It's been 50 years since Dr. Paul R. Ehrlich published his anti-population growth screed, The Population Bomb. Although he scared some folks and annoyed more, most of the deadly consequences he foresaw just didn't happen.
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The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force just recommended that all light-skinned children beginning at the age of six months receive skin-cancer prevention guidance. That's a stark shift from its 2012 recommendations when the panel advised this training start at age 10.
Just ahead of barbecue season, here's something to stress about: grilling and charring red meat, chicken, and fish at high temps could lead to high blood pressure, according to a recent study from the American Heart Association. But don't cancel your upcoming BBQ invites just yet — it's all in the way you cook your burger, and how often.
The history of societies and climatic change have much to teach about fragility and resilience. Will we look to our past to envision our future?
Activists are simply winning the public relations battle when it comes to agriculture. Here's a way to change that.
It's been clear for years that the CDC was making a huge mistake in gathering data about opioid overdose deaths. Specifically, lumping together prescription drugs with street drugs. All this accomplished was to make the pills look much more dangerous than they really were. The agency finally fessed up. Too little. Too late. Too secretive.
Our northern neighbor affirmed that a variety of Golden Rice, which has higher levels of provitamin A, is otherwise no different that varieties of rice that have been genetically modified for thousands of years. Further, it does not pose a greater risk to human health than rice varieties currently available on the Canadian market.
Twenty years ago, an expert panel at the National Institutes of Health lowered the BMI cutoff for being overweight from 27 to 25. But a recent report suggests that for one segment of the population — postmenopausal women – that might not be low enough. Also, to define obesity in this population the cutoff of 30 might be too high.
Aging can be associated with a loss of muscle mass and functional deficits. Recent research finds that while testosterone can help older men gain muscle, just adding more protein to the diet does not. Thus, there doesn't seem to be a reason to change protein requirements for seniors.
What better time to learn more about shuteye than "sleep awareness week"? A new study found that not only are humans sleeping less than other primates, but we're also not getting the sleep that we should be getting. Ugh. Sleep awareness week is exhausting! It might be best to take a nap before reading this one.
Environmental Working Group, which promotes fear and doubt about the (non-organic) American food supply, tries to pretend it isn't industry-driven. But given the group's cozy relationship with industry, it's no surprise officials have named Shazi Visram, a top organic baby food company founder, to its board.
Standing desks are all the rage; after all, we all know sitting is bad for your health. But now, recent studies suggest standing desks could be the biggest sham ever. Say it ain't so!
Medicare doesn't dispute how much pharmaceutical companies charge for their drugs. This laxity has inevitably led to the program being fleeced by them – to the tune of over a billion dollars. And that's just for a drug that doesn't even need to be in use.
It is easy to see how the peer review process has flaws. How to fix those flaws is a bit more difficult. However, at the "Peer Review Congress" a group of scientists meets every four years to do just that, when they consider ongoing problems with the quality and credibility of science and discuss potential improvements.
Pumpkin season is here, but it's more than just a fad. There's a bit of science behind why we're so obsessed with pumpkin spice everything!
Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. Finding it early can vastly improve the chances for successful treatment, but screening rates are low, even though screening is known to be effective. But if people are reminded to be screened, or are sent in-home tests, the screening rates improve.
People with red hair tend to have a greater health risk from sun exposure, and for developing skin cancer. But now researchers at Boston University report that they've found a way to potentially reduce that risk by altering a protein involved with pigmentation in humans.
Over-the-counter drugs – especially for coughs, colds and insomnia – are routinely combined with pain medications. This is usually unnecessary and possibly dangerous. So why are these drugs in there? It's due to unethical marketing by drug companies. Not cool, guys.
What's more disturbing: The revelation that roughly a third of the athletes at the 2011 track world championships were doping – undetected – or that it took six years for the news of such a remarkable breakdown to become public? If this was a race, using the sport's parlance, you might say they'd break the tape simultaneously.
Results of a recent prospective study of food intake in 18 countries —including North and South America, Europe, and Asia — reports that an increased intake of fruits, vegetables and legumes is associated with a lower risk of death. But the same study was analyzed to see what effect different dietary nutrients might have and found that it's carbs, not fat that seem to be dietary villains.
An ongoing FDA investigation into allegedly harmful homeopathic teething products revealed (surprise!) a heap of significant violations found at a second facility. Not only that, but the company's sheer sketchiness – like preventing investigators from taking photos – is enough to make you question what it's hiding.
As ACSH's Ana Dolaskie approaches the final weeks of pregnancy, she is making sure all her vaccinations are up-to-date. This includes the TDAP vaccine (Tetanus-Diphtheria-Pertussis) and influenza shot. And she also wants to makes sure dads, partners, and others who are spending time with baby understand why getting vaccinated is key in protecting a newborn baby against potentially life-threatening illnesses, like pertussis (whooping cough).
Endorphins, those opiate-type neurotransmitters, are involved in sensations such as "runner's high" — as well as other situations where pleasurable feelings are thought to increase the likelihood that an activity will be repeated. Since eating also increases endorphins, it's been suggested that they might also be responsible for overeating. But a recent study fails to uphold that hypothesis.
The literature is filled to overflowing with "publish or perish" articles. So how do we know what to read? Well, the same people that brought you so, so many articles have a curated solution to your current awareness overload.
Stories circling around the web caution having your pets outdoors during the ultimate solar eclipse this Monday due to risk of damaging their eyes if they just so happen to look up. (Spoiler alert: Your dog doesn't typically look up on a normal day, and on this day, he probably won't either.)
But, if you do have pets, or live on a farm and have livestock, here's how the solar eclipse may affect them.
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