National Public Health Week: Start Here

This week is National Public Health Week (NPHW). During the first full week of April every year, National Public Health Week recognizes the contributions of public health and highlights issues that are important to improving our nation. The theme for National Public Health Week (NPHW) 2014 — Public Health: Start Here – will draw the nation’s attention to topics including school nutrition, disaster preparedness, prevention, food safety and community health.

National Public Health Week 2014

Our Overweight World: The Men Who Made Us Fat

Around the world, obesity levels are rising. For the first time in history, more people are overweight than undernourished. Premiering Friday, April 4th through Sunday, April 20th on BBC World News, a 3-part documentary series entitled “The Men Who Made Us Fat” explores the political, economic and social events that led to our increasingly overweight world.

The Men Who Made Us Fat

7 Sneaky Steps to a Healthier Halloween

Halloween is here and tonight the sidewalks will be filled with little ghouls and goblins marching from one house to the next in search of treats. All Hallows’ Eve can be scary, especially when it comes to the amount of calories, sugar and high-fructose corn syrup children consume this time of year. Here are seven sneaky steps parents can take to make Halloween a bit healthier for their little monsters.

Trick or treat

USDA Replaces School Junk Food with “Smart Snacks”

Federal officials finalized new regulations on snacks sold in U.S. schools this week, requiring lower limits on the amount of fat, calories, sugar and salt [1]. The USDA’s “Smart Snacks in School” nutrition standards balances science-based nutrition guidelines with practical and flexible solutions to promote healthier eating during the school day.

School vending machines

Increased Red Meat Consumption Linked to Higher Diabetes Risk

According to a new long-term observational study from researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and the National University of Singapore, increasing the number of servings of red meat over time increases the risk of getting type 2 diabetes, while cutting back reduces the danger. The study is published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Red meat