US Military Has Contaminated Thousands Of Sites With Weapons Testing, Investigation Finds.

roPublica (12/28, Chakraborty, Lustgarten) reports that the Pentagon has cataloged more than 40,000 sites in the US contaminated by the testing and disposal of the nation’s weapons, and it has already spent $40 billion in clean-up. The testing and disposal of weapons have “poisoned drinking water supplies, rendered millions of acres of land unsafe or unusable, and jeopardized the health of often unwitting Americans.” The article says that the “total amount of land contaminated by the military is larger than the state of Florida,” and some plots have been “returned to public use – for parks, housing and schools – in some instances without thorough cleanups.” https://www.propublica.org/article/military-pollution-rdx-war-at-home

Retail Chain Recalls Some Makeup Products Due To Reports Of Cancer-Producing Asbestos.

According to CBS affiliate WPRI, a Rhode Island mother, who also works at a law firm specializing in asbestos litigation, decided to have the glittery makeup she purchased for her daughter tested at” a laboratory. That mother “claims the makeup came back positive for asbestos, which has been linked to lung cancer, mesothelioma and other types of cancer.” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/claires-pulls-makeup-for-kids-asbestos-concerns/

Few US Schools Use Evidence-Based Programs To Reduce Obesity, CDC Paper Says.

reports very few public schools in the US “are implementing evidence-based programs to combat obesity despite the substantial amount of research that’s gone into developing them, according to a paper published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” The paper also found that some schools exacerbate unhealthy behaviors with “Biggest Loser” contests and other programs. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/dec/28/cdc-paper-few-schools-use-proven-programs-combat-o/

Seattle To Implement New Sugary Beverage Tax On New Year’s Day.

reports Seattle, Washington’s tax on sugary drinks – a levy of 1.75 cents per fluid ounce the city enacted in June – will go into effect on New Year’s Day. Products such as diet beverages and “sweetened products from certified manufacturers with annual worldwide gross revenue of $2 million or less” have been exempted from the tax. While supporters assert the tax will reduce consumption of beverages with little nutritional value and which have been associated with obesity, opponents, including business and labor groups, argue it would adversely impact small businesses and employment. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/12/27/seattles-new-tax-sugary-drinks-kicks-new-years-day/984673001/

NIH, Population Council Sponsor Clinical Trials Of Male Contraception Gel.

National Institutes of Health and the Population Council are sponsoring “the largest-to-date clinical trial on a hormonal male contraception gel” set to start next year, with non-single participants in six countries taking part. The key ingredient in the gel, which is rubbed onto the “upper arms and shoulders once a day,” is “a synthetic progestin called nestorone – which blocks the testes from making enough testosterone to produce sperm – and a synthetic testosterone, which will counteract subsequent hormonal imbalances.” After the first clinical trials, however, “it will likely be at least five years before it is approved by the Food and Drug Administration and becomes available to the public.” http://time.com/5077942/male-contraceptive-hormonal-gel/

Nutrition Researchers In Developing World Face Dilemma Of Whether To Collaborate With Big Food Industry.

reported that nutrition researchers in Malaysia, which is now “the fattest country in Asia, with nearly half the adult population now overweight or obese,” face the problem of a peer-review system in which multinational food corporations like Pepsi or Kellogg’s participate. This leads to the publication of studies such as the “one that concluded that children who drank malted breakfast beverages – a category dominated in Malaysia by Milo, a sugary powder drink made by Nestlé – were more likely to be physically active and spend less time in front of a computer or television.” The Times said that while the problem of industry influence on scientific research also exists in the West, in the developing world “government research funding is scarce and there is less resistance to the practice.” https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/23/health/obesity-malaysia-nestle.html

Early Puberty In Girls May Be Associated With Increased Likelihood For Depression, Behavior Problems Lasting Into Adulthood,

“Girls who go through puberty early could be more likely to experience depression and behavior problems that last into their 20s compared to peers who start menstruation later,” researchers concluded after studying data on some “7,800 women who had their first menstrual cycle at an average age of 12.” Investigators interviewed participants “four times, starting around age 16 and continuing until about age 28.” The study revealed that “the younger the age at the first period, the stronger the association between early puberty and mental health problems. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-puberty-women-depression/girls-early-puberty-tied-to-depression-behavior-problems-into-adulthood-idUSKBN1EK15W