Health, features and articles | Educational Science

Sep 30, 2010

Obesity: A 'Winnable' Public Health Battle?

This is the fourth in a six-part MyHealthNewsDaily series examining the problems and solutions related to six winnable battles in public health, as recently announced by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Americans are eager voyeurs into the lives of obese people on TV shows such as The...

Sep 30, 2010

Halloween Treats: 6 Sweet Facts

Intro (Image credit: Dreamstime)The mention of Halloween brings up images of trick-or-treaters with plastic jack-o'-lantern pails full of candy. Here are six facts about the spooky holiday's sweets. Side 2 (Image credit: Creative Commons | Matanya)Tootsie Rolls were the first wrapped penny candy in America. Inventor Leo Hirschfield gave the...

Aug 31, 2010

Men More Susceptible to Memory Decline

Men are more susceptible than women to memory problems in old age, according to a new study. Mild cognitive impairment, a condition in which people have problems with memory or thinking beyond that explained by normal aging, can lead to Alzheimer's disease. The new research, published Sept. 7 in the...

Aug 31, 2010

How Do They Make Spam?

Though often jokingly referred to as the supermarket equivalent of the mystery meat consumed in school cafeterias, there really is no puzzle about what constitutes Spam, the rectangular meat many of us have come to love. After all, the contents are clearly labeled on the can: Pork with ham meat...

Aug 31, 2010

Surprising Hike in Suicide Rates Found Among Baby Boomers

Suicide rates among middle-age people are going up, according to a new study. The trend seems to be driven by the entrance of the Baby Boom generation into middle age, when chronic diseases rear their ugly heads. The study, published in the journal Public Health Reports, reveals middle-age suicides to...

Aug 31, 2010

When's the Best Time to Get the Flu Vaccine?

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends getting the seasonal flu vaccine as soon as possible, some doctors say people should wait until October or November. When's the best time to get the flu shot? Everyone should get the flu vaccine as soon as it becomes available in...

Jul 31, 2010

Why Don't Fad Diets Work?

The bevy of diets available to consumers is overwhelming from Slim-Fast to the acai berry diet, there always seems to be a new diet hitting the market. But, as many people struggling to lose weight already know, dieters that follow fad diets are rarely successful. Even when a diet leads...

Jul 31, 2010

Why Do Women Have Breasts?

In the primate world, plump breasts last only as long as breastfeeding doesexcept in humans. Women are busty all the time, even after menopause. According to some scientists, the trait is an evolutionary trick for snagging men and signals a woman's ability to feed her children. But no one can...

Jul 31, 2010

Can You Really Laugh Until You Cry?

We laugh in joy and cry over pain, right? Well, it turns out that it's not so black-and-white. Although not fully understood, we can laugh until we cry. One explanation for this is that both laughing and crying happen during times of high emotional arousal, University of Maryland at Baltimore...

Jul 31, 2010

Why Do People Often Drown Together?

A spate of recent drowning incidents has highlighted the fact that many people do not know the correct way to try to help a drowning victim. All too often, upon seeing a drowning person in distress, people try to help and end up drowning themselves, said B. Chris Brewster, president...

Jul 31, 2010

What Are False Positives and False Negatives?

While many of today's medical tests are accurate, false negative or positives do occur. What causes these erroneous results? A false negative is a test result that indicates a person does not have a disease or condition when the person actually does have it, according to the National Institute of...

Jul 31, 2010

Bottled vs. Brewed: Study Reveals Healthiest Teas

Labels on bottled tea beverages are typically plastered with declarations of their rich antioxidant content. But a new study suggests, if you're looking for high doses of healthful antioxidants, you might be better off brewing your tea at home. Many of the popular beverages included in the study contain fewer...

Jul 31, 2010

Can the Growing Obesity Problem Be Curbed?

Despite a decade of programs, messages, guilt trips and warnings, Americans are getting even fatter. The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention reported this month that 26.7 percent of adults over the age of 18 are obese, compared with 19.8 percent in 2000. The alarming rate of growth is in...

Jul 31, 2010

What's Black Lung?

Aside from collapses and other hazards that all miners face, coal miners also have to worry about developing black lung, a deadly but preventable disease caused by the inhalation of coal dust. In severe cases, black lung is characterized by inflammation and scarring of the lungs, which often permanently damages...

Jun 30, 2010

What's the Most Common STD?

With more than 600 million cases worldwide, including 20 million in the United States, human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The virus is most prevalent among young adults. In a...