicker? [Read more…]
