Latest KFF Health News Stories
America’s Obesity Epidemic Threatens Effectiveness of Any COVID Vaccine
Vaccines engineered to protect the public from influenza, hepatitis B, tetanus and rabies are less effective for obese people, leaving them more vulnerable to serious illness. As scientists race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, experts say obesity could prove an impediment — a sobering prospect for a nation in which nearly half of all adults are obese.
No More Tater Tots? California Schools Put Healthier Lunches To The Test
In the Golden State and elsewhere, school lunches include less meat, fewer processed foods and more fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. One of the challenges nutrition advocates face is a new directive from the Trump administration that cuts the other way.
Obesity Stigma And Yo-Yo Dieting, Not BMI, Are Behind Chronic Health Conditions, Dietitian Claims
With nearly 72% of U.S. adults considered overweight or obese, the pressing question is: Is it possible to be overweight and healthy at the same time? The science falls short.
Enfermedad del hígado graso afecta a niños latinos como un “tsunami silencioso”
Investigaciones recientes muestran que cerca de 1 de cada 4 personas en el país sufre la enfermedad del hígado graso. Pero entre los latinos, la tasa es significativamente más alta.
Liver Illness Strikes Latino Children Like A ‘Silent Tsunami’
Potentially deadly fatty liver disease, linked to overconsumption of sugar in drinks and food, often starts in childhood. The goal: Get children to change their habits.
Soda Industry Steals Page From Tobacco To Combat Taxes On Sugary Drinks
Voters in Oregon and Washington will decide whether to strip cities of the ability to tax sugary drinks.
La obesidad y la depresión están relacionadas, y deberían tratarse juntas
Aunque en la superficie las dos condiciones parecen muy diferentes, comparten similitudes importantes. Las dos son condiciones crónicas difíciles de tratar, y requieren intervenciones de salud física y mental de largo plazo.
Obesity And Depression Are Entwined, Yet Scientists Don’t Know Why
As the link between obesity and depression becomes increasingly clear, so do the challenges of treating these distinct chronic conditions together.
Obesidad infantil: todos los niños deberían recibir ayuda urgente
Expertos dicen que es crucial que todos los niños sean examinados para determinar si están sufriendo de obesidad. Hispanos están en más riesgo.
All Kids Should Be Screened for Obesity
An expert panel renews its guidelines that children and teens be screened for obesity at doctors’ offices and advised to receive treatment.
Leading the Way? Northern California Cities To Embark On Soda Tax Spending
Health advocates are expecting millions in new tax money for health education programs aimed at preventing obesity, diabetes and tooth decay. Other cities around the country are mulling similar measures.
Another Reason To Diet: Experts Find Additional Evidence Of Obesity-Cancer Link
A review by the International Agency for Research on Cancer reaffirms earlier findings that excess body fat increases the risks for certain cancers.
Soda Taxes: Gaining Steam Or Getting Steamrolled?
A staunch advocate of taxing sugary drinks discusses the benefits and difficulties of enacting such policies.
As Childhood Diabetes Rates Rise, So Do Costs — And Families Feel The Pinch: Study
Researchers estimated that a year’s worth of care for kids with diabetes cost more than $17,000.
California’s Glaring Shortage Of School Nurses
A new national pediatric guideline proposes that every school have a nurse on staff. In California, 57 percent of school districts do not employ nurses.
Majority Of Texans And Floridians Want Medicaid Expansion, Survey Shows
Residents of California, New York and Ohio approve of Medicaid expansion in those states, the survey by a Houston-based think tank found.
Combined Effects Of Maternal Obesity, Diabetes ‘Substantially’ Raise Autism Risks
A study published in the February issue of Pediatrics examines both the independent and combined effects of these two maternal health factors on children’s likelihood of developing autism spectrum disorder.
Incentive Worth $550 Fails To Motivate Obese Workers To Lose Weight
Obese employees at the University of Pennsylvania were promised an insurance premium discount valued at $550 if they lost 5 percent of their weight, but the incentive failed.
Hands Off That Frozen Pizza! Docs Advise Customers As They Shop
An Orange County, California hospital system is posting doctors at supermarkets to help customers make healthier choices. It’s part of a larger national effort among hospitals to improve community health outcomes.
Baby Boomers Set Another Trend: More Golden Years In Poorer Health
Medicare faces sharp cost increases as more baby boomers reach 65, and their life expectancies grow, as well as their chronic conditions, say researchers at the University of Southern California.
