The August 26, 2011 issue of The Lancet is dedicated to the global obesity epidemic. The issue was timed to coincide with the upcoming United Nations high-level  meeting concerning non-communicable diseases. The first high profile global meeting dedicated to obesity was sponsored by the…

Here in Worcester, the school dept has also focused on 3rd grade literacy, as well as 7th grade numeracy, as prime targets for change. The consortium of local colleges has taken this challenge to heart, and is working to get service-learning and community-engaged students to work toward these goals.  My work includes teaching at the state medical school to make sure our students have an understanding of the social determinants of health, primarily through community placements and immersion…

In recent times Dr. Seuss books had a bit of a "comeback" in our lives. Our son performed in a junior version of Seussical, a musical based on Dr. Seuss material, largely inspired by the story behind Horton Hears a Who!



As it happens, the story's climax has a bunch of minuscule…

At long last, the United Nations has released a list of 248 organizations from 48 nations that are accredited to attend the UN High Level Meeting (HLM) on non communicable diseases (NCDs) during September 19-20, 2011.  Nonprofits, academic institutions, corporations, and religious organizations submitted their requests by April 15, and four months later, the lucky ones selected each now have the chance to nominate two…

Source http://www.thisispublichealth.org/newsletter.html

Download a PDF version of this newsletter http://www.thisispublichealth.org/Documents/Summer2011_Newsletter.pdf

A University of Alberta study utilized the Edmonton Obesity Staging System (EOSS)  and BMI studied 8,143 people who participate in two nutrition surveys conducted in the United States. Reseachers found that individuals classified as Stage 1 or 2 had a substantially lower risk of dying 20 years post survey than those classified as Stage 3 or greater. EOSS describes risk factors (blood pressure, lipid levels, blood glucose) in five stages for obese individuals.  Stage 0 indicates the patient…

As has been widely reported, including here and here, negotiations at the United Nations have stalled over an "outcomes document" that is to be approved by a High Level Meeting on Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in New York on September 20.  Negotiations that were to have been concluded by now…

I am on board with preventing obesity. But I think the latest report from Trust for America's Health illustrates and reinforces the negative attitudes we have about overweight/obese people.  The Rudd Center has done a good job of bringing attention to the stigmatizing nature of obesity. I don't deny that the updated…

Source: http://www.good.is/post/infographic-the-deadliest-disease-outbreaks-in-history/

Thank you Jody Ranck for tweeting this infographic!

Infographic: The Deadliest Disease Outbreaks in History…

The list of the ten most dangerous things for your health includes driving while talking on a mobile phone.  A demonstration project in New York & Connecticut reduced texting and talking on mobile phones using high visibility enforcement (HVE).  Mobile phones are almost an extension of our bodies, making their use almost unconscious.  This only explains part of the increase in crashes and traffic fatalities traced to mobile phone use. An experienced driver increases…

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CAMI

"We teach reading for the first three grades and then after that children are not so much learning to read but using their reading skills to learn other topics. In that sense if you haven't succeeded by 3rd grade it's more difficult to [remediate] than it would have been if you started before then."

Quote from Huffington Post article …

Have you heard of Health at Every Size? It's an important take on the obesity war. Linda Bacon, PhD is the founder of HAES Community Resources (www.HAESCommunity.Org) as well as a researcher, professor, and advocate for Health at Every Size and Sustainable Agriculture. She is the author…