Drug-related violence in Mexico has killed more that 3,000 people this year, and a new BBC survey says nearly half of the country is cowering in fear from warring drug cartels.
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Shops and supermarkets across China have been withdrawing dairy products after the revelation that powdered baby milk, and now liquid milk, has been contaminated. A government watchdog group said nearly ten per cent of milk samples taken in recent days contained the industrial chemical melamine, which makes the protein content appear higher. Four babies have died and more than six-thousand children have fallen ill as a result of the contamination.
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Multiple sclerosis, once considered a disease that affected mainly those in Europe and North America, is actually a global concern. The Atlas of MS, the most comprehensive MS research study ever undertaken, was launched this week. For a look at the latest findings, The Takeaway checks in with the man who spearheaded this three-year endeavor.
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Food manufacturers are increasing the healthful properties of orange juice, chocolate, yogurt, peanut butter and countless other products by adding "nutraceuticals," foods (or part of a food) that provides medical or health benefits. Omega-3 oil can be extracted from fish and mixed in with orange juice. Antioxidants extracted from beets, carrots and bananas can be added to peanut butter. Is it really healthier, or is it just another strategy to open wallets a little wider with something new to shove down the gullet?
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Parents face a challenge to supply healthy food for children in world dominated by processed food, snacks and soft drinks. Tara Parker-Pope, “Well” columnist for The New York Times, says the food environment for kids today is nearly completely different from the one their own parents faced. The Takeaway talks about her recent article, “6 Food Mistakes Parents Make.”
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The Paralympics began this week in Bejing and we’re checking in with some of the athletes representing the United States. Scott Rodgers, captain of the US Paralympic Wheelchair fencing team, parries with John.
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Treating an adult for bipolar disorder can be difficult, but what happens when it's a three-year-old child?
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Do you want to battle climate change effectively? Then put down that cheeseburger! The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that direct emissions from meat production account for about 18 percent of the world's total greenhouse gas — roughly equivalent to the amount from cars and trucks. Are there really global benefits for going meat-free?
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Word that Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin’s teen daughter is five months pregnant has become massive fodder for all kinds of political chat – for both conservatives and liberals. But looking at teen pregnancy as an issue unto itself – separate from the left or right -- might provide a different kind of conversation.
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The news yesterday morning of McCain’s VP pick Sara Palin’s daughter was not a complete surprise; blogs had been tossing rumors around all last week. But how did Gov. Palin’s home state of Alaska respond to the news of her 17-year-old daughter’s pregnancy?
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Function MRI, or fMRI, promises to map and discover new patterns of brain activity that were previously inaccessible. But are scientists so caught up in the possibilities of modern neuroscience that they are missing something?
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A growing number of women are opting to have double mastectomies in order to combat a breast cancer. We’ll talk about why.
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A new study says professional sports stadiums aren’t so discerning when it comes to serving underage-looking or already-intoxicated fans.
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In a section of Los Angeles, the city council has put a moratorium on new fast food restaurants. The measure is intended to promote healthier lifestyles in a working-class area where obesity is a concern. New York has required calorie labels at chain restaurants to combat obesity — where do government responsibility and personal responsibility intersect?
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Get over it! The old adage reinforces the commonly-held belief that grief is a controllable social condition. However, scientists believe "complicated grief," a physical condition that affects a distinct part of the brain, could be affecting about one million Americans.
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The famous AIDS cocktail, a blend of life-prolonging drugs with wicked side effects, could be a thing of the past. At this year’s International AIDS Conference, scientists announced that they are testing a vaccine designed to give HIV patients an extended break from their regular medication.
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Last week the Black AIDS Institute, an advocacy group, reported that if Black America were its own nation it would rank 16th in the world in the number of people living with AIDS. Among its findings the report also states that nearly 600,000 blacks are living with HIV and up to 30,000 are becoming infected each year. The report provides a new perspective on the AIDS epidemic and negligence in its treatment.
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The Center for Disease Control released a new report Saturday revealing a 40% higher HIV infection rate in the US than previously thought. Dr. Monica Sweeney, Assistant Commissioner for the Bureau of HIV/AIDS Prevention Control for the NYC Department of Health, and Marjorie Hill, CEO of Gay Men's Health Crisis, explain the new numbers and what it means for New York City.
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A new CDC study finds that the annual HIV infection rate is higher than previously estimated. The country had roughly 56,300 new HIV infections in 2006 — about a 40 percent increase from the 40,000 annual estimate used for the past dozen years. What do these new numbers mean for how the community handles AIDS prevention?
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The 17th International AIDS Conference in Mexico City runs August 3 to 8, 2008. This year’s conference coincided with the startling revelation that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had underestimated new HIV cases by 40 percent.
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Guest: Tara Parker-Pope, The New York Times
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Guest: Duncan Kennedy, BBC Correspondent in Mexico City
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You watch reality TV shows, but what if you thought your whole life was one? Psychiatrist Joel Gold say he's begun treating a set of new symptoms, "The Truman Show delusion," in which people think their entire existence is being televised in secret.
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When we feel hungry, our bodies actually get a boost from a hunger hormone called ghrelin. New research in mice suggests that ghrelin's primary purpose is actually stress relief. Hunger is a side-effect.
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Texting while driving is dangerous. That's clear. But it turns out that texting while walking comes with its own risks. More and more pedestrians are turning up in emergency rooms with injuries sustained while typing out missives on those mini keyboards.
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In the New York Times, Thomas Schweich, a State Department narcotics official, charges that the Afghan government is deeply involved in protecting the opium trade and funneling profits to the Taliban and Taliban sympathizers.
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In 30 years, as Baby Boomers retire, there will be as many people over 80 as there are under 5. And there's another disturbing trend: The number of students entering geriatric medicine is dropping. As America ages, who takes care of the grandparents?
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