When 11-year-old Shania Lape sees an overweight classmate struggle to keep up, she's filled with sympathy. "They can't run as fast, they can't play the games at school because they're not healthy," said Shania, a fifth-grader at Kenly Elementary in Tampa. Worse yet, not being able to play with their classmates could lead to a lifetime on the sidelines for some kids.
Health reporters got an unusual amount of mileage out of a study that said that its chief finding was “of unknown clinical significance.” And when these same reporters put on their blogging hats, they went off-road entirely.
People living with diabetes in San Joaquin County may have cause for concern: The county ranks worst in the state for deaths caused by diabetes. Medical officials say the lack of education and resources are to blame.
Studies say children of drug abusers are at higher risk of suffering from social ailments -- including drug addiction -- than other children. This story is part of a series that examines prescription drug abuse in Kentucky.
When I began reporting on health taboos in Asian communities in New York, I didn't know I would be facing such tough challenges.
Prescription drug abuse is growing nationwide, but West Virginia was one of the first places hit by the problem. When I picked this topic, I didn't realize how complex it was. The drugs are widely available. Doctors are struggling to treat pain with effective medications without suppl
Serious depression is a growing problem for multicultural seniors. But unlike older whites, ethnic people 50-plus are blocked from treatment by poverty, limited or no insurance, lack of programs geared for them—and the stigma of mental problems that permeates many cultures. New America media senior editor Paul Kleyman begins his occasional series on mental challenges for ethnic seniors with this article on treatable depression.
Victoria Colliver explains that the effects of depression and mental illness have shown a high correlation to shortened life expectancy and links to high-risk health behaviors.
Robert Joiner examines health-care disparities that persist in the St. Louis area, despite the fact that the region is blessed with some of the finest medical facilities in the world.
Three-part series on obesity in Merced County
Part 1: Merced's growing problem of obesity in life's stages
Part 2: Teens have easy access to unhealthy foods
Part 3: From binge eating to getting fit
