
DEAR JANE: Ozempic changed my life... then my husband confessed the five words every woman fears
I'm in my early 30s, and after years of struggling with my weight and finding it impossible to shed the pounds, I finally decided to go on Ozempic.

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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Major study reveals the true state of children's health... as chronic conditions are up 20%
Children in the US are significantly more likely to suffer from a chronic disease than those in other rich countries, a shocking report has revealed. Researchers in Pennsylvania and California analyzed online health data for children who were ages zero to 19 in the US in 2023 and compared it those the same age in past years. They found in 2023, children in the US were up to 20 percent more likely to develop a chronic condition like anxiety, diabetes and autism than kids in 2011. Depression saw the greatest increase, with children and teens in 2023 approximately three times more likely to develop the mental health condition in 2011. Children and teens were also 2.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with autism, which has surged in the US due to what experts suspect is increased awareness and environmental toxins. The report also found kids and teens are nearly twice as likely to die earlier than their peers in other wealthy nations, particularly with a 15-fold increased risk of dying to gun violence. Infant mortality also increased. The report found babies born in the US were almost twice as likely to die by their first birthday compared to those in other rich nations. The report comes months after health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr laid bare the stark health issues facing young Americans including obesity, depression and autoimmune diseases and vowed to tackle them during his tenure. Experts believe chronic illnesses in children are on the rise due to increased prevalence of chemicals and toxins, poor diet and better awareness and diagnostic processes. The study researchers, however, did not give specific reasons. They wrote: 'The health of US children has worsened across a wide range of health indicator domains over the past 17 years. 'The broad scope of this deterioration highlights the need to identify and address the root causes of this fundamental decline in the nation's health.' Published this week in the journal JAMA, the study analyzed health survey data from US databases and those encompassing 18 other wealthy nations. The team found the average American child is between 15 and 20 percent more likely to be diagnosed with a chronic condition compared to a child in 2011. A total of 22 conditions were found to increase by at least 10 percent between 2010 and 2023, with depression showing the biggest rise. Children in 2023 were found to be 3.3 times more likely than their peers in 2010 to be diagnosed with major depression and 3.2 times more likely to develop sleep apnea or an eating disorder Researchers in other recent studies have tied growing rates of depression in young people to social media use, global events like the Covid pandemic and exposure to violence, such as school shootings. In fact, the JAMA report found US children are 15 times more likely to die to gun violence than their peers in other countries. In 2023, children were 2.3 times more likely than those in 2010 to suffer from sleep apnea, which may be tied to growing obesity rates as increased fat deposits in the neck and abdomen narrow the airway and reduce lung capacity. The risk of autism has also increased 2.6-fold since 2010. It falls in line with the latest data that shows one in 31 children in the US are thought to have autism, a staggering increase from about one in 150 in the early 2000s. RFK Jr has suggested environmental toxins like pesticides and food additives may be to blame, but other researchers suggest the rise is from better diagnostic criteria. Meanwhile, infants were found to be 1.8 times more likely to die before age one in 2022 compared to 2007. And over 16 years, the US also experienced the equivalent of 54 excess child deaths per day compared to peer nations. This is likely due to a 2.2-fold increased risk of being born premature and 2.4-fold increased risk of suffering sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), the unexplained death of an infant under one year. Preterm birth rates have been tied to an increase in older mothers and conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. There were several limitations to the new report, including a lack of data on the causes of the chronic disease increases.


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Why a top Cabinet secretary was glaringly missing during Trump's marathon meeting with his closest advisers
One of the most prominent and publicly-recognized members of President Donald Trump 's Cabinet was missing from Tuesday's meeting at the White House. Health and Human Service Secretary Robert F. Kennedy was glaring absent from the table at the president's marathon sit down in the Cabinet Room. Kennedy was on international travel, a spokesperson said. 'Due to long-planned international travel, the Secretary couldn't attend today's Cabinet meeting. However, he remains in constant contact with HHS leadership and today took decisive action by declaring a public health emergency for the State of Texas,' an HHS spokesperson told Daily Mail. No additional details were given. Trump held the sixth Cabinet meeting of his administration. Other prominent secretaries - including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth - were present to chat with the president about the work of his administration. Kennedy is one of the most notorious and controversial cabinet members. His controversial views on vaccines has led to some accusing him of spreading misinformation on the issue. In fact several leading medical groups are suing Kennedy over changes to federal COVID-19 vaccine recommendations. The suit - which includes the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians and the American Public Health Association - was filed in federal court and asks for a reversal of Kennedy's decision to remove pregnant women and healthy children from the COVID-19 vaccine schedule. Kennedy has pushed a Make America Healthy Again agenda - a play off Trump's campaign slogan of Make America Great Again. But even that plan came under fire when the news outlet NOTUS reported that seven of the more than 500 studies cited in the HHS report - which decried America's food supply, pesticides and prescription drugs - did not appear to have ever been published. The administration shrugged it off as 'formatting issues.' President Trump has been supportive of his health secretary. Kennedy is also moving to ban dyes in food and fluoride in water. The son of the late Attorney General Robert Kennedy made his own presidential bid as a Democrat before dropping out of the contest and endorsing Trump.


Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
The missing ingredient you should be adding to your protein shakes to build more muscle
For any gym-lover or weight-lifter, they're never too far from their beloved protein shake. Chock full of nutrients that fuel the body after a sweat session and feed muscles to recover and build strength. However, those simply watering down their post-workout protein powder are missing out on major potentials of the shake. Experts recommend swapping the water for milk, which, aside from adding even more protein, gives the shake an added boost. Water may be calorie-free but the extra calories in milk - about 120 per cup of two percent milk - are worth it to reap the benefits of muscle building and recovery. That is because it also contains 8g of protein. Roughly 80 percent of the protein in cow's milk is called casein, which is a gold standard when it comes to essential amino acids that the body needs for muscle building, but doesn't produce on its own. Casein is digested slowly, which means it keeps delivering those muscle-building amino acids over a longer period of time. So, the body is being fed proteins for longer than it would be with watered-down shakes. And a 2020 review in Physical Activity and Nutrition found consuming 40g of casein 30 minutes before bed can boost muscle repair, reduce muscle breakdown, and relieve soreness and inflammation. To gain those well toned abs, or sleeve ripping biceps the body must gain lean muscle. To put on muscle the body undergoes protein synthesis, the process by which cells build protein. The goal is to increase synthesis while decreasing protein breakdown -or keeping protein in the body as much as possible. Casein is a muscle-sparing protein that is released in the bloodstream at a slow rate, and has a powerful effect on reducing protein breakdown, which makes it a highly potent muscle building supplement when taken at the right times. For night-owl exercisers, protein shakes with casein can prove even more potent. A slow releasing protein is much more beneficial to muscle repair and re-growth during your sleeping hours. Casein is a slow-digesting protein that takes three to four hours to reach peak levels in blood amino acids and protein synthesis. It also takes seven hours to become fully absorbed. So by working out in the evenings and following exercise with a milk protein shake, you're setting your muscles up for their best potential. A Baylor University study found that men who drank a casein protein shake (mixed with whey protein) during a 10-week span gained considerably greater muscle mass than those who consumed a whey protein shake without casein. For athletes focusing on stamina, adding milk into the protein keeps muscles from getting sore and keeps the body from feeling depleted after a long run or workout. An added plus is that casein may help to protect against colon cancer, a second leading cause of cancer-related deaths and the third most diagnosed cancer in the United States, according to the CDC. Researchers in South Dakota found colon cancer cells could be targeted using derivatives of casein, and it could be used as a promising anticancer drug with minimal side effects. According to the Cleveland Clinic, casein may also be an answer to weight loss because of its slow releasing effects. This keeps you feeling fuller for longer, leading to less calorie intake thanks to the leucine found in casein - another essential amino acid. Milk also provides about 15 percent of your daily vitamin D, which helps your body absorb calcium and supports your immune system. It is also a good source of B vitamins, which support metabolism and help keep skin, muscles, and the brain healthy.