Banning Chocolate Milk In School: Could It Really Prevent Child Obesity?

Nutrition: First they came for our soda, then our chocolate milk: Los Angeles schools are considering banning flavored milks from their cafeterias to reduce child obesity, Christina Hoag reports for the Associated Press. But some experts say the milk's other nutrients, like calcium and protein, outweigh the harms of extra sugar.

Medicare Fraud? California hospital chain Prime Healthcare once again is under scrutiny for inaccurately diagnosing septicemia, a blood infection, in patients, Christina Jewett and Lance Williams report for California Watch. The chain already is under investigation for potential improper diagnoses of malnutrition and the rare nutritional disorder kwashiorkor among seniors to get more money from Medicare.

Autism: A six-year study of children in South Korea finds a surprisingly high rate of autism even among previously undiagnosed children in regular schools, Claudia Wallis reports for the New York Times. In a related story, Christina Jewett of California Watch (busy!) reports on a new study finding that California children conceived in March have a significantly higher rate of autism, perhaps because of their exposure to spring and summer pesticide use.

Assisted Living: A searing Miami Herald investigation of Florida's assisted living facilities finds atrocious living conditions and safety violations that have lead to deaths of elderly and mentally ill residents.

Latino Health: In Texas, researchers are examining the link between lead exposure and kidney disease in Latinos, Chris Roberts reports for the El Paso Times. Mexican candy, folk remedies and industrial pollution may explain some of the higher lead exposure seen in Latinos.

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Photo credit: edenpictures via Flickr