7 troublesome ways teens destroy their teeth
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There are plenty of seemingly harmless or discreet activities teens do that affect their oral health and may lead to infections, painful toothaches or even life-threatening complications.
Since February is National Children's Dental Health Month, keep clicking as Dr. Doyle Williams, associate professor at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and chief dental officer at DentaQuest, explains 7 ways teens are destroying their teeth...
HealthPop video: Indulging, diagnosing and dying
On this week's HealthPop video:
- Overeating can lead to obesity and other health problems, but can it mess with your mind?
- A new study that asked patients how satisfied they were with their doctors found that satisfaction might actually be a bad thing. How?
- Just like an auto mechanic can listen to a car to figure out what's wrong, see how doctors are trying to listen to patients' bodies with the help of a "nano ear."
Find out the latest from CBSNews.com's Nick Dietz in the new HealthPop video.
Malnutrition affects 1 in 4 children worldwide
In this Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012 file photo, children line up to receive a meal at a food distribution center for those displaced by last year's famine or by conflict, in Mogadishu, Somalia.
/ APThe Save the Children report found the deaths of 2 million children each year could be prevented if malnutrition were better addressed.
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Let's Move! campaign turns 2 today: Is it working?
U.S. first lady Michelle Obama speaks as Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack looks on during a visit at Parklawn Elementary School January 25, 2012 in Alexandria, Virginia. They visited the school to speak to students and parents about the USDA's new nutrition standards for school lunches.
/ Getty Images(CBS) Let's Move! - the Obama administration's campaign to fight childhood obesity - celebrates its second birthday today and according to Tom Vilsack, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the campaign is doing what it's supposed to do.
"For the first time in a long time, we did not see a rise in obesity rates," Vilsack told HealthPop.
The campaign kicked off two years ago in the hopes of raising a future generation of American children who eat healthier and exercise more than their predecessors. "The physical and emotional health of an entire generation, and the economic health and security of our nation is at stake," First Lady Michelle Obama said at the program's launch on February 9, 2010.
Michelle Obama marks 2nd year of obesity campaign
Current estimates suggest 17 percent of American children and teens are overweight and obese - that's triple the rate of a generation ago, according to the CDC.
Since Let's Move! has sprung into action, several new measures to combat those rates have been launched, including the unveiling of the MyPlate icon that replaced the pyramid, as well as the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act that President Barack Obama signed into law in December 2010, which led to healthier school lunch standards for the 32 million schoolchildren who participate in the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs.
The flattening of the steady increases in obesity rates is promising and the good news, according to Vilsack, is the country is moving forward on a number of fronts to improve children's nutrition in ways that are consistent with recommended dietary guidelines.
One of those fronts is the June unveiling of the the MyPlate icon to replace the nutritional pyramid, variations of which have been around since 1992. The new design incorporates key dietary messages about portion size, and how much of your plate should contain whole grains and vegetables.
Vilsack said the plate has also been well-received since its inception as an easier to understand icon, since all you have to do is look at the plate to see what constitutes a balanced meal. As opposed to the pyramid, which required you to read the small print and figure out how many cups of certain foods were recommended.
Another highlight was the new standards for school meals, which were unveiled by Ms. Obama, Secretary Vilsack, and celebrity chef Rachel Ray, in January.
Despite congressional arguments about whether pizza constitutes a vegetable, which became late-night talk show fodder, Vilsack said the new school lunch plan still goes a long way to bring kids a better variety of foods, including more whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and less sodium and trans fats.
First lady Michelle Obama during a Let's Move event with children from Iowa schools, Feb. 9, 2012, in Des Moines, Iowa.
/ AP PhotoThe next phase of the plan will be to make vending machine snacks and other "a la carte" foods sold at school healthier.
"The key is to send a consistent message," Vilsack told HealthPop. "We want the healthy choice to be the easy choice." Expect to see more fruit slices and yogurt and less junk food, he said.
Also in store for 2012, Vilsack hopes to expand the number of schools involved in these programs. The program started at 650 schools and now includes 2,100. The challenge will be to increase this number, he said, to ensure more kids have improved nutrition and physical activity. Reimbursement programs that provide incentives to schools that meet the standards may help.
Not only that, but the challenge will be to get kids to eat healthier out of school, so the USDA is working with not-for-profits and faith-based organizations that run summer camps and extracurricular programs to get their nutritional standards up to par for meals and snacks.
For more information on the campaign, visit Let's Move!
Also, visit the USDA's SuperTracker to create a personalized food and fitness plan.
Dr. Liar? Study finds dishonest docs common
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(AP) Do you trust your doctor? A survey finds that some doctors aren't always completely honest with their patients.
More than half admitted describing someone's prognosis in a way they knew was too rosy. Nearly 20 percent said they hadn't fully disclosed a medical mistake for fear of being sued. And 1 in 10 of those surveyed said they'd told a patient something that wasn't true in the past year.
Continue »Pharma phonies? Prescription drugs that lead double lives
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We usually view side effects as a bad thing, but sometimes they point the way to a whole new use for a drug.
"We think of drugs as being specific to a task," says Dr. Jeremy Greene, Harvard University medical historian. In fact, he says, "drugs are very complex objects."
As research and development costs have climbed, drug companies are more interested than ever in finding ways to repurpose their products. Often they seek to simply market an existing drug for a new condition, but in some cases they give the drug a whole new name and face. From our friends at Health.com, here are eight drugs that lead double lives...
The first on the list? Prozac, which is also sold as Sarafem.
More from Health.com: Pharmaceuticals and fat - 13 drugs that can cause weight gain
Continue »Doctors push for early detection of dementia
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(AP) "How are you?" the doctor asks a patient with brewing dementia. The patient answers that she is fine. But is this enough?
According to Dr. Laurel Coleman, a geriatric physician at Maine Medical Center, it's not. "So often I hear, "The doctor only asks my mom how she is. She says fine and it's over,'" Coleman said. "That's not dementia-capable, or dementia-aware, primary care."
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Yoga room opens in San Francisco airport
AP
Open to all ticketed passengers, the room contains a few chairs and yoga mats but no instructors or televisions. No shoes, food, drinks or cell phones are allowed. "Silence is appreciated," says a sign spelling out "Yoga Room Etiquette." A prominent blue-and-white sign with a Buddha-like pictogram beckons visitors: "Come check out our Yoga Room."
Continue »Susan G. Komen cuts ties with Planned Parenthood
Updated at 4:57 p.m. ET: Susan G. Komen for the Cure denies decision was politically motivated
(CBS/AP) Planned Parenthood and Susan G. Komen for the Cure, two iconic organizations that have assisted millions of women for years, are no longer partners. The nation's leading breast-cancer charity severed its ties with Planned Parenthood affiliates.
PICTURES: Breast cancer campaign turns planet pink: Too much?
Why? Many suspect the cutoff is linked to the abortion debate. Komen has been under fire by anti-abortion activists, after its connection to the pro-choice organization was publicized.
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Hospital considers kidney transplant for Amelia Rivera
In this Jan. 19, 2012 file photo, Chrissy and Joseph Rivera pose with their 3-year-old mentally disabled daughter, Amelia Rivera, at their home in Stratford, N.J.
/ AP(CBS/AP) Three-year-old Amelia Rivera was denied a kidney transplant because she's "disabled," her parents said earlier this month. After the controversy led to a public outcry, Amelia is now being considered for the procedure, her father said Tuesday.
PICTURES: Amelia Rivera, 3, in struggle for kidney transplant over disability
Joseph Rivera said he and his wife, Chrissy, met with doctors at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia on Friday and were told they are now willing to consider a transplant for their 3-year-old daughter, Amelia. The Stratford, N.J., family said doctors initially told them their daughter wasn't eligible for a transplant because of a mental disability.
Continue »Fat doctors less likely to help with weight loss
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(CBS) How does a doctor's body weight affect a patient's? That's what a new study set out to discover. And the study found that obese doctors are much less likely to help obese patients shed pounds to stay healthy.
PICTURES - Fat tax? 15 states with biggest obesity bills
For the study - published in the Jan. 19 online edition of Obesity journal - researchers at Johns Hopkins University surveyed 500 primary care physicians. The researchers looked at how much faith the doctors had in themselves to treat obesity - both in giving advice and in their perceptions of patient trust in their advice.
Continue »Abortion rates highest where it's illegal: Study
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(CBS/AP) Abortion rates are highest where the procedure is illegal, according to a new study. The study also found nearly half of all abortions worldwide are unsafe, with the vast majority of unsafe abortions occurring in developing countries.
PICTURES - Abortion around the world: Where are rates highest?
As for the overall global abortion rate, it remained virtually unchanged from 2003 to 2008, at about 28 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15 to 4 - a total of about 43.8 million abortions - the study found. The rate had previously been dropping since 1995.
Continue »How often do older women need bone scans?
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(CBS/AP) Many aging women worry about osteoporosis. But does that mean they should have frequent bone density tests? A new study suggests frequent screenings aren't necessary.
PICTURES - Are your bones healthy? 14 surprising facts
If an initial bone scan shows no big problems, most women can safely wait 15 years to have another one, the study suggests.
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U.S. obesity epidemic at standstill, CDC says
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(CBS/AP) America's obesity problem is proving just as hard to get rid of as a set of love handles.
PICTURES - Fat tax? 15 states with biggest obesity bills
More than one-third of adults and almost 17 percent of children were obese in 2009-2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday. Those numbers are no different than they were in 2003.
"It's good that we didn't see increases," said CDC researcher Cynthia Ogden. "On the other hand, we didn't see any decreases in any group."
Georgia nurse donates kidney to patient in need
Emory Woodruff Health Sciences Center
Batson wasn't just talking about her abilities as a nurse. Taber had come to the Emory Hospital in Atlanta in need of an emergency transplant - and the nurse offered to donate her kidney.
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