On Jan. 15, a group of international experts proposed new ways to define and diagnose obesity that place less emphasis on body mass index.
Category: Public Health
New California Laws Target Medical Debt, AI Care Decisions, Detention Centers
California has a few major changes coming to its health policy landscape in 2025. New laws that took effect Jan. 1 ban medical debt from credit reports, allow public health inspections of private immigration detention centers, and ban toxic chemicals in makeup.
Childhood Vaccination Rates, a Rare Health Bright Spot in Struggling States, Are Slipping
Mississippi, Tennessee, and West Virginia — states with some of the worst health outcomes — also have some of the highest childhood vaccination rates. But doctors and health officials worry a rising tide of vaccine skepticism is causing those public health bright spots to dim.
Norovirus positivity rate hits 28%, double 2024's peak: 6 notes
A surge in norovirus infections this season has resulted in a 28% positivity rate, more than double 2024’s high, alarming health officials, CBS News reported Jan. 14.
I’m Moving Forward and Facing the Uncertainty of Aging
Our “Navigating Aging” columnist sets off on a new phase in life with lessons she’s learned reporting on aging and health.
A long road ahead for alcohol cancer risk conversations: Viewpoint
The alcohol advisory released by Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, is “likely only one in an evolving history of landmark public health documents about the dangers of drinking; it’s a document for the archives as well as the moment,” Rachael Bedard, MD…
Voters Backed Abortion Rights But State Judges Have Final Say
Though abortion rights supporters prevailed on ballot measures in seven of the 10 states where abortion was up for a vote on Nov. 5, the state supreme courts voters have elected indicate legal fights to come aren’t clear-cut.
Dementia to double by 2060: 4 study notes
The number of U.S. adults with dementia is expected to double, from 514,000 in 2020 to 1 million in 2060, according to a study published Jan. 13 in Nature Medicine.
Respiratory virus activity remains elevated: 7 key updates
Respiratory illness activity remains high across the U.S., with emergency department visits and positive test rates rising for COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus.
Polio's reemergence risk amid decreasing vaccinations: 4 things to know
Polio, a disease that in the past paralyzed thousands of Americans annually, is making a comeback in the U.S. due to vaccine skepticism and declining immunization rates, The New York Times reported Jan. 13.
