Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Standing Desks More Fashionable Than Healthy, Analysis Finds
NPR: Stand To Work If You Like, But Don't Brag About The Benefits
Too much sitting increases heart failure risk and disability risk, and shortens life expectancy, studies have found. But according to an analysis published Wednesday of 20 of the best studies done so far, there's little evidence that workplace interventions like the sit-stand desk or even the flashier pedaling or treadmill desks will help you burn lots more calories, or prevent or reverse the harm of sitting for hours on end. "What we actually found is that most of it is, very much, just fashionable and not proven good for your health," says Dr. Jos Verbeek, a health researcher at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. (Chen, 3/17)
The Associated Press: Things To Know, Ask If You’re Considering Bariatric Surgery
Finances and fear deter many morbidly obese patients from having stomach-reducing bariatric surgery, but it’s steadily becoming more common. Surgical techniques and insurance coverage have improved, and the number of obese Americans, now about 79 million, keeps rising. Meanwhile, research shows benefits go far beyond looking better, because obesity reduces life span by two to 10 years. (Johnson, 3/17)
The Associated Press: Commission: US Lacks Strategies To Lower Child Abuse Deaths
The United States lacks coherent, effective strategies for reducing the stubbornly high number of children who die each year from abuse and neglect, a commission created by Congress reported Thursday after two years of sometimes divisive deliberations. The report made dozens of recommendations, including expanding safe-haven programs for abandoned infants and enlisting a broader range of community organizations to help often-overburdened child protection service workers. "We need a system that does not rely on CPS agencies alone to keep all children safe," the report said. "Other systems become key partners, including the courts, law enforcement, the medical community, mental health, public health, and education. Even neighbors who come into regular contact with young children and families are part of a public health approach." (3/17)
