TAKE A LOOK…

The emphasis on the built environment in public health is hard to escape.  Conferences, podcasts, webinars.......you name it......there is a discussion concerning getting people to walk more frequently in their daily lives.  The task for public health practitioners is to bring evidence to discussions in order to inform decision makers on parks, transportation, and planning boards to consider public health goals in their deliberations. 

If asked, anyone working on community health…

This is an excellent webinar regarding disparities in the treatment of cardiovascular disease in the Latino and African American populations. Click on the audio & PowerPoint slides.  The video of the presentation appears below

Description: A recent survey revealed that only one third of cardiologists acknowledged the existence of racial/ethnic disparities in cardiovascular care in general, and only 5% agreed that disparities existed in their own practice. Several…

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…

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…

It is hard to find a life that has not been touched in some way by a non communicable disease (NCD).  Whether it's a mother who has breast cancer, a father with diabetes, or a cousin with asthma, virtually all of us have personal knowledge of what it is like to live with -- and sometimes die with -- a chronic illness.  That basic fact makes the upcoming UN High Level Meeting on NCDs this September of…

A study from Ireland found that taste is an imporant factor in food choices.  I wonder how this information applies here in America where, for example, Latino families are starting to recognize that childhood obesity is a problem for their children. But taste is probably still important because children will let you know immediately that they don't like the way food tastes.

"The study, published in Journal of Functional Foods, found that an informed food choice regarding…

The health reform prevention and public health fund may disappear from the federal budget at a time when evidence shows population health improvement is moving in the wrong direction.  The link is to an LA Times article that is not good news.

"The…

Health Affairs (Web Exclusives) confirms that obesity is the leading cost driver in medical care across all payer sources. Complications associated with obesity, primarily chronic disease, accounted for the increase in Medicare spending from 1987-2006.

Annual Medical Spending Attributable to Obesity: Payer-and service-specific estimates

July 2009…

An earlier post by a member-Estelle-regarding Canada's limited school lunch program hits the mark. While access to health services is not a national shame (as is not having won a gold medal in a winter Olympic Games held in Canda), the same level of success cannot be attributed to primary prevention across the board. Canada, the UK, & the US are just beginning to appreciate the complexity of…