Study finds fast-food menu calorie counts confusing for consumers In 2008 New York State began requiring certain eateries to post calorie information prominently on menu boards and menus. Other states, including California, soon followed suit. But so far such nutritional information hasn’t proven to be particularly helpful in American’s battle against the bulge, as shown by a 2009 study. […]

Species management: The conference Dov Sax, of Brown’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Bernd Blossey, professor of natural resources at Cornell University, have organized a conference for the Ecological Society of America next week in West Virginia. Among the topics: What to do when climate change forces species out of their historical habitats. […]

R.I. supports Obama’s contraception policy A new statewide public opinion survey conducted by the Taubman Center at Brown University finds that the majority of voters in Rhode Island, one of the nation’s most Catholic states, supports the Obama administration’s new policy to offer contraception services to women who work for religiously affiliated organizations. PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown […]

Study suggests social systems and environment are more important than money in determining happiness In general, Americans seem to be a pretty happy bunch. The country ranks in the top five on the United Nations Human Development Index 2011, which tracks happiness in different nations based on factors such as income, education, health, life expectancy and sustainability. If, […]

Health reform law provides coverage for nearly 50,000 Americans with pre-existing conditions Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan saves lives Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced that the new health care law’s Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) program is providing insurance to nearly 50,000 people with high-risk pre-existing conditions nationwide. The Department released a […]

Hepatitis C, a Leading Killer, Is Frequently Undiagnosed But Often Curable New Treatments Are Coming for Liver-Damaging Virus Alex Monto, MD Hepatitis C virus — not AIDS-causing HIV — is the leading chronic virus infection leading to death in the United States, and its victims most often are baby boomers. More than half who are […]

Shrugging off bugs: there’s more to beating infections than just fighting them David Schneider, PhD, has used used two kinds of bugs (fruit flies and bacteria) to great effect, teasing out intriguing insights into the effects of sleep and caloric  intake on response to infection. David Schneider, PhD Much has been written about the power of the immune system to stave off infectious […]

In the genes, but which ones? Earlier studies that linked specific genes to intelligence were largely wrong Christopher F. Chabris, an assistant professor of psychology at Union College, is the lead author of a new paper that has found, in nearly every case, intelligence could not be linked to a specific gene. “What we want […]

HHS selects challenge winners for Facebook app New applications will support personal emergency preparedness Three Facebook applications designed to help people prepare for emergencies and get support from friends and family in an emergency – from personal medical emergencies or car accidents to natural or man-made disasters – are winners of a Facebook application challenge sponsored by […]

How anorexia is striking what many consider to be an unlikely group: boys and young men … … The number of male eating disorder cases is on the rise. This NBC Nightly News segment takes a closer look at increasing prevalence of anorexia among boys and how the disorder differs between genders. In the video, James Lock, MD, PhD, […]