Latest news with #chronicconditions
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Heart club receives hundreds of pounds from donations
A HEART club has received hundreds of pounds in donations. Bournemouth Heart Club recently received a £400 donation from Bournemouth Rotary Club. This is nothing new for Bournemouth Rotary, with their longstanding commitment to support 'local health initiatives'. The president, Virginia Beck, presented the cheque of £400 to Caroline Marshall, the general manager of the heart club. Founded in 1996, the heart club provides rehabilitation support for individuals recovering from cardiac procedures or living with a high risk of coronary heart disease. Today, its services also extend to those managing chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, offering tailored exercise programmes and health education to improve long-term outcomes. A spokesperson for Bournemouth Rotary said: "The club's support of the Heart Club spans decades, with former member the late Peter Bath instrumental in funding the construction of the gymnasium in 1996. "This latest donation reflects Rotary's continued dedication to promoting community well-being." President Beck stated that Bournemouth Heart Club represents 'the very best of community care'. She said: "The Bournemouth Heart Club represents the very best of community care - compassionate, consistent, and life-changing. "We're proud to support its mission and hope this contribution helps sustain its vital work for those recovering from cardiac issues and managing long-term health conditions."
Health Line
3 days ago
- Health
- Health Line
Study Finds Direct Link Between Ultra-Processed Foods and Chronic Diseases
A new report states that ultra-processed foods are a major contributing factor to the obesity epidemic. Researchers say these foods are designed to be palatable, causing people to overeat and gain weight. Experts say the health risks from obesity range from heart disease to type 2 diabetes to sleep apnea. A new report has concluded that ultra-processed foods are a driving force behind the obesity epidemic as well as a major cause of chronic conditions. The findings, published in the journal Nature Reviews Endocrinology, were a summary by scientists of existing research on the potential connection between obesity and the advent of ultra-processed foods. The researchers reported that there is strong evidence that ultra-processed foods promote overeating and increase the risk of obesity. They said the additives and preservatives in ultra-processed foods such as chips, pre-cooked meals, and cookies can cause excessive energy intake, disrupt the digestive system, and affect the brain's ability to tell a person they have had enough to eat. They add that ultra-processed foods can alter the way the body absorbs food as well as the gut microbiota's composition and function. The researchers urged government leaders to take action to improve the food environment by enacting measures such as package labeling and marketing restrictions. Experts not involved in the study say this research review is important. 'This confirms what we know that ultra-processed foods are a detriment to the body,' said Mir Ali, MD, a general surgeon, bariatric surgeon, and the medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in California. 'Research on UPFs [ultra-processed foods] is accumulating at lightning speed,' added Laura Schmidt, PhD, a professor in the School of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco. 'I like this review because it summarizes the latest evidence and puts it all in one place.' How ultra-processed foods affect your health David Cutler, MD, a family medicine physician at Providence Saint John's Health Center in California, noted that the origins of ultra-processed foods had some benefits for society. Cutler wasn't involved in the new study. He notes that 150 years ago in the United States, there was widespread malnutrition and vitamin deficiency as well as disease from foods not properly preserved. Cutler said the preservatives and additives put in food more than a century ago increased their shelf life and bolstered their nutrient value. However, he noted, in recent decades ultra-processed foods have gone overboard with these scientific advances. 'The risks are now greater than the benefits we thought we got when we added these things to ultra-processed foods,' Cutler told Healthline. Ali notes that ultra-processed foods tend to be calorie rich and nutrient poor. They are also designed to be tasty, which can cause people to overeat. Travis Masterson, PhD, a professor of health promotion and disease prevention at Pennsylvania State University and a member of the communications committee at The Obesity Society, said it's not just the amount of ultra-processed foods that are consumed, it's also what's in them. Masterson wasn't involved in the new study. In particular, he notes something called energy density. 'Energy density is how many calories can be packed into a food,' Masterson told Healthline. 'There is a pretty close relationship between how unhealthy a diet is and the energy density of a food.' 'Many ultra-processed foods tend to be high in energy because they strip out things like water and fiber to increase shelf stability and improve texture while also upping the levels of fat and sugar present,' he explained. Ultra-processed foods and chronic disease risk Past research has reported on the variety of health issues linked to ultra-processed foods. A study published in April stated that ultra-processed foods may be tied to more than 120,000 preventable deaths in the United States every year. A 2023 study found that ultra-processed food consumption increased the risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. In addition, a 2024 study suggested a potential connection between these foods and cognitive decline. Experts say the damage goes beyond simple weight gain and the resulting chronic conditions. Ali said ultra-processed foods can increase cardiovascular risks due to their preservatives. Schmidt added that the health effects can get down to the cellular level. 'UPFs also harm the gut microbiome by starving the 'healthy bacteria' of fiber and introducing chemical additives that eat away at the intestinal lining designed to seal off the gut,' she explained to Healthline. 'This means that bacteria in the gut can get into the bloodstream, causing chronic inflammation throughout the body — a risk factor for many chronic diseases.' 'Finally, the high levels of sugar, fat, and salt in UPFs (which are added to make them irresistible) have their own health effects that increase the risk of chronic diseases,' Schmidt said. 'The harms of UPF are multifaceted, but this study and others point to things like additives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, sodium, texture, and potentially additive properties,' noted Kristin Kirkpatrick, RD, the president of KAK Consulting and a dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic Department of Wellness & Preventive Medicine in Ohio. Kirkpatrick wasn't involved in the new study. 'The other component of concern is the fact that these foods are often hard to stop eating so hopes of portion control may not be as realistic when compared to whole foods,' she told Healthline. 'In addition to these items, UPFs often substitute and take the place of healthy, nutrient dense foods in a dietary pattern which could increase even further the risk of chronic conditions.' How obesity impacts health New research found that obesity-related cancers tripled in the past two decades. The preliminary findings, which have not been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, were presented on July 13 at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in San Francisco, CA. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 41.9% of adults in the United States are considered obese. Now, a new measurement for obesity developed by researchers could raise that figure to more than half of U.S. adults. The European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) recently redefined obesity to include anthropometric measures beyond body mass index (BMI) and comorbidities, but this framework has not yet been validated. What's more, over 9% of U.S. adults are described as having severe obesity, according to the CDC. Among the health risks associated with obesity are: type 2 diabetes heart disease stroke high blood pressure sleep apnea liver disease certain cancers pregnancy complications 'Obesity affects every organ in the body,' said Ali. Kirkpatrick said belly fat is particularly worrisome. 'Belly fat is active, close to organs, and inflammatory, so the risk of increased belly fat will ultimately increase the risk of metabolic disorders (diabetes, high lipids, etc.) and other chronic conditions,' she explained. How to reduce ultra-processed foods in your diet Experts say it can be difficult to cut back on the amount of ultra-processed foods you eat. For starters, they dominate grocery store shelves. Examples of ultra-processed foods include: sweetened breakfast cereals soda white bread flavored granola bars flavored potato chips In addition, experts say, the preservatives in these foods make them easy to store as well as easy to prepare. Then, there's the taste. Additives can make these foods difficult to resist. 'They're designed to be highly palatable,' Ali told Healthline. 'There are a variety of factors that make the foods tasty, soft, and calorie dense and this likely messes with how fast we eat, how we process foods both in the gut, and how rewarding these foods are,' added Masterson. 'Then there are a variety of factors that reinforce the consumption of these foods like convenience, availability, and aggressive food marketing.' Cutler said reading labels can provide important information. He added that it's also helpful to spend more time shopping on the outer edges of the store, where fruits, vegetables, and fresh meat are displayed, and less time in the center of the store, where packaged food resides. 'Try to eat foods that are in their more natural state,' he said. Masterson said cooking at home using basic ingredients is one way to improve your diet, although it's not always easy to do. 'Not everyone has time or the correct equipment to cook, but cooking is a great skill to invest into, no matter your situation,' he said. Masterson added that better food choices can also help. Strategies include eating a banana instead of a snack bar or using whole grain bread instead of white bread. Kirkpatrick advises clients to try to reduce ultra-processed foods in steps rather than eliminating them all at once. 'First look at frequency. For example, if you love a fast-food burger, then limiting consumption to once a month can make a big difference in protecting health,' she said. 'If every meal and snack is UPFs, then working with a dietitian to find substitutions, tools for cooking, and healthier grocery shopping may all help,' Kirkpatrick said. 'UPFs may have additive qualities, so eliminating them cold turkey may be harder than it sounds.'
Forbes
7 days ago
- Health
- Forbes
American Kids Are Getting Sicker. Here's What To Know
STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT - APRIL 04: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Paramedic Randy Lilly, wearing personal ... More protection equipment (PPE), tends to a 10-month-old boy with fever while riding by ambulance with the infant's mother to Stamford Hospital on April 04, 2020 in Stamford, Connecticut. (Photo by) Children across the United States are getting sicker, according to a recent study published in JAMA Network. The study examined how the health of U.S. children has changed from 2007 to 2023 using comprehensive data sets, millions of electronic pediatric health records and various surveys. According to the authors, American children were 15 to 20% more likely to have a chronic medical condition in 2023 than in 2011, with the prevalence of multiple conditions increasing such as depression, anxiety, obesity, autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; to name a few. Specifically, from 2011 to 2023, the prevalence of chronic medical conditions among 3- to 17-year-olds in the U.S. rose from 39.9% to 45.7%. The study also looked at mortality rates in America and compared them to mortality rates of children in other high-income countries. Between 2010 to 2023, the authors found that kids in the United States were 80% more likely to die than kids in other high-income nations. In older children and adolescents, deaths were most closely linked to gun violence, motor-vehicle accidents and substance abuse. The study underscores the importance of addressing root causes as to why the health of American children has deteriorated over the last 15 years or so. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made it a priority to investigate and combat chronic medical conditions as part of his Make America Healthy Again agenda. Some progress by Kennedy has already been or presumably will be made. As an example, under his leadership, the FDA has banned Red Dye No. 3 in food and ingested drugs. Under the ban, food manufacturers have until January 2027 and drug manufacturers until January 2028 to reformulate their products. The dye was linked to thyroid cancer risks in rats as well as behavioral issues in children such as hyperactivity. Removing the dye could make a dent in decreasing chronic medical conditions such as cancer and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. However, there remain serious challenges with the fight against chronic medical conditions in children. For starters, access to healthcare remains a serious issue in America, but not necessarily other high-income countries. Canada and the United Kingdom, for example, offer universal health coverage for children. That is certainly not the case in the United States, where 41% of children rely on Medicaid for health insurance, according to the Pew Research Center. Health coverage under Medicaid is in serious jeopardy because of the recently signed spending bill by President Trump which will cause nearly 12 million Americans to lose health insurance in the next decade, many of them children. In addition, many of the chronic conditions that have increased in prevalence in America revolve around mental health, such as depression and anxiety. However, Secretary Kennedy significantly downsized the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, decreasing a third of its workforce. President Trump also cut $1 billion from the agency's budget. These changes provide much less revenue and staff to deal with the emerging crisis of chronic medical conditions, and particularly mental health, among children in America. One thing remains certain- a wide range of chronic medical conditions are detrimentally affecting American youth. Investing in our children with adequate funds and staff will be necessary to turn the tide on this concerning health trend.
Fox News
08-07-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Children's health declines in last 17 years, study finds
The physical and mental health of U.S. children has declined over the past 17 years, according to a new study. The findings, published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, charted trends in children's health in the U.S. from 2007 to 2023. "The surprising part of the study wasn't with any single statistic; it was that there's 170 indicators, eight data sources, all showing the same thing: a generalized decline in kids' health," Dr. Christopher Forrest, one of the authors of the study, told the Associated Press. The study found that U.S. children were 15% to 20% more likely to have a chronic condition such as anxiety, depression or sleep apnea than U.S. children in 2011. Childhood obesity rates for U.S. children rose from 17% in 2007-2008 to about 21% from 2021-2023, according to the findings. American kids also experienced an increase in early onset of menstruation, trouble sleeping, limitations in activity, physical symptoms, depressive symptoms and loneliness during the study period. The paper also compared the mortality rates of U.S. children to kids in other high-income countries, finding that American children were around 1.8 times more likely to die than those in the other countries. Being born premature and sudden unexpected death were much higher among U.S. infants, and firearm-related incidents and motor vehicle crashes were much more common among 1-19-year-old American youths than among those the same age in other countries examined. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. brought children's health to the forefront of the national policy conversation with his "Make America Healthy Again" plan. An editorial that accompanied the new study, however, argued that the Trump administration's actions – including cuts to federal health agencies, Medicaid and scientific research – are not likely to reverse the trend. "The health of kids in America is not as good as it should be, not as good as the other countries, and the current policies of this administration are definitely going to make it worse," Dr. Frederick Rivara, a pediatrician and researcher at the Seattle Children's Hospital and UW Medicine in Seattle, told the AP. Forrest, a pediatrician at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said "kids are the canaries in the coal mine," and that the findings reflect bigger problems with America's health at large. "We have to step back and take some lessons from the ecological sustainability community and say: Let's look at the ecosystem that kids are growing up in. And let's start on a kind of neighborhood-by-neighborhood, city-by-city basis, examining it," he said.
Medscape
08-07-2025
- Health
- Medscape
US Children's Health Has Declined Over 17 Years: Report
The health of US children has worsened steadily from 2007 to 2023 with higher mortality, and more chronic physical, developmental, and mental health conditions, warned a report released in JAMA. Researchers, led by Christopher B. Forrest, MD, PhD, with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, analyzed data using mortality statistics from the US and 18 comparator high-income nations from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD18), five national surveys, and electronic health records from 10 pediatric health systems (PEDSnet). They found that from 2007 to 2022, 'infants born in the US were 78% more likely to die when compared with their counterparts in other high-income countries.' Among key findings of the analysis are: As of 2022, mortality rates for US infants and 1- to 19-year-olds were 1.78 and 1.8 times greater, respectively, than for those in other OECD countries. The two causes of death for infants 12 months or younger in the US with the largest increased risk over OECD countries were prematurity (relative risk [RR], 2.22) and sudden unexpected infant death (RR, 2.39). The two causes of death for 1- to 19-year-olds with the largest increased risk over OECD countries were firearm-related incidents (RR, 15.34) and motor vehicle crashes (RR, 2.45). A child in the US in 2023 was 15%-20% more likely to have a chronic condition than a child in the US in 2011. Obesity rates for 2- to 19-year-olds in the US increased from 5.2% in 1971-1974 to 19.3% by 2017-2018. Depressive symptoms (feeling sad or hopeless) increased from 26.1% prevalence in 9th- to 12th-graders in 2009 to 39.7% in 2023. Loneliness feelings among US 12- to 18-year-olds rose significantly from 20.2% in 2007 to 30.8% in 2021. 'Without decisive action to change the trajectory, the US health disadvantage is likely to worsen,' wrote Editorialist Elizabeth R. Wolf, MD, MPH, with the Department of Pediatrics, Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, and colleagues. 'Policymakers who are invested in enhancing children's health must intervene.' The editorialists noted that it has been well-documented that US residents have lower life expectancy and worse health outcomes than those in other high-income countries, despite spending nearly twice as much relative to gross domestic product than average spending by OECD countries. Gap Seen in Adult Health Has Spread to Children Now, they wrote, 'Evidence is mounting that the US health disadvantage, a phenomenon that had been restricted to adults, has now spread to the pediatric population.' Among the root causes of challenges to children's health noted by the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council is poverty and the US has some of the highest child poverty rates and income inequality in the OECD, the editorialists noted. 'Poverty leads families to prioritize inexpensive calorie-dense foods that contribute to obesity and to drive older vehicles with fewer safety features, increasing crash injuries,' Wolf and colleagues wrote. 5% of Children Uninsured Additionally, the editorial stated, about 5% of US children do not have insurance, and the 40% of US children with public insurance have limited access to primary and specialist care because of poor reimbursement rates and poor investment in primary care. Interventions could include investing in child tax credits, broadening health insurance coverage, investing in primary care, and passing firearm safety laws, they wrote. The editorialists wrote that while the government's Make America Healthy Again movement draws important attention to chronic diseases and the dietary threats of ultra-processed foods, other policies 'will work against the health interests of children.' For example, in addition to proposed cuts in Medicaid in the current domestic policy bill signed into law last week, they wrote, 'Budget cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services have led to the elimination of injury prevention and maternal and child health programs. The tiny investment in the Safe to Sleep campaign that addresses the primary preventable cause of SUID [Sudden Unexpected Infant Death] was canceled.' Leslie Sude, MD, associate professor of pediatrics at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, who was not involved with the report, told Medscape Medical News the decline in children's health won't change 'until transformative, high-level changes are made to social and health policies affecting family well-being.' Pediatricians will continue to guide families on healthy habits, she said, 'but will struggle against grim realities which result from dwindling supports for low-income families, failed gun laws, and under resourced early childhood education.' Health systems could support broader services 'to colocate health promoting services within primary care centers, such as behavioral health, lactation, nutrition, and health-related social needs navigation to reduce access barriers. Health systems must advocate for policies at the highest levels for robust investment in improving the US ecosystem for family well-being,' she added. Not Enough Services for Kids in Crisis US children also struggle to get the mental health help they need, noted Yann Poncin, MD, associate professor and vice chair of clinical affairs in the Child Study Center at Yale, who also was not part of the study. 'Data show that kids who access mental health when they need it do better. Instead, there are often wait lists.' But there are positive developments, he added, such as states implementing crisis support services, he noted. 'In addition, we as other states do, have [Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Programs], a service whereby a pediatrician can call to get help with referrals or to speak with a child psychiatrist for guidance on medications.' He added that there are several evidence-based interventions for schools. 'Even just brief groups at the start of high school that deliver information about stressors at school and life in general can reduce signs and symptoms of anxiety, depression, substance use, suicidality,' he said.
