Boston Most “Active Living” City In US, Report Finds.

revealed that Boston has “earned the title of being the top ‘active living community’ in the U.S.” The new report ranked “which cities have been most successful in helping residents live active lives” using “infrastructure data from 48 U.S. cities and their surrounding areas.” The report found that “bike and park scores have stronger correlations with lower obesity, diabetes, and blood pressure.” Meanwhile, “a better public transport system was associated with ‘lower daily physical pain,’ according to the report.” NBC News (10/11) provides additional coverage. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/boston-san-francisco-active-living-cities-us-report/story?id=42723694

WHO Calls For Countries To Raise Taxes On Sugary Drinks To Curb Obesity.

reports the World Health Organization released a statement calling for countries to tax sugary drinks with the aim of curbing obesity. The statement pointed out that the incidence of obesity around the world has more than doubled since 1980. The article points out that the WHO released a report earlier this year on sugary drink taxes. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/12/health/sugar-drink-tax-world-health-organization.html?_r=0

People Following A High-Protein Weight-Loss Diet May Experience No Changes In Insulin Sensitivity, Study Reveals.

reports that even though a high-protein diet “may help people slim down, it doesn’t necessary improve other health problems,” researchers found after following “34 postmenopausal women with obesity for about six months” who were randomized to one of three groups. The study revealed that “women who ate more protein experienced no changes in their insulin sensitivity – which is important for overall health.” http://time.com/4526448/high-protein-diet-weight-loss-insulin/

Soda Makers Give Millions To Health Groups While Simultaneously Lobbying Against Public Health Legislation, Research Indicates.

reports that research published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine indicates “Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have given millions of dollars to nearly 100 prominent health groups in recent years, while simultaneously spending millions to defeat public health legislation that would reduce Americans’ soda intake.” http://time.com/4522940/soda-pepsi-coke-health-obesity/

Children In Daycare No More Likely To Gain Excess Weight Than Youngsters Who Stay Home With A Parent, Study Suggests.

reports, “A child placed in day care is no more likely to gain too much weight than a child who stays home with a parent,” researchers found after examining “data from about 10,700 U.S. children from diverse social, economic and ethnic backgrounds.” The findings were published online in Pediatrics. https://consumer.healthday.com/caregiving-information-6/infant-and-child-care-health-news-410/day-care-doesn-t-encourage-weight-gain-in-kids-study-finds-715647.html

Inpatient Risk For C. Difficile May Rise If Prior Bed Occupant Received Antibiotics, Study Finds.

“If the previous occupant of a hospital bed received antibiotics, the next patient who uses that bed may be at higher risk for a severe form” of Clostridium difficile, researchers concluded after studying “more than 100,000 pairs of patients who sequentially occupied a given hospital bed in four institutions between 2010 and 2015.” Excluded from the study were patients who had had “recent C. diff infection or whose prior bed occupant was in the bed for less than 24 hours.”“It’s not easy to sterilize the room/bed between patients because C. diff spores are extremely hardy. To be killed, they need to be soaked in a bleach-containing cleaning agent for an adequate amount of time.” http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-infections-hospital-beds-idUSKCN12A1VY

Healthcare Providers Screening Patients To Cut Out Unnecessary, Ineffective Medications.

reports more healthcare providers are adopting a de-prescribing approach to help adults reduce excessive use of prescription and over-the-counter medications and supplements. Physicians use screening programs to find possible side effects and interactions and then wean patients off medications that are not necessary or have risk that outweigh benefits. http://www.wsj.com/articles/when-patients-take-too-many-pills-doctors-deprescribe-1476122784