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The ability to sequence DNA provides researchers with the ability to “read” the genetic blueprint that directs all the activities of a living organism. To provide context, the central dogma of biology is summarized as the pathway from DNA to RNA to Protein. DNA is composed of base pairs, based on 4 basic units (A, C, G and T) called nucleotides: A pairs with T, and C pairs with G. DNA is organized into chromosomes and humans have a total of 23 pairs.Chromosomes are further organized into segments of DNA called genes which make or encode proteins. The sum of genes that an organism possess is called the genome. Humans have roughly 20,000 genes and 3 billion base pairs. Interestingly, only about 2 percent of the human genome encodes protein and this is a key area of focus in research and the business of genomics.Genomics is closely related to Precision medicine. With a market size projected to reach $87 billion by 2023, the field of Precision Medicine (also known as personalized medicine) is an approach to patient care that encompasses genetics, behaviors and environment with a goal of implementing a patient or population-specific treatment intervention; in contrast to a one-size-fits-all approach. For example, to reduce the risk of complications, an individual who needs a blood transfusion would be matched to a donor who shares the same blood type instead of a randomly selected donor.Currently, there are two main barriers to greater implementation of precision medicine: High costs and technology limitations. To tackle the vast amount of patient data that must be collected and analyzed, and to help cut down on costs many researchers are implementing machine learning techniques.Fortunately for researchers and genomics companies, the cost of sequencing a genome continues to drop year-over-year – even after a massive relative plunge in cost between 2007 and 2012:The cost of sequencing a genome over time – Image courtesy of Genome.govCurrent applications of machine learning in genomics appear to fall under the following two categories:Genome sequencing (particularly as it applies to precision medicine): Researchers are using machine learning to identify patterns within high volume genetic data sets. These patterns are then translated to computer models which may help predict an individual’s probability of developing certain diseases or help inform the design of potential therapies.Direct-to-Consumer genomics: This category encompasses companies who offer genomic sequencing services to individual consumers. Companies are using machine learning to achieve greater depth in the interpretation of genetic information such as how an individual’s genes may impact their weight.Next, we’ll explore four major areas of current machine learning applications in genomics.AI and Machine Learning Applications in GenomicsCurrent applications of machine learning in the field of genomics are impacting how genetic research is conducted, how clinicians provide patient care and making genomics more accessible to individuals interested in learning more about how their heredity may impact their health.1 – Genome SequencingWhole Genome Sequencing (WGS) has grown as an area of interest in medical diagnostics. Next Generation Sequencing has emerged as a buzzword which encompasses modern DNA sequencing techniques, allowing researchers to sequence a whole human genome in one day as compared to the classic Sanger sequencing technology which required over a decade for completion when the human genome was first sequenced.Companies like Deep Genomics, use machine learning to help researchers interpret genetic variation. Specifically, algorithms are designed based on patterns identified in large genetic data sets which are then translated to computer models to help clients interpret how genetic variation affects crucial cellular processes. Examples of cellular processes include the metabolism, DNA repair, and cell growth. Disruption to the normal functioning of these pathways can potentially cause diseases such as cancer.Founded in 2014, the Toronto-based startup has received a reported $3.7 million in seed funding from three U.S. venture capital firms: Bloomberg Beta, Eleven Two Capital and True Ventures. In fact, the Deep Genomics backers reportedly advised the startup to continue to grow in Toronto instead of relocating to Silicon Valley.The decision may reflect the Canadian government’s recent allocation of $125 million (canadian dollars) towards a Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy. As of April 2017, Deep Genomics has referenced seven publications related to its technology, the majority of which predict or infer potential genetic variants. However, specific outcomes of this research within the context of diseases or potential therapies have yet to be reported.2 – Gene EditingGene editing is defined as a method of making specific alterations to DNA at the cellular or organism level. CRISPR is a gene editing technology that offers a faster and less expensive way of conducting gene editing. In order to use CRISPR, researchers must first select an appropriate target sequence. This can be a daunting process involving many choices and unpredictable outcomes. Machine learning offers the capability to significantly reduce the time, cost and effort necessary to identify an appropriate target sequence.London-based Desktop Genetics is a software company at the convergence of AI and CRISPR. Founded in 2012, the company has accrued $5.8 million in total equity funding from 7 investors which include a mix of accelerators, venture capital firms and biotech company and DNA sequencing veteran Illumina.First, experimental or reference data is uploaded to Google Cloud. It is then formatted and processed before moving to our bioinformatics and machine learning teams. Using this data, they can analyze and design CRISPR experiments or train new models. This leads new CRISPR designs which can then be tested in the lab, generating FASTQ data which once again feeds back into the workflow. Image from DeskGen.comThe company reports two key findings from a recent study: 1) an increased amount of training data improves the accuracy of an algorithm in its ability to predict CRISPR activity and 2) the accuracy of the model decreases when applied to a different species, such as humans vs. mice. Neither of these findings are particularly surprising, and Desktop Genetics acknowledges that extensive research will be necessary to continue to improve processes and to push the boundaries of how machine learning can impact CRISPR.3 – Clinical WorkflowThere are often gaps in the patient data available to the different members of a healthcare team serving a patient. This challenge has sparked an interest in using machine learning to improve the efficiency of the clinical workflow process. Intel has designed an Analytics Toolkit which integrates machine learning capabilities into the clinical workflow process. The Transformation Lab at Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City, Utah collaborated with Intel in an effort to more efficiently integrate genetics in breast cancer treatment and patient care.The partnership resulted in the development of an algorithm to measure factors such as a patient’s level of risk for developing multiple cancers. A workflow model was developed using machine learning with four major components:A centralized database of genomic data that is linked to “clinical and patient data”All clinicians and genetic counselors have access to Electronic Health Records (EHRs)All data from genetic tests are integrated into EHRsClinical Decision Support tools (CDS) are operational and accessible. Examples of clinical decision support include family health histories, screenings and past clinical data.A visual representation of the phases listed above – image from IntelSince the launch of the Transformation Lab in 2013, it has been reported that a patient can be screened for a sample workflow in 3 to 5 minutes.The workflow model developed using machine learning (described above) contributed to improved data accessibility.While it can be assumed that the process is now faster based on the fact that data was not previously centralized, it is unclear from the report as to how long the process took before the implementation of the new model.The venture capital arm of Intel, Intel Capital, has reportedly invested in over two dozen AI entities. The firm’s latest three AI company investments totaled roughly $133.35 million in Series A and B funding, perpetuating a trend of relatively high AI investment in the healthcare sector (compared to other industry verticals). Despite it’s regulatory issues and complex sales cycles, many of the biggest players in artificial intelligence seem to be affirming the massive economic value of AI in healthcare.We’ve looked at the relatively high investment in AI in healthcare in our article analyzing “AI industry” market segments.4 – Direct-to-Consumer GenomicsOne particular estimate postulates that by 2025 the predictive genetic testing and consumer genomics market worth will reach $4.6 billion. Contributing factors to the anticipated market expansion include a growing awareness of how genomic tests can be used to help determine the likelihood of developing a particular disease and may with proper guidance.Despite concerns around regulation and the role of health professionals in helping individuals interpret their test results, direct-to-consumer genomics is a rapidly growing industry and leading companies such as 23andMe and Ancestry.com are becoming household names.A screen shot example of 23andMe’s Genetic Weight Report – Image from 23andMe23andMe recently combined data from 600,000 research participants with machine learning to develop a model for a Genetic Weight report. The report is designed to provide personalized analyses of how an individual’s genetic material may impact their weight.Unique factors used to develop each report include “genotype, sex, age, and self-identified primary ancestry.” These factors would be determined either from a customer’s genetic information or derived from a survey that would be administered prior to accessing the report.With over 2 million customers to date, it will be interesting to see what economic impact the Genetic Weight report will have on user lifestyle habits, the weight loss industry in general and on the company’s business model going forward. Founded in 2006, the human genome research company has raised a reported $232.97 million from 16 investors which include Johnson and Johnson, Google and Illumina.Future Applications of Machine Learning in GenomicsFuture applications of machine learning in the field of genomics are diverse and may potentially contribute to the development of patient or population-specific pharmaceutical drugs, help farmers improve soil quality and crop yield, and contribute to the development of advanced genetic screening tools for newborns.While the possibilities might be endless, we’ve chosen three applications that seem promising and are probably worth keeping on the radar for business leaders with a keen interest of the business of genomics:1 – PharmacogenomicsA natural progression of precision medicine, pharmacogenomics is an emerging field that looks at the role of genetics in the context of how an individual responds to drugs. While the field is still quite new, there is evidence of research involving machine learning. For example, what is regarded as the first study to apply machine learning models to determine a stable dose of Tacrolimus in renal transplant patients was published in February 2017. Tacrolimus is commonly administered to patients following a solid organ transplantation to prevent “acute rejection” of the new organ.2 – Newborn Genetic Screening ToolsAnalysts anticipate that newborn genetic screening will become standard practice over the next decade. Data collected at birth would be seamlessly integrated into the individuals EHR, and non-invasive screening capabilities for particularly diseases such as Down Syndrome would be available to women during a pregnancy.The Newborn Screening Center at the National Taiwan University Hospital implemented machine learning to improve the accuracy its web-based newborn screening system for metabolism defects. Results of the study showed that instances of false positives were reduced “from 21 to 2 for phenylketonuria (PKU), from 30 to 10 for hypermethioninemia, and 209 to 46 for 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA-carboxylase (3-MCC) deficiency.”Farmers may be more likely to predict crop health with future AI applications – image from Trace Genomics3 – AgricultureThe potential for genomics to help improve soil quality and crop yield is an emerging area of interest and promise within the sphere of agriculture. Through its Illumina Accelerator, Illumina lended support to California-based startup PathoGn, Inc. in 2015. The startup is described as a combining genomics and machine learning to build diagnostic tools aimed at predicting and preventing diseases in crops.Today, the company is know as Trace Genomics and seems to have shifted its focus more towards soil health.If genetic data can be used to predict the yield or health of crops (and the resulting impact on soil) could help farmers better predict and optimize yields. Such innovations used at scale could also ramp up the global improvements in crop yields that have resulted from past genetic alterations.Concluding Thoughts on AI, ML and GenomicsMachine learning in genomics is currently impacting multiple touch points including how genetic research is conducted, how clinicians provide patient care and the accessibility of genomics to individuals interested in learning more about how their heredity may impact their health.Efforts to implement AI to help accelerate the path from bench-to-bedside and make precision medicine more commonplace is smart business (readers will a deeper interest in this topic may want to explore our recent article on the applications of machine learning in medicine and pharma). These efforts may also prove profitable for businesses that are able to deliver tangible and sustainable solutions to the challenges facing precision medicine.While there is great promise, making the case for precision medicine is still an uphill battle with many clinicians seeking greater clarity around clinical utility and insurance companies not viewing it as a necessity.Therefore, the data interpretation capabilities accessible through machine learning will need to be complemented by education and clear explanations of the utility and value of this technology.Pharmacogenomics is a main area of emerging applications of machine learning in genomics but this is just one example and potential future applications are diverse. However, with limited data on outcomes, time will tell which fields stand to gain the greatest benefit from investing in AI.We will continue to follow the field of the genomics closely as we suspect this will be an active field for more machine learning applications in the near future. It’s possible that the world’s largest drug companies (whose AI initiatives we have tracked and written about) will be among the biggest financial backers – and acquirers – of the innovative AI genomics companies that emerge in the coming years.Source: Machine Learning in Genomics - Current Efforts and Future Applications -Introduction to Genome Mapping and Understanding with Data Science

Hurray! Finally, I am able to lose 29 lbs of weight in just 7 days. (WITHOUT DOING ANY HEAVY EXERCISE & HEAVY FASTING). Hey Friends, How are you? Are you ready to lose weight? Just Checkout my own 2 step easy formulae which works like charm for me & my friends as well. (More Than 50 people). Base Upon My Experience, I can assure you that you won’t disappoint if you seriously follow my 2 step formulae. ( I know Free Advice Doesn't Have Much Value. But, This formula is only for those friends who are really serious about weight loss. It's Your Choice What You Want To Do) I Hope It Helps You. Thank You Very Much.It's been a long time coming, but the wait is finally over: the NCAA women's basketball tournament returns on Sunday.The first round tips off with 32 games spread across two days. Defending champion Baylor will be in action on Sunday, as does No. 1 overall seed Stanford. The first round will be held in venues across San Antonio, Austin and San Marcos, Texas.The entire tournament will be broadcast on ESPN networks. Check out the full first round schedule below.Matchup: Iowa (5) vs. Central Michigan (12)Region: River WalkTime: Noon ETTV channel: ESPNMatchup: Virginia Tech (7) vs. Marquette (10)Region: River WalkTime: Noon ETTV channel: ESPNUMatchup: Oklahoma State (8) vs. Wake Forest (9)Region: AlamoTime: 1 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPN2Matchup: Kentucky (4) vs. Idaho State (13)Region: River WalkTime: 2 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPNMatchup: Tennessee (3) vs. Middle Tennessee (14)Region: River WalkTime: 2 p.m. ETTV channel: ABCMatchup: Michigan (6) vs. Florida Gulf Coast (11)Region: River WalkTime: 3 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPN2Matchup: North Carolina State (1) vs. North Carolina A&T (16)Region: MercadoTime: 4 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPNMatchup: Baylor (2) vs. Jackson State (15)Region: River WalkTime: 4 p.m. ETTV channel: ABCMatchup: Georgia Tech (5) vs. Stephen F. Austin (12)Region: HemisFairTime: 4:30 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPNUMatchup: Syracuse (8) vs. South Dakota State (9)Region: River WalkTime: 5:30 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPN2Matchup: South Carolina (1) Mercer (16)Region: HemisFairTime: 6 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPNMatchup: Oregon State (8) vs. Florida State (9)Region: HemisFairTime: 7:30 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPN2Matchup: UConn (1) vs. High Point (16)Region: River WalkTime: 8 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPNMatchup: West Virginia (4) vs. Lehigh (13)Region: HemisFairTime: 8 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPNUMatchup: South Florida (8) vs. Washington State (9)Region: MercadoTime: 9:30 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPN2Matchup: Stanford (1) vs. Utah Valley (16)Region: AlamoTime: 10 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPNMonday, March 22Matchup: Alabama (7) vs. North Carolina (7)Region: HemisFairTime: Noon ETTV channel: ESPNMatchup: Georgia (3) vs. Drexel (14)Region: AlamoTime: Noon ETTV channel: ESPN2Matchup: Rutgers (6) vs. BYU (11)Region: MercadoTime: Noon ETTV channel: ESPNUMatchup: Arkansas (4) vs. Wright State (13)Region: AlamoTime: 2 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPNMatchup: Arizona (3) vs. Stony Brook (14)Region: MercadoTime: 2 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPN2Matchup: Indiana (4) vs. VCU (13)Region: MercadoTime: 2 p.m.TV channel: ESPNUMatchup: Maryland (2) vs. Mount St. Mary's (15)Region: HemisFairTime: 4 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPNMatchup: Gonzaga (5) vs. Belmont (12)Region: MercadoTime: 4 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPN2Matchup: Northwestern (7) vs. UCF (10)Region: AlamoTime: 4 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPNUMatchup: Iowa State (7) vs. Michigan State (6)Region: MercadoTime: 6 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPNMatchup: Texas A&M vs. Troy (15)Region: MercadoTime: 6 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPN2Matchup: Missouri State (5) vs. UC Davis (12)Region: AlamoTime: 7:30 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPNUMatchup: Louisville (2) vs. Marist (15)Region: AlamoTime: 8 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPNMatchup: Texas (6) vs. Bradley (11)Region: HemisFairTime: 8 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPN2Matchup: UCLA (3) vs. Wyoming (14)Region: HemisFairTime: 10 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPNMatchup: Oregon (6) vs. South Dakota (11)Region: AlamoTime: 10 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPN2More March Madness coverage:South Carolina basketball: NCAA tournament 1st round preview | Charlotte ObserverNo result found, try new keyword!South Carolina women’s basketball is set to start its bid for the second national championship in program history Sunday, when the No. 1 seed Gamecocks take on No. 16 seed Mercer in the first round of ...How to Watch Alabama Basketball vs Maryland in the Second Round of the 2021 NCAA TournamentThe Alabama men's basketball team will see a familiar face on Monday when it faces Maryland in the second round of the 2021 NCAA tournament.Galin Smith, who was a member of the Crimson Tide program from 2017-2020, transferred to the Terrapins last offseason. He is averaging 14.1 minutes, 3.8 points and 2.4 rebounds on the year.He is shooting a very efficient 54.2 percent from the floor.No. 10 seed Maryland knocked out No. 7 seed UConn on Saturday night 63-54 behind 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting and five rebounds from guard Eric Ayala.The Terrapins, who were on the bubble entering The Big Dance, finished the regular season 17-13 and in eighth place in the Big Ten. Ayala is the their leading scorer at 14.9 points each time out.Maryland forward Darryl Morrsell was named the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year and the league's All-Defensive Team.Per KenPom, the Terrapins are 29th in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency and 49th in adjusted offensive efficiency. It has a 5-10 record against Quad 1 teams this season.Last time out, Alabama: The Crimson Tide survived a scare from Rick Pitino and Iona, 68-55. Senior wing Herb Jones did it all with 20 points, six rebounds, three steals and two assists. Guard Jahvon Quinerly added 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting.Last time out, Maryland: The Terrapins outmatched UConn, 63-54. Maryland shot 50 percent from beyond-the-arc (9-of-18) and held the Huskies to just 32.3 percent from the floor (21-of-65).The series: The fifth meeting. Maryland owns the all-time record 3-1. Alabama's only victory came on Nov. 17, 2011 inside the Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This is the first time ever that both schools will meet in the NCAA tournament.More on the last meeting: Maryland defeated Alabama 58-57 in the quarterfinals of the NIT back on March 26, 2013. Terrapins big man Alex Len poured in 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Guard Levi Randolph led the Crimson Tide with 15 points, four rebounds and two assists.A woman exercising on a stationary bike. Exercise is an important component of weight loss, most experts agree. CC BY-SAImagine that you are running a company, but you cannot get to your goal because all of your good workers keep quitting.For 30 years, your response to this problem has been to criticize the workers and say they are stupid and weak for quitting. As a result, you never reach your goal. You don’t change your formula or alter your plan, just keep blaming and shaming the workers for quitting.If you did this, your failure rate would remain unchanged over time, of course, and you would never reach your goal.In the same way, hundreds of thousands of people fall short of their dieting and weight loss goals every year, and the incidence of obesity continues to rise. The fitness industry’s answer to this has been to continue on as planned and blame the soaring failure rates on the people themselves, creating a culture of overt and subtle fat-shaming.Now, imagine that you do some research at your company, and you find out that folks keep quitting because the carpet smells like garbage, the office is way too hot and the desks are in disrepair. If you hope to eventually get to your goal, you would almost certainly address the factors that are leading to attrition of our workers, right?The same thing goes for weight loss in 2018. Science has shown us why “workers” are quitting. They quit because their ability to perform exercise is limited, they don’t sleep enough and they don’t eat for change. Just as your company needed to stop ridiculing the workers for quitting and instead change the carpet, furnace and desks, the fitness world should resist the urge to fat-shame and instead focus on exercise capacity, sleeping and recovery.I have studied weight loss and obesity for many years. The issue of overweight and obesity grows more pressing each year, as 84 million people are now considered pre-diabetic. While they are in a pre-diabetic condition, they can still avoid the debilitating consequences of the disease. But once they become diabetic, health problems cascade as a result of this serious disease. The same is true for heart disease, arthritis and many other obesity-related conditions.Story continuesExercisePeople must exercise enough not only to burn calories for weight loss but to keep weight off. Simply put, if a person can walk for only five minutes today, he or she cannot expect to be successful on a program that calls for four days of exercise beyond that amount each time, tomorrow. Thus, the initial goal of any intended weight loss transformation should be to first increase one’s exercise capacity to a critical point, called the catching point.Once this capacity is reached, food preferences will change, metabolic rates will increase and patients will have a real chance to follow an exercise regimen that results in a significant amount of calories burned.An “in-shape” person is much more likely to be successful with a new diet and exercise program than a sedentary, overweight person. As a result, step one must be to increase this capacity and to get there.The other two tenets of recovery are equally critical: sleep and diet.SleepThousands of articles and many books have been written on sleep as it relates to brain function, brain waves, thinking, memory, mood, etc. The role of sleep in physical metabolic change, though, is missing from most diet attempts.Simply put, sleep is the time that the body changes. Structurally, our bodies are making molecules during sleep that follows exercise which will do useful things for us such as strengthen our muscles, lower blood pressure, neutralize inflammation and increase our metabolism.Sleeping enough will also make us eat less. Functional MRI scans of the brain show that people are far more interested in eating when they are sleep-deprived. Moreover, sleep-deprived people are more driven toward unhealthy foods when given the option. They also have increased levels of gherlin, the hormone that makes us feel hungry, and decreased levels of leptin, the hormone that makes us feel full. And, in multiple studies people have been shown to actually eat more food and actually gain more weight when sleep-deprived, and population-based studies have shown increased BMIs in people with fewer sleep hours.Eating for changeOften, people err when they try to lose weight by restricting calories at the beginning of their efforts. Restricting calories leads to a host of responses from the body that induce food-seeking behavior and cause people to “quit” their diets. A recent study of a large group of people suggests that people should not count calories at all but instead pay attention to the quality of the food they eat, refraining from sugar and processed foods and instead eating lots of fruits and vegetables.We can’t make changes in our body’s structure without the appropriate nutrients on board. If, while we are sleeping, our bodies set out to make the changes we want and there are no nutrients with which to do so, there will be no transformation. The specific nutrients necessary for recovery and optimization of our microbiome have been well-described during recent years and should be added to our intake (vs. restriction) until a critical point of clean eating is reached.In summary, the three things missing from most diet attempts are the appropriate exercise capacity, the right amount of sleep and a plan to eat for recovery and change. Implementing these elements to most plans will allow folks to stay engaged long enough for healthy habits to “catch.”This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.David Prologo is the founder of The Catching Point Transformation.Is It Normal to Lose Weight as You Age?Weight loss is something many adults strive for. Most of us have looked in the mirror at some point and figured we could stand to lose a few pounds. Your doctor may have instructed you to lose weight for your health. But as we age, some of us might find that we’re losing weight without meaning to.Unintentional weight loss is a common issue in older adults. While there can be medical factors involved, there’s often no explanation for the pounds that simply slip away. About 25% of patients who are older adults experience unexplained weight loss of some kind.Weight Loss as You Age: What’s Normal and What’s Not?Normal weight loss. As you get older, you start to lose lean body mass like muscle and bone density. As early as age 30, our lean body mass starts to drop by a little over half a pound each year. You might not notice a change when you step on the scale, because the lean weight you lost is often replaced by fat.Men vs. women. Weight loss can be different for men and women. Men tend to gain weight until age 55, and then slowly start to lose it in the years that follow. This could be because men produce less testosterone after this age. Women, on the other hand, usually stop gaining weight once they hit age 65.Abnormal Weight Loss. After the age of 65, it’s typically normal to lose 0.2 to 0.4 pounds of body weight every year. Unintentional weight loss can be dangerous if you lose 5% or more of your body weight every 6-12 months.What Causes Weight Loss as You Age?Reasons for weight loss. Many factors can contribute to your clothes fitting a little looser as you get older. Most of these are social, psychological, and medical reasons, including:Cancer‌Stomach or intestinal disease‌Depression‌Dementia‌Diabetes or other endocrine disorders‌Heart problems‌Alcoholism‌Kidney diseaseSide effects of medication (can include loss of appetite)‌Financial issues‌Problems with finding nutritious food or feeding oneself‌Not getting enough food (malnutrition)‌Late-life paranoia‌Dental issuesIf none of these apply to you, you aren't alone. The cause of unintentional weight loss is still unknown for up to 28% of patients.Continued Health Concerns About Weight LossProblems and concerns. Maintaining a healthy weight is essential for good health and independence as you age. Unintentional weight loss is a big risk factor in older adults for multiple reasons.Unintentionally losing too much weight as you get older can cause:Decreased quality of life‌Increased risk of death (mortality) and disease (morbidity)‌A decline in physical activities that promote health‌Increased risk of health-related accidents like bone fractures‌Greater risk for admission to a hospital or other institutionHow to Maintain a Healthy Weight as You AgeDiet. It’s so important to eat a nutritious diet as you get older. A healthy diet can prevent a host of health problems. A proper nutrient intake can even keep you looking younger as the years pass.Some people find that their appetite decreases a lot as they age. It could be that you’re on a low-sodium diet and that just doesn’t appeal to you. Maybe you simply don’t want to eat three large meals per day.Eating tips. Try the following tips to increase your caloric intake every day and make your mealtimes more enjoyable:Eat smaller meals and more snacks during the day, instead of large meals.‌Keep high-calorie, ready-to-eat snacks in the kitchen like nuts, cheese, and fruit cups.‌Eat full-fat dairy instead of non-fat when you have the option.‌Include high-fat foods like avocado and peanut butter in your diet.‌Top savory dishes with cheese.‌Eat socially when possible. This can make for a more enjoyable experience that you look forward to.‌If you smoke, avoid doing so before mealtimes as it can decrease your appetite.‌Consider ordering from a meal delivery service. You can often customize meals to your dietary needs, and there’s little to no cooking involved.‌Keep frozen and canned fruits and veggies available. They’re easy to prepare and pack a punch nutritionally.‌Stay active as much as possible. This can increase your appetite.Prevention is key as you get older, and maintaining a healthy diet can help you avoid lots of health problems.Getting Help for Weight LossGo to the doctor. If you notice that you’re rapidly losing weight, the best thing to do is to find out if there’s an underlying cause. That means going to the doctor and getting an exam.Your doctor will perform a complete examination, and will probably do some screening tests. They’ll take blood and urine samples and analyze them to figure out if there’s a medical reason you’re losing weight. Your doctor may also perform an assessment to rule out psychological conditions like dementia and depression, which can affect your food intake.They’ll also ask you questions about your nutrition. Usually, this involves you or a caretaker filling out a questionnaire about what you eat daily. It’s important to be honest when answering these questions. Even if you’re eating enough calories every day, they might be able to identify other areas in your diet that need improvement.‌American Family Physician: “Unintentional Weight Loss in Older Adults.”‌CMAJ: “An approach to the management of unintentional weight loss in elderly people.”‌Geriatrics & Aging: “An Approach to the Nonpharmacologic and Pharmacologic Management of Unintentional Weight Loss Among Older Adults.”Mayo Clinic: “Healthy aging: Beyond 50.”NHS: “Keeping your weight up in later life.”© 2020 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.03Towie’s Fran Parman poses in her bra as she shows off her incredible 2st weight loss after cutting out gluten and sugarTOWIE's Fran Parman posed in her bra as she showed off her weight loss on Instagram.The beauty was praised for her stunning post after revealing she'd shed two stone in under seven months.Towie’s Fran Parman posed in her bra as she showed off her 2st weight loss after cutting out ‘gluten and sugar’Towie’s Fran Parman posed in her bra as she showed off her 2st weight loss after cutting out ‘gluten and sugar’The 30-year-old Towie star sat perched on her windowsill in her latest photo and revealed her slimmer frame in the snap.She captioned her pic: "The harder I fall, the higher I shall rise 🤍"Fran later told her fans on her Instagram Story that she had cut "gluten and sugar" from her diet and achieved her results through a healthy eating and exercise routine over the course of seven months.The celeb said she had seen other health benefits of her new lifestyle too, and the symptoms of her polycystic ovary syndrome had improved.Fran revealed she has polycystic ovary syndrome and said her diet has helped her symptomsFran revealed she has polycystic ovary syndrome and said her diet has helped her symptoms Towie's Fran Parman shows off incredible weight loss in dress that got her trolledShe shared: "This is the first time in over a year my cycle has gone back to normal."I've fasted, cut out gluten and sugar, that's what helped. I'm so excited I'm going back to normal finally. I hope this helps you girls too."Fran's followers hailed her an inspiration after seeing her efforts as they congratulated her beneath her latest post.One said: "Beautiful inside and out. Don’t let anyone tell you any different 😍💋💋"Fran returned to Towie in SeptemberFran returned to Towie in SeptemberAnother said: "Absolutely gawjusss ! Inspirational you are ! Love that your a real girl ! 👏🔥😍"On International Women's Day, Fran also told how online abuse she had received before she lost weight spurred her on to be more resilient and positive.She said: "The amount of abuse I got on this day was not ok. No one knew my story, everyone judged and was quick to bring me down just over a dress. I was so sad on this day but I look back and thank you for the trolling.Fran has since lost two stoneFran has since lost two stone Credit: InstagramExclusiveHELP! Sir Paul McCartney looks stuck on the sand as he hits the beach with wife NancySO SHE DOES SMILE! Victoria Beckham shares 'evidence I do smile' after sons poke fun at her'CRAZED WITH GRIEF' Paul Gascoigne saved my life after I lost my kind son, says sister AnnaMASKED ’ZINGER Nicole Scherzinger wows in a PVC two-piece & matching nails on Masked SingerSWEET KID Katie Price’s son Harvey begs for carrot cake in sweet video shared by Carl WoodsFINAL COUNTDOWN Pregnant Helen Flanagan predicts she'll go into labour today in selfie"The mean words I bought to light and the amount of women that have come forward and messaged me is honestly so beautiful to see the support we have for each other."It doesn’t matter what size you are and thank you for all the women that made me believe I was beautiful this size regardless of the trolls. Yes I’ve lost weight, but thats because who I feel, more comfortable as a person."It shouldn’t matter what size you are it’s who the person is that matters."“When some people are found to be not really responsive to the vaccines, which is expected with all vaccines, there was an initiative to approach these people and give them a third shot of the Sinopharm vaccine, which has shown, within the context of the study, to boost their immunity,” he said.Anyone with low levels of antibodies after a test could ask their doctor to contact health authorities and an appointment would be made for them to have another dose, he said, though generally it is the officials that approach the person.He likened the need for a third shot as similar to a flu booster shot and said those requiring it was a “very small number.” The need for a third shot was originally mentioned on March 10 by the spokeswoman for the health sector, Farida al-Hosani, to the National newspaper.According to doctors spoken to be the Wall Street Journal, there were cases of people with little or no antibody response after two doses of SinopharmThe revelations could raise doubts about the effectiveness of the Sinopharm vaccine, which is being widely used around the world as countries scramble to locate vaccines. Many of the more effective, Western-made vaccines have been snapped up by wealthier nations.The Sinopharm vaccine has a self-reported efficacy rate of 79 percent — which global health experts say is more than adequate — but its data has not been publicly released. In addition to the UAE, the vaccine has been purchased by countries such as Egypt, Cambodia, Senegal and Peru.The UAE has distinguished itself with an aggressive vaccination program that initially used Sinopharm, which also conducted Phase 3 trials in the country, and then was later expanded to include Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Russia’s Sputnik VAccording to announcements Saturday, nearly 73 percent of the elderly population has received at least one vaccine dose. That number drops to 56 percent for all eligible adults.The government also announced that as of Sunday, everyone in the country was now eligible for a vaccine, after restricting injections to those with special needs for the past six weeks.After Israel, UAE has the highest national vaccination rate in the region with more than 7 million doses given to a population of just 9 million. The vaccine is free to all citizens and residents.The number of new daily cases quadrupled to nearly 4,000 in January and only now has dropped down to about 2,000 new cases a day.What you need to know about getting a COVID-19 vaccine in East TexasMar. 18—So you live in the Kilgore area and want to get a COVID-19 vaccine? Now what?COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed throughout the state, but it's not always clear who can get one, where to go if you're eligible and if they will even be available.Gregg County's two major hospitals received and administered the city's first vaccines on Dec. 17, and many particulars about the vaccine's distribution have changed since.Who is eligible?Which Texas residents may get a COVID-19 vaccine is a bit of a moving target. The state has divided residents into different groups, called "tiers," to which at different periods access to the vaccine will be given.On March 11, people in Phase 1A and 1B were eligible, but the state had also added school and child care workers and expanded to Phase 1C on Monday.Phase 1A: Frontline health care workers and residents in long-term care facilities.Phase 1B: People 65 and older or people 16 and older with a health condition that increases rise of severe COVID-19 illness. The conditions include cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Down syndrome, heart conditions like heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathies, obesity, pregnancy, Sickle cell disease and Type 2 diabetes.School and child care workers: A federal directive issued March 2 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded eligibility to receive the vaccine to school and child care workers across the country.Phase 1C: This past week the state announced that Texans ages 50 to 64 will be eligible for the vaccine beginning Monday. The state said in a statement that preventing residents in this age bracket from getting the disease will "dramatically" reduce deaths.Where might vaccines be available?When looking for a spot to get the COVID-19 vaccine near Kilgore, Gregg County Health Authority Dr. Lewis Browne said the hub at the Longview Fairgrounds is the best — and most likely — game in town.Appointments can be scheduled as they are available, but Browne had tips for people who don't yet have an appointment at the hub."I think the best thing is to try to go up there to the hub and ask to be put on standby to see if they have any extras because that's what happened this past weekend," Browne said Thursday. "They had extra doses, and they were able to vaccinate a lot more people."Gregg County Vaccine HubThe hub at the Longview Exhibit Building is a partnership between Christus Good Shepherd Medical Center, the city of Longview and Gregg County. It has administered by far the largest number of vaccines in Longview beginning Jan. 30 and has a revolving availability for those who wish to be vaccinated.How to register: The hub is scheduling appointments for residents in one of the three tiers of eligibility. To find an appointment, go to. Appointments appear to be added on Friday mornings for upcoming shot clinics, which are usually held on Saturdays and Sundays.Smith County Vaccine HubsThere are two vaccine hub options in Smith County.The Northeast Texas Public Health District offers drive-thru vaccine clinics at the Harvey Convention Center (or inside the convention center if it's raining). Vaccine appointment sign-ups for the NET Health clinic are online at . Appointments are posted as vaccines become available.UT Health East Texas also offers vaccine appointments at its UT Health North Campus in Tyler, 11937 U.S. 271 in Tyler.Those who need help navigating online sign-up or who are without access to internet can call 903-747-4VAC (4822) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to get an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine.A number of locally-owned pharmacies along with chains that have Longview-area businesses have received doses of the vaccine. Finding one that has them in stock; however, can be a challenge.Browne cautions area residents that vaccines at pharmacies could be hard to come by because they are not getting as many doses as the hub in Longview."That's hit and miss," he said. "They're usually getting very few vaccines."The state each week releases the vaccine allocations on its website. This week, the hub in Longview is scheduled to get 3,510 doses of the Pfizer vaccine. No other locations in the county are scheduled to receive any new doses this week.Here are the ones we've seen that have received them and how to go about checking availability.:Brookshires: Various Brookshire's Grocery pharmacies, including in Kilgore, have received doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. On Tuesday, the company's website had a disabled link to a vaccine waiting list that said, "Not currently accepting new entries." More information is on its website.CVS Health: CVS recently added Kilgore, Longview, Tyler and Jacksonville locations, among those in East Texas, to its list of outlets that have the vaccine available. To check availability, and see other East Texas locations offering the vaccine, visit the CVS website.Louis Morgan: Louis Morgan Drug Nos. 1 and 4 have received some doses of the vaccine in the state's distribution. On Tuesday, neither location had any available, according to their websites. Louis Morgan No. 4 has a page on its website listing more information about vaccine updates. There is not currently a waiting list.Walgreens: Similar to CVS, appointments are disappearing quickly at Texas Walgreens locations. Visit the retailer's website to search for available appointments.Walmart: Some of the retailer's Kilgore, Longview, Henderson and other East Texas locations have pharmacies that offer the COVID vaccine. With limited supply, though, Walmart's vaccination locator may not show locations if they're out of doses. Visit Walmart's website to see which locations have the vaccine in stock and to sign up for an appointment.Sam's Club: Sam's Club, also owned by Walmart, offers the COVID-19 vaccine at certain locations. To register, make an account at Sam's Club's website and check your vaccine eligibility. You do not need to be a Sam's Club member to get the vaccine here.Kroger: Limited quantities of COVID-19 vaccine are available at Kroger locations. To look at availability and eligibility, use the Kroger assessment tool on its website.Browne also addressed concerns some people might have about possible side effects from the vaccines.Browne, who had his second shot in January, said people largely have tolerated the vaccines very well."There have been a few people, and very few, people who have gotten fever and aches that has lasted about a day," he said. "That's as severe as I've heard."Browne said after his second shot his arm was sore for about six hours."I took my Tylenol, and it wasn't that bad of a follow up — it just hurt. It was over with after that."Experts say it's a tight race between coronavirus variants and vaccines in the US as air travel hits records and spring break crowds growIt's a "neck and neck" race between the two, one expert says."This is crunch time," Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told CNN on Saturday. "This is going to be our most difficult period right now in terms of seeing who wins out."With less than a quarter of all Americans having received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine -- and only about 13% fully vaccinated -- doubling down on safety measures now is what could help curb another surge, experts have repeatedly stressed."If we can hang on another month, another six weeks, that's going to make a huge difference," Hotez added.Instead, air travel is hitting pandemic-era records, with TSA screening more than 1.4 million people at airports Friday -- the biggest day for air travel more than a year. Spring break crowds are swelling, with Miami Beach officials declaring a state of emergency Saturday in response to crowds the mayor says have been "more than we can handle." And at least a dozen governors -- and multiple local leaders -- have eased restrictions this month, while several have done away with mask mandates completely.Michigan cases and hospitalizations climbing"Our progress with Covid-19 is fragile," Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the chief medical executive for the state of Michigan, said in a news conference Friday. "While we're making great progress with our vaccination efforts and many people are doing the right thing by wearing masks and not gathering in large groups, what we are seeing now is very concerning data that shows that we are going in the wrong direction."Case rates have been increasing for the past month, Khaldun said, and increased 77% since mid-February.The state's percent of Covid-19 tests that are positive have also jumped 177% since mid-February, Khaldun said. And hospitalization rates have also been climbing for the past two weeks, Khaldun added.Michigan has also reported the country's second-highest number of cases of the B.1.1.7 variant, after Florida, according to CDC data."It's immensely concerning," Dr. Rob Davidson, an emergency room physician in the state, told CNN Saturday. "We know in the past, cases went up, then hospitalizations, then deaths followed."Davidson told CNN he's even more worried now that variants are circulating, and hopes the state can make enough headway to protect residents."It remains to be seen," Davidson said. "We just would rather not wait and find out. We'd rather get people to mask up, keep distancing and get those numbers down."'A growing threat in our country'There are several dangerous variants that have experts concerned. But front and center is the B.1.1.7 variant, that was first spotted in the UK and has been rapidly spreading across the US.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated it will become the dominant variant of the virus in the US by the end of this month or early April.The B.1.1.7 variant "likely accounts now for about 20 to 30% of the infections in this country and that number is growing," Dr. Anthony Fauci said during a White House briefing Friday.It's more contagious and could cause more severe disease, Fauci added. Recent research also suggests the variant may also be associated with a higher risk of dying from Covid-19.The good news: vaccines appear to protect well against the variant, Fauci said, and treatments like monoclonal antibodies also appear to work against it."The way we can counter 1.1.7, which is a growing threat in our country, is to do two things: to get as many people vaccinated as quickly and as expeditiously as possible with a vaccine that we know works against this variant. And finally, to implement the public health measures that we talk about all the time," Fauci said."Masking, physical distancing, and avoiding congregate settings, particularly indoors," he added.More than 43 million Americans fully vaccinatedSo far, more than 79 million Americans have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, according to CDC data, and more than 43 million are fully vaccinated. The growing numbers are encouraging, but experts say the country still has a long way to go to reach the levels needed to suppress spread of the virus -- and must address the vaccine hesitancy as well as political divisions that stand in the way.In Missouri, Gov. Mike Parson said Friday that while he encouraged everyone to get vaccinated and thinks it's the right thing to do, he knows there will be a "certain amount of people" who are not going to take the vaccine, "and they have every right to do that.""We got to do a better job of making sure everybody understands the importance of the vaccine, and yet maintain the respect of people that don't want to take a vaccine, and it is going to be a challenge to see how many people we can get done, but we're going to do everything we can," the governor said.A recent CNN poll conducted by SSRS, showed that while 92% of Democrats say they have gotten a dose of the vaccine or plan to get one, that falls to 50% among Republicans. In Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp said earlier this month officials across the state are working with local organizations, like local churches and civic clubs, to tackle vaccine hesitancy -- including among White Republicans.To get more shots into arms faster, many state leaders have also extended eligibility guidelines, with some already setting a date for when all requirements will be lifted.CNN's Pete Muntean, Carma Hassan, Mirna Alsharif and Alec Snyder contributed to this report.Grace Cary/Getty ImagesGetting extra vitamin D may lower the risk of coronavirus infection, according to a new study.Black people were less likely to have COVID-19 if they had more of the nutrient, researchers found.Research on vitamin D is mixed, but it could be one tool in helping people vulnerable to the virus.Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.There's new evidence that getting more than the recommended amount of vitamin D may protect you from contracting COVID-19, particularly if you're Black.Higher levels of vitamin D were associated with increasingly lower risk of coronavirus infection in Black people, according to a study published March 19 in JAMA Open Network.Researchers from the University of Chicago looked at data from 4,314 people who were tested for COVID-19 between March and early April 2020, checking their vitamin D levels based on the past year's worth of medical records.They found that Black people who had the recommended levels of vitamin D (or slightly above) were more than twice as likely to test positive for COVID-19 as peers with higher-than-recommend levels of the nutrient. And those below recommended vitamin D levels were even more likely to get sick.For white people, however, there was no apparent link between vitamin D levels and coronavirus infection rates.This study was an expansion of a previous study from the same research team which found that people with vitamin D deficiency were twice as likely to get COVID-19.The researchers wanted to see if increasing vitamin D beyond what is typically considered to be "enough" for optimal health could potentially protect against coronavirus."This supports arguments for designing clinical trials that can test whether or not vitamin D may be a viable intervention to lower the risk of the disease, especially in persons of color," Dr. David Meltzer, lead author of the study and chief of hospital medicine at the University of Chicago Medicine, said in a press release.COVID-19 disproportionately affects Black and brown people, and vitamin D might be one solutionPeople of color may be disproportionately at risk of vitamin D deficiency, which could in part explain why they have been hardest-hit by the virus. The human body naturally produces vitamin D when skin is exposed to sunlight. People with darker skin take longer to produce the nutrient because they have more melanin, which blocks UV rays from the sun.However, there is also strong evidence that systemic racism - from poor access to healthcare to fewer socioeconomic resources - is a driving factor behind the high rates of COVID-19 among people of color, and a supplement is not a silver bullet to outweigh that.Evidence on vitamin D and coronavirus outcomes has been mixedA growing body of research has studied whether vitamin D may help prevent COVID-19 or related complications, but evidence so far is mixed.There's good data showing a link between higher vitamin D and lower risk of severe COVID-19. A small study published in October 2020 found that coronavirus patients who were given a highly potent form of vitamin D were significantly less likely to need intensive care, and none of them died.Experts have advocated for supplementing vitamin D as a precaution, particularly for vulnerable people such as the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions as well as people of color. They advise that every adult get 4,000 IUs of vitamin D per day, 10 times the current dose recommended by health officials.Several studies, though, have found no evidence that vitamin D can cause better outcomes. There are many factors in the research that could explain these disparities in the results, such as how much vitamin D is taken and at what stage of exposure to coronavirus (before infection, shortly after, or late in the illness).We do know that vitamin D plays an important role in immune system health, and can be protective against other respiratory viruses. More research could help medical experts better understand whether vitamin D can help COVID-19 patients or prevent infection in the first place, and how much is ideal."So far, the data has been relatively inconclusive. Based on these results, we think that earlier studies may have given doses that were too low to have much of an effect on the immune system, even if they were sufficient for bone health. It may be that different levels of vitamin D are adequate for different functions," Meltzer said in the press release.Read the original article on InsiderVitamin D linked to reduced coronavirus risk in Black people, study suggestsBest LifeThis State Has the Worst Heart Health in America, According to DataWhile the pandemic has been the most pressing health issue over the last year, that doesn't mean other serious health conditions and diseases are any less of a threat to our well-being. Heart disease, for example, is still the leading cause of death in men and women in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In fact, recent data from the CDC and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH) estimate about 15,334,000 Americans suffer from coronary heart disease, the most common—yet preventable—form of the condition.With poor heart health being such a serious problem in the U.S., we wanted to see where exactly the condition runs most rampant. To do this, we used the CDC and NIH data on the number of residents in each state who have coronary heart disease and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau to calculate cases of coronary heart disease per capita (or, per 100,000 residents in each state). We included both figures below, but ranked the states based on the per capita rate in each state. Read on to discover the state with the worst heart health in America, and for a way to measure your risk, check out If You Can't Do This in 90 Seconds, Your Heart Is in Danger, Study Says. 50 Utah Residents with heart disease: 89,000Heart disease per capita: 2,776.08 49 Alaska Residents with heart disease: 22,000Heart disease per capita: 3,007.33 48 Colorado Residents with heart disease: 180,000Heart disease per capita: 3,125.69 47 California Residents with heart disease: 1,423,000Heart disease per capita: 3,601.42And for one of the ways you can tell if your ticker is in trouble, check out If You Have This Issue With Your Eyes, Your Heart Disease Risk Is High. 46 Connecticut Residents with heart disease: 131,000Heart disease per capita: 3,674.32 45 Maryland Residents with heart disease: 234,000Heart disease per capita: 3,870.53 44 Hawaii Residents with heart disease: 55,000Heart disease per capita: 3,884.53 43 Minnesota Residents with heart disease: 232,000Heart disease per capita: 4,113.74 42 New Mexico Residents with heart disease: 88,000Heart disease per capita: 4,196.81 41 Wisconsin Residents with heart disease: 245,000Heart disease per capita: 4,207.86 40 Texas Residents with heart disease: 1,237,000Heart disease per capita: 4,266.12And for what you can do to prevent becoming one of these statistics, check out This Is the Best Thing You Can Do for Your Heart Health Right Now. 39 Washington Residents with heart disease: 327,000Heart disease per capita: 4,294.22 38 Nebraska Residents with heart disease: 84,000Heart disease per capita: 4,342.41 37 Virginia Residents with heart disease: 372,000Heart disease per capita: 4,358.26 36 Illinois Residents with heart disease: 558,000Heart disease per capita: 4,403.47 35 North Dakota Residents with heart disease: 34,000Heart disease per capita: 4,461.58 34 New Hampshire Residents with heart disease: 61,000Heart disease per capita: 4,486.25 33 Wyoming Residents with heart disease: 26,000Heart disease per capita: 4,492.37 32 Kansas Residents with heart disease: 134,000Heart disease per capita: 4,599.57 31 Idaho Residents with heart disease: 83,000Heart disease per capita: 4,644.49 30 New York Residents with heart disease: 913,000Heart disease per capita: 4,693.23And for more rankings and health facts sent directly to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. 29 New Jersey Residents with heart disease: 420,000Heart disease per capita: 4,728.56 28 Iowa Residents with heart disease: 150,000Heart disease per capita: 4,754.25 27 Oregon Residents with heart disease: 203,000Heart disease per capita: 4,813.01 26 Rhode Island Residents with heart disease: 51,000Heart disease per capita: 4,814.22 25 Massachusetts Residents with heart disease: 332,000Heart disease per capita: 4,816.83 24 Georgia Residents with heart disease: 515,000Heart disease per capita: 4,850.52 23 Arizona Residents with heart disease: 356,000Heart disease per capita: 4,890.97 22 South Dakota Residents with heart disease: 45,000Heart disease per capita: 5,086.71 21 Pennsylvania Residents with heart disease: 667,000Heart disease per capita: 5,210.13 20 North Carolina Residents with heart disease: 548,000Heart disease per capita: 5,224.98 19 Montana Residents with heart disease: 56,000Heart disease per capita: 5,239.63 18 Michigan Residents with heart disease: 528,000Heart disease per capita: 5,286.95 17 Louisiana Residents with heart disease: 253,000Heart disease per capita: 5,442.27 16 Delaware Residents with heart disease: 53,000Heart disease per capita: 5,442.80 15 Vermont Residents with heart disease: 34,000Heart disease per capita: 5,448.81 14 Indiana Residents with heart disease: 370,000Heart disease per capita: 5,495.96 13 Nevada Residents with heart disease: 170,000Heart disease per capita: 5,519.20 12 Florida Residents with heart disease: 1,202,000Heart disease per capita: 5,596.49 11 Missouri Residents with heart disease: 352,000Heart disease per capita: 5,735.30 10 Ohio Residents with heart disease: 677,000Heart disease per capita: 5,791.72 9 South Carolina Residents with heart disease: 299,000Heart disease per capita: 5,807.28 8 Tennessee Residents with heart disease: 407,000Heart disease per capita: 5,959.73 7 Mississippi Residents with heart disease: 181,000Heart disease per capita: 6,081.68 6 Oklahoma Residents with heart disease: 244,000Heart disease per capita: 6,166.33 5 Alabama Residents with heart disease: 316,000Heart disease per capita: 6,444.79 4 Maine Residents with heart disease: 87,000Heart disease per capita: 6,472.19 3 Kentucky Residents with heart disease: 307,000Heart disease per capita: 6,871.59 2 Arkansas Residents with heart disease: 209,000Heart disease per capita: 6,925.57 1 West Virginia Residents with heart disease: 168,000Heart disease per capita: 9,374.23And for more on where in the U.S. there's a different kind of risk, check out This Is the Most Dangerous Small Town in America, According to Data.Supplements may protect those with low vitamin D levels from severe COVID-19Patients with low vitamin D levels who are hospitalized for COVID-19 may have a lower risk of dying or requiring mechanical ventilation if they receive vitamin D supplementation of at least 1,000 units weekly, according to a study presented virtually at ENDO 2021, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting."Given how common vitamin D deficiency is in the world and the United States, we believe that this research is highly relevant right now," said co-author Sweta Chekuri, M.D., of Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York.Research has shown that vitamin D supplementation can prevent inflammation in other respiratory diseases, but there have been limited studies examining the role of vitamin D supplementation in COVID-19. The purpose of the study was to determine whether being supplemented with vitamin D before being admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 resulted in less severe COVID-19 disease in patients with a low vitamin D level.The researchers studied 124 adult patients with low vitamin D that was measured up to 90 days before their admission for COVID-19. They compared the patients who were supplemented with at least 1,000 units of vitamin D weekly to those who had not received vitamin D supplements in terms of whether they were mechanically ventilated or died during admission.They found that patients who were supplemented were less likely to be mechanically ventilated or to die following admission, though the finding wasn't statistically significant (37.5 percent of patients who were not supplemented vs. 33.3 percent of those who were) They also found that more than half of those who should have been supplemented were not."Though we weren't able to show a definitive link to severe COVID-19, it is clear that patients with low vitamin D should receive supplementation not only for bone health, but also for stronger protection against severe COVID-19," said co-author Corinne Levitus, D.O., of Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. "We hope this research will encourage clinicians to discuss adding this supplement with their patients who have low vitamin D, as this may reduce the odds of people developing severe COVID-19."A study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism last fall found over 80 percent of 200 COVID-19 patients in a hospital in Spain had vitamin D deficiency.Citation: Supplements may protect those with low vitamin D levels from severe COVID-19 (2021, March 20) retrieved 21 March 2021 from supplementsThis document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.The Didier family of Rocklin, California, just outside Sacramento, likes Christmas movies. The day after Christmas last year, Chris Didier and two of his three children sat down to watch "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" one more time.When the movie ended, Zach, 17, a track star, straight-A student and self-taught musician with his sights set on Stanford, headed to his bedroom.As Chris recalls, his son said: "I had a good time. Love you, Dad. Good night."At noon the next day, when Zach didn't answer a knock on his door, Chris entered his bedroom. Zach was slumped over the computer keyboard at his desk, where he had filled out his college applications just weeks before.Zachary Didier celebrates his 17th birthday (Laura Didier)"You never imagine there would be danger," Chris said, his voice cracking. "You would think your child's safe when they're at home. You would think they would be safe when they're in their room."Chris and Zach's mother, Laura, say their son — who would have turned 18 this week — bought what he thought was a prescription pain pill from someone he met on Snapchat. They don't know why Zach bought it — perhaps for soreness from his workouts, perhaps to help him sleep.The pill was counterfeit, and it contained a lethal amount of the powerful opioid fentanyl.The Drug Enforcement Administration made a huge bust this month in Mexico, seizing 600,000 counterfeit pharmaceutical pills. They're made to look like real prescription drugs of various types, and they would have been sold as anything from Adderall to Percocet to Xanax, but they actually included fentanyl, which is up to 50 times more powerful than heroin. The DEA worries that traffickers who are trying to fool casual drug users into buying "prescription" drugs are going to wind up killing them.Mexican officers found a Ford Ranger with containers of fentanyl pills (Drug Enforcement Administration)Ray Donovan, the DEA's special agent in charge in New York, showed NBC News a batch of phony oxycodone pills that look exactly like the real things.Traffickers use fentanyl, Donovan said, because "it's cheap, it's synthetic, it's easy to make and it's so lucrative."Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl can kill an adult, according to the DEA, and there is no quality control. Donovan estimated that 1 in 4 of the pills seized by the DEA has enough fentanyl to pose the risk of death.Seized fentanyl pills made to look like prescription medicine (NBC News)Some of the pills are pressed in pill machines in the U.S., but most are made in Mexico. Donovan said it's an attempt by traffickers to expand their market."When we first saw fentanyl come into the U.S., we saw the hard-core street users utilizing heroin mixed with fentanyl," he said. "With the pills, they're trying to draw in young adults, high schoolers — you know, people on the weekend that never used drugs or don't have an addiction problem."Donovan said the chance that any so-called prescription drug purchased via social media might contain fentanyl is "very high." Fentanyl-related deaths in the U.S. hit 36,000 in 2019, the most recent year for which figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are available, but it isn't known what proportion is related to counterfeit pills. The CDC says preliminary numbers indicate that deaths from synthetic opioids have accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic.In January, federal authorities in Sacramento issued a multi-count indictment accusing 10 people from California and Nevada of trafficking in fentanyl-laced oxycodone pills. Prosecutors said wiretaps showed that the defendants were aware that multiple deaths in the Sacramento area had been linked to the pills.Zachary Didier at Camp Chawanakee near Shaver Lake, Calif., in July 2019. (Chris Didier)Chris and Laura Didier recently attended the arraignment of a man charged with selling Zach the counterfeit pill that led to his death. The man hasn't yet entered a plea.They want those responsible to be held accountable, but they also want to warn the public."As soon as we started putting the puzzle together, it was, like, we need to ring the alarm bells," Laura said, "because we don't want anyone else to go through this. We don't want anybody else to go through this."Viral TikTok Highlights How Birth Control Pills Have Higher Blood Clot Risk Than AstraZeneca Vaccinea person standing in a room: U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French Prime Minister Jean Castex are due to receive their first doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Friday. In the photograph above, elderly residents arrive to receive COVID-19 vaccines at the Woluwe-Saint-Pierre vaccination center, which is primarily administering the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab, on March 18, 2021 in Brussels, Belgium.© Jean-Christophe Guillaume/Getty Images U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French Prime Minister Jean Castex are due to receive their first doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Friday. In the photograph above, elderly residents arrive to receive COVID-19 vaccines at the Woluwe-Saint-Pierre vaccination center, which is primarily administering the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab, on March 18, 2021 in Brussels, Belgium.A viral TikTok video has opened the door for a conversation about the dangers of birth control pills as many countries in the European Union debate continuing to use the pharmaceutical company's COVID-19 vaccine.TikTok user Alyss Elizabeth made a video about the seemingly different levels of scrutiny between assessing the risk of blood clots for the vaccine versus the birth control pill.In her video, she said countries in Europe stopped the AstraZeneca vaccine roll out because of a six in one million chance of blood clot, while there is a "six in 10,000 chance of developing blood clots" for women on the pill.Newsweek previously reported that there have only been 17 reported cases of blood clots among the 17 million people in Europe who have received the vaccine, but the concern of the possibility prompted numerous countries to stop administering the shot. Some have since resumed after the European Medicine Agency and the World Health Organization both agreed that the risk of such a complication is minor and the vaccine remains safe to use.These Tips Can Help You Combat Coronavirus And Protect Others"Our thorough and careful review, alongside the critical assessment of leading, independent scientists, shows that there is no evidence that blood clots in veins are occurring more than would be expected in the absence of vaccination, for either vaccine," United Kingdom's Medical and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Chief Executive Dr. June Raine said in a statement.But the video posted by Alyss Elizabeth has led to conversations among women who take birth control pills, a group which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says totals 65.3 percent of women aged 15 to 49 in the U.S. from 2017-2019. Oral contraceptive pills are the second most common method used.Women take birth control pills for a myriad of reasons besides contraception, including to treat endometriosis, to lower the risk of certain cancers and to reduce acne, menstrual cramps and heavy bleeding, according to the Mayo Clinic.Possible side effects range from minor headaches and nausea to serious blood clots, strokes and liver disorders.It's the synthetic estrogen found in the birth control pill, most commonly Ethinylestradiol, can increase the risk of blood clotting in women. But according to the National Blood Clot Alliance (NBCA), women's bodies have evolved to produce more clotting factor proteins early on in pregnancy to protect themselves from serious pregnancy-related bleeding. When birth control methods are made with pregnancy hormones like estrogen, the body thinks it's pregnant and these same changes will occur, putting women at an increased risk for blood clots.The average rate of developing a blood clot for the general population of reproductive-aged women is about one in 10,000, according to Dr. Kathryn McKenney, a Yale Medicine OB/Gyn.Age, pregnancy, medications and family history can increase the risk of blood clots in women, and McKenney said the risk doubles for women taking birth control pills. That's still considerably less than developing blood clots while pregnant, which McKennedy said is ten-times higher.Dr. Alok Khorana, the Chairman of the NBCA Medical and Scientific Advisory Board, said there is a lot of misinformation surrounding blood clots and the vaccine."We don't know there is an increase of blood clots with the AstraZeneca vaccine, we only know there are reports of individual patients getting blood clots within a short time frame after receiving the vaccine," he said. "There is a baseline risk of getting blood clots in the general public with or with getting this vaccine."Khorana said comparing the risk of blood clotting for those on the pill and those who receive the vaccine is "a little more apples to oranges" situation.The risk of blood clotting for women on the pill is more quantifiable and has been studied at length. Additionally, the pill is taken once a day for a longer duration, whereas the vaccine is taken only once.McKenney noted that the "surge in vaccine hesitancy among the general public" over the past decade has made people "very nervous" to hear about any potential adverse effect of a vaccine."In general, the risk women undertake by being under birth control is comparable to risk we take in everyday lives, whereas risks of rare but serious adverse vaccine effects are so much lower than those risks we routinely take," McKenney said.She added that there is a small risk of a severe allergic reaction, known as anaphylaxis, in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, but that "the likelihood of having that adverse effect is a lot less likely than getting in a car accident when you walk out the door."The health risks for not taking a birth control pill and not getting vaccinated differ as well. The International Society on thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) recommends eligible adults receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, because "based on currently available data, the ISTH believes that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination strongly outweigh any potential complications and recommends vaccination of all eligible adults."Start your unlimited Newsweek trialWarning Issued About Meth Pills Resembling AdderallWe Can Do to the Senate What Brits Did to the House of LordsPhoto Illustration by The Daily Beast/GettyAfter two centuries as an anti-Democratic force, the Senate needs to adapt or it might wake up one day and find that its powers have been stripped down to ceremonial engagements. Don’t laugh! Our neighbors from across the pond not too long ago did exactly this to the House of Lords.The English Parliament has existed since 1295, and since its inception the House of Lords had generally been the dominant chamber in England’s bicameral legislature. It represented the clergy, nobility and landowners and it had a greater say in shaping British government than the House of Commons that represented the common people. Sound familiar?However, all of this changed in the early 1900s as England confronted social changes not too dissimilar to America’s current political turmoil.The Filibuster Can’t Be ‘Reformed’—It Must Be Nuked As industrialization grew in Europe the voice of the common man increased in political importance, and they demanded that the government should exist to serve the people and not the British elites. They wanted government to play a greater and more active role in the welfare of its citizens instead of the unregulated, laissez-faire, small government agenda of the 1909, the Liberal Party that controlled the House of Commons passed the People’s Budget that proposed unprecedented taxes on the lands and incomes of Britain’s wealthy to fund social welfare programs to combat poverty, provide medical care, and improve public education. Unsurprisingly, the out-of-touch House of Lords rejected the budget response, the Liberal Party proposed legislation to reduce the power of the House of Lords, and soon the People’s Budget and the future of the House of Lords became the main issues of the 1910 general election.A young Winston Churchill was a major supporter of the People’s Budget, and he relished the battle against the House of lords April 1910, a year after it was introduced, the House of Lords approved the People’s Budget, but the damage to their political standing had already been done. In 1910, the Liberal Party retained control of the House of Commons, and began systematically reducing the power of the House of Lords. Initially, they flooded the House of Lords with Liberal Party members, but that was only the beginning.With the approval of King George V, the Parliament Act of 1911 was signed into law and it revoked the chamber’s veto power over legislation from the House of Commons. The act gave the House of Commons a method for bypassing the House of Lords, and sending legislation directly to the king or queen for approval. In 1949 a second Parliament Act was passed that further diminished the power of the House of Lords.For over a century, the House of Lords has been a ceremonial entity devoid of political power, but for the previous 600 years it had been the dominant voice in England’s government. Despite being powerless, the House of Lords is still referred to as the upper chamber of parliament. Today, the removal of its powers is regarded as a seminal moment in making England a more democratic society 2021, American House Democrats have an ambitious and popular legislative agenda not too dissimilar to England’s from a century ago. There are bills for protecting voting rights, providing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented Americans, raising the minimum wage, DC statehood, and providing relief to Americans struggling due to COVID-19; and it is expected that due to the filibuster and its 60 vote requirement, many of these bills will die in the Senate despite the Democrats having a majority.The egregious obstructionism of Mitch McConnell and the Republican Party is so outlandish and vulgar that it can make people want to believe that the GOP’s destructive, undemocratic behavior is a historical anomaly. Yet tragically this political incivility has long been the norm for the Senate.Since the 1830s, conservative senators have used the filibuster to grind the Senate to a halt and prevent the passage of legislation. During this era, South Carolina Senator John C. Calhoun used the filibuster to defend the institution of slavery against the growing abolitionist movement reshaping the North. Calhoun was an unabashed racist who considered slavery to be a “positive good” and whose constituency consisted of white Americans who owned land and people and not the enslaved Black Americans who made up over half of the state’s population.Charleston’s Finally Ready to Tear Down Its Jim Crow Era Slavery Shrine. Will South Carolina’s GOP Let It?And for at least as long, the Senate has served as an impediment to progress and democracy, and it still employs the filibuster to kill legislation that promotes racial equality. The filibuster was frequently used during Jim Crow as Americans attempted to end our apartheid state, and unsurprisingly Republicans embraced the filibuster to undermine the legislative agenda of America’s first Black president.And just this week, Senate minority leader McConnell threatened a “scorched-earth Congress” if Democrats attempted to abolish the http://filibuster.As it happens, that was the same week that the House passed the American Dream and Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act that provides a pathway to citizenship for certain undocumented Americans, but due to the filibuster and conservative obstructionism it is unlikely that either bill will make it out of the Senate and become laws. Popular legislation that promotes racial equality and voting rights will again die in the Senate.But while the Senate’s impeding of democracy has been the American norm for two centuries, this does not mean it has to go on forever.The Senate is out of touch and far too often exists to defend the minority positions on voting rights, immigration, gender equality, and income inequality. The Senate could not even bring itself to convict President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial after he orchestrated an attack on the Capitol, despite the overwhelming support of the American people.If the Senate continues to represent the will of the elites and not the people, the only way to advance our democracy might be to turn it into America’s House of Lords by reducing its political power and relegating it to ceremonial duties. It has happened before, and it could happen again.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

Junk food is unhealthy food that is high in calories from sugar or fat, with little dietary fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, or other important forms of nutritional value.[1][2][3]Precise definitions vary by purpose and over time. Some high-protein foods, like meat prepared with saturated fat, may be considered junk food.[4] The term HFSS foods (high in fat, salt and sugar) is used synonymously.[5][6] Fast food and fast food restaurants are often equated with junk food, although fast foods cannot be categorically described as junk food.[7][8][9] Most junk food is highly processed food.Concerns about the negative health effects resulting from a junk food-heavy diet, especially obesity, have resulted in public health awareness campaigns, and restrictions on advertising and sale in several countries.[10][11][12]Junk food is a pejorative dating back at least to the 1950s.[13]Contents1 Origin of the term2 Definitions3 History4 Popularity and appeal5 Health effects6 Anti-junk food measures6.1 Taxation6.2 Restricting advertising to children6.3 Restricting sales to minors7 See also8 References9 Further reading10 External linksOrigin of the termThe term junk food dates back at least to the early 1950s, although its coinage has been credited to Michael F. Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, in 1972.[3] In 1952, the phrase appeared in a headline in the Lima, Ohio, News, "'Junk Foods' Cause Serious Malnutrition", over a reprint of a 1948 article from the Ogden, Utah, Standard-Examiner, originally titled, "Dr. Brady’s Health Column: More Junk Than Food". In the article, Dr. Brady writes, "What Mrs. H calls 'junk' I call cheat food. That is anything made principally of (1) white flour and or (2) refined white sugar or syrup. For example, white bread, crackers, cake, candy, ice cream soda, chocolate malted, sundaes, sweetened carbonated beverages."[14] The term cheat food can be traced back in newspaper mentions to at least 1916.[15]DefinitionsA homemade vegetarian pizza on whole-grain bread with multiple types of vegetablesWhether foods such as pizza are considered junk food depends upon how they are made.In Andrew F. Smith's Encyclopedia of Junk Food and Fast Food, junk food is defined as "those commercial products, including candy, bakery goods, ice cream, salty snacks and soft drinks, which have little or no nutritional value but do have plenty of calories, salt, and fats. While not all fast foods are junk foods, most are. Fast foods are ready-to-eat foods served promptly after ordering. Some fast foods are high in calories and low in nutritional value, while other fast foods, such as salads, may be low in calories and high in nutritional value."[7]Junk food provides empty calories, supplying little or none of the protein, vitamins, or minerals required for a nutritious diet.[16] Many foods, such as hamburgers, pizza, and tacos, can be considered either healthy or junk food, depending on their ingredients and preparation methods.[17] The more highly processed items usually fall under the junk food category,[18] including breakfast cereals that are mostly sugar or high fructose corn syrup and white flour or milled corn.[19]The United Kingdom's Advertising Standards Authority, the self-regulatory agency for the UK ad industry, uses nutrient profiling to define junk food. Foods are scored for "A" nutrients (energy, saturated fat, total sugar and sodium) and "C" nutrients (fruit, vegetable and nut content, fiber and protein). The difference between A and C scores determines whether a food or beverage is categorized as HFSS (high in fat, salt and sugar; a term synonymous with junk food).[20][5][6]In Panic Nation: Unpicking the Myths We're Told About Food and Health, the junk food label is described as nutritionally meaningless: food is food, and if there is zero nutritional value, then it isn't a food.[21] Co-editor Vincent Marks explains, "To label a food as 'junk' is just another way of saying, 'I disapprove of it.' There are bad diets - that is, bad mixtures and quantities of food - but there are no 'bad foods' except those that have become bad through contamination or deterioration."[22]HistoryAccording to an article in the New York Times, "Let Us Now Praise the Great Men of Junk Food", "The history of junk food is a largely American tale: It has been around for hundreds of years, in many parts of the world, but no one has done a better job inventing so many varieties of it, branding it, mass-producing it, making people rich off it and, of course, eating it."[23] Cracker Jack, the candy-coated popcorn-and-peanuts confection, is credited as the first popular name-brand junk food; it was created in Chicago, registered in 1896, and became the best-selling candy in the world 20 years later.[24][25]Popularity and appealJunk food in its various forms is extremely popular, and an integral part of modern popular culture. In the US, annual fast food sales are in the area of $160 billion,[26] compared to supermarket sales of $620 billion[27] (a figure which also includes junk food in the form of convenience foods, snack foods, and candy). In 1976, "Junk Food Junkie", a US Top 10 pop song, described a junk food addict who pretends to follow a healthy diet by day, while at night gorges on Hostess Twinkies and Fritos corn chips, McDonald's and KFC.[28] Thirty-six years later, Time placed the Twinkie at #1 in an article titled, "Top 10 Iconic Junk Foods": "Not only...a mainstay on our supermarket shelves and in our bellies, they've been a staple in our popular culture and, above all, in our hearts. Often criticized for its lack of any nutritional value whatsoever, the Twinkie has managed to persevere as a cultural and gastronomical icon."[29]America also celebrates an annual National Junk Food Day on July 21. Origins are unclear; it is one of around 175 US food and drink days, most created by "people who want to sell more food", at times aided by elected officials at the request of a trade association or commodity group.[30] "In honor of the day," Time in 2014 published, "5 Crazy Junk Food Combinations". Headlines from other national and local media coverage include: "Celebrate National Junk Food Day With… Beer-Flavored Oreos?" (MTV);[31] "National Junk Food Day: Pick your favorite unhealthy treats in this poll" (Baltimore);[32] "Celebrities' favorite junk food" (Los Angeles);[33] "A Nutritionist's Guide to National Junk Food Day" with "Rules for Splurging" (Huffington Post);[34] and "It's National Junk Food Day: Got snacks?" (Kansas City).[35]As for the source of junk food's appeal, there is no definitive scientific answer, both physiological and psychological factors are cited. Food manufacturers spend billions of dollars on research and development to create flavor profiles that trigger the human affinity for sugar, salt, and fat. Consumption results in pleasurable, likely addictive, effects in the brain. At the same time, massive marketing efforts are deployed, creating powerful brand loyalties that studies have shown can trump taste.[36]It is well-established that the poor eat more junk food overall than the more affluent, but the reasons for this are not clear.[37] Few studies have focused on variations in food perception according to socio-economic status (SES); some studies that have differentiated based on SES suggest that the economically challenged don't perceive healthy food much differently than any other segment of the population.[38] Recent research into scarcity, combining behavioral science and economics, suggests that, faced with extreme economic uncertainty, where even the next meal may not be a sure thing, judgment is impaired and the drive is to the instant gratification of junk food, rather than to making the necessary investment in the longer-term benefits of a healthier diet.[39][40]Health effectsWhen junk food is consumed very often, the excess fat, simple carbohydrates, and processed sugar found in junk food contributes to an increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and many other chronic health conditions.[41] A case study on consumption of fast foods in Ghana suggested a direct correlation between consumption of junk food and obesity rates. The report asserts that obesity resulted in related complex health concerns such as an upsurge in the rate of heart attacks.[42] Studies reveal that as early as the age of 30, arteries could begin clogging and lay the groundwork for future heart attacks.[43] Consumers also tend to eat too much in one sitting,[44] and those who have satisfied their appetite with junk food are less likely to eat healthy foods like fruit or vegetables.[45]Testing on rats has indicated negative effects of junk food that may manifest likewise in people. A Scripps Research Institute study in 2008 suggested that junk food consumption alters brain activity in a manner similar to addictive drugs like cocaine and heroin. After many weeks with unlimited access to junk food, the pleasure centers of rat brains became desensitized, requiring more food for pleasure; after the junk food was taken away and replaced with a healthy diet, the rats starved for two weeks instead of eating nutritious fare.[46][47] A 2007 study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that female rats who eat junk food during pregnancy increased the likelihood of unhealthy eating habits in their offspring.[48]Other research has been done on the impact of sugary foods on emotional health in humans, and has suggested that consumption of junk food can negatively impact energy levels and emotional well-being.[49]In a study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the frequency of consumption of 57 foods/drinks of 4000 children at the age of four and a half were collected by maternal report. At age seven, the 4000 children were given the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), with five scales: hyperactivity, conduct problems, peer problems, emotional symptoms and pro-social behavior. A one standard deviation increase in junk food was then linked to excessive hyperactivity in 33% of the subjects, leading to the conclusion that children consuming excess junk food at the age of seven are more likely to be in the top third of the hyperactivity scale. There was no significant correlation between junk food and the other scales.[50]Anti-junk food measuresA number of countries have taken, or are considering, various forms of legislative action to curb junk food consumption. In 2014, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to health, Anand Grover, released his report, "Unhealthy foods, non-communicable diseases and the right to health", and called for governments to "take measures, such as developing food and nutrition guidelines for healthy diets, regulating marketing and advertising of junk food, adopting consumer-friendly labeling of food products, and establishing accountability mechanisms for violations of the right to health."[51]An early, high-profile and controversial attempt to identify and curb junk food in the American diet was undertaken by the McGovern Committee (United States Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs, chaired by Senator George McGovern) between 1968 and 1977. Initially formed to investigate malnutrition and hunger in the US, the committee's scope progressively expanded to include environmental conditions that affected eating habits, such as urban decay,[52] then focused on the diet and nutritional habits of the American public. The committee took issue with the use of salt, sugar and fat in processed foods, noted problems with overeating and the high percentage of ads for junk food on TV, and stated that bad eating habits could be as deadly as smoking. The findings were heavily criticized and rebutted from many directions, including the food industry, the American Medical Association, and within the committee itself. In 1977, the committee issued public guidelines under the title, Dietary Goals for the United States, which became the predecessor to Dietary Guidelines for Americans, published every five years beginning in 1980 by the US Department of Health and Human Services.[53][54]TaxationSee also: Fat tax and Soda taxIn an attempt to reduce junk food consumption through price control, sin taxes have been implemented. Targeting saturated fat consumption, Denmark introduced the world's first fat-food tax in October, 2011, by imposing a surcharge on all foods, including those made from natural ingredients, that contain more than 2.3 percent saturated fat, an unpopular measure that lasted a little over a year.[55][56][57] Hungary has imposed taxes on foods and beverages high in added sugar, fat, and salt.[58] Norway taxes refined sugar, and Mexico has various excises on unhealthy food.[59] On April 1, 2015, the first fat tax in the US, the Navajo Nation's Healthy Diné Nation Act of 2014, mandating a 2% junk food tax, came into effect, covering the 27,000 sq mi (70,000 km2) Navajo reservation; the Act targeted problems with obesity and diabetes among the Navajo population.[60]Restricting advertising to childrenJunk food lines both sides of tall shelves at a grocery storeSome governments have considered taxes and limits on advertising or displaying junk food for sale.Junk food that is targeted at children is a contentious issue. In "The Impact of Advertising on Childhood obesity", the American Psychological Association reports: "Research has found strong associations between increases in advertising for non-nutritious foods and rates of childhood obesity."[61] The World Health Organization recommends that governments take action to limit children's exposure to food marketing, stating, "Many advertisements promote foods high in fats, sugar and salt, consumption of which should be limited as part of a healthy diet. ... Food advertising and other forms of marketing have been shown to influence children’s food preferences, purchasing behaviour and overall dietary behaviour. Marketing has also been associated with an increased risk of overweight and obesity in children. The habits children develop early in life may encourage them to adopt unhealthy dietary practices which persist into adulthood, increasing the likelihood of overweight, obesity and associated health problems such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases."[10]In the UK, efforts to increasingly limit or eliminate advertising of foods high in sugar, salt or fat at any time when children may be viewing are ongoing.[62] The UK government has been criticized for failing to do enough to stop advertising and promotion of junk food aimed at children.[63] A UK parliamentary select committee recommended that cartoon characters advertising unhealthy food to children should be banned, supermarkets should have to remove unhealthy sweets and snacks from ends of aisles and checkout areas, local authorities should be able to limit the number of fast food outlets in their area, brands associated with unhealthy foods should be banned from sponsoring sports clubs, youth leagues and tournaments, and social media like Facebook should cut down junk food advertising to children—all are currently just recommendations.[64]In Australia, a Wollongong University study in 2015 showed that junk food sponsors were mentioned over 1,000 times in a single Australian cricket match broadcast, which included ads, and branding worn on players' uniforms and on the scoreboard and pitch. A coalition of Australian obesity, cancer and diabetes organizations called on Cricket Australia, the sport's governing body, to "phase out sponsorships with unhealthy brands", emphasizing that cricket is a "healthy, family-oriented sport" with children in the audience.[65]Restricting sales to minorsSeveral states in Mexico banned sales of junk food to minors, starting in August 2020.[66]See alsoicon Food portalObesityComfort foodDude foodGlutamic acid (flavor), common flavoring compounds and their synthetic versions, which may be added to some processed foods, to boost their savorinessHealth food, foods that tend to be nutrient rich, and may be eaten for their potential benefits to healthList of food additivesNutrient profilingUltra-processed foodReferences"junk food". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 13 March 2015."junk food". Macmillan Dictionary. Retrieved 13 March 2015.O'Neill, Brendon (November 30, 2006). "Is this what you call junk food?". BBC News. Retrieved June 29, 2010.Scott, Caitlin (May 2018). "Sustainably Sourced Junk Food? Big Food and the Challenge of Sustainable Diets". Global Environmental Politics. 18 (2): 93–113. doi:10.1162/glep_a_00458. ISSN 1526-3800. S2CID 57559050.Parks, Troy (16 Dec 2016). "WHO warns on kids' digital exposure to junk-food ads". American Medical Association.Snowdon, Christopher (6 Jun 2018). "The proposed 'junk food' advertising ban is aimed at you, not your children". The Spectator.Smith, Andrew F. (5 September 2000). Encyclopedia of Junk Food and Fast Food. Greenwood Press. p. x. ISBN 978-0313335273.Specter, Michael (2 November 2015). "Freedom from Fries". New Yorker. Retrieved 2019-01-01.Smith, Rene. "Fast Food Facts". Science Kids. Retrieved 2019-01-01."Food Marketing to Kids". Public Health Law Center (William Mitchell College of Law). 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2015."Protecting children from the harmful effects of food and drink marketing". World Health Organization. September 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2015."Food Marketing in Other Countries" (PDF).Zimmer, Ben (30 Dec 2010). "On Language: Junk". New York Times. Retrieved 19 March 2015.Popik, Barry (26 December 2008). "Junk Food". Barry Popik. Archived from the original on 18 March 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2015. "Barry Popik is a contributor to the Oxford English Dictionary, Dictionary of American Regional English, Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Yale Book of Quotations and Dictionary of Modern Proverbs. Since 1990 he has also been a regular contributor to Gerald Cohen's Comments on Etymology. He is recognized as an expert on the origins of the terms Big Apple, Windy City, hot dog, hamburger and many other food terms, and he is an editor of the Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink." - The Big Apple: AboutO’Conner, Patricia T. and Stewart Kellerman (15 February 2011). "Don't touch my junk food". Grammaphobia. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015.Larsen, Joanne. "Can you give me a list of junk foods?". Ask the Dietitian. Retrieved 2019-02-12.University of Glasgow (31 October 2013). "Pizza perfect! A nutritional overhaul of 'junk food,' ready-meals is possible". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 14 November 2014."What Makes a Food Junk?". Huffington Post. 4 August 2010.Magee, Elaine. "Junk-Food Facts". WebMD."Food: HFSS Nutrient Profiling". ASA. 29 Jun 2017. Retrieved 2019-02-10.Feldman, Stanely; Vincent Marks (2005). Panic Nation: Unpicking the Myths We're Told About Food and Health. London: John Blake Publishing. ISBN 9781844541225.O'Neill, Brendan (3 October 2005). "Is junk food a myth?". BBC News. London: BBC. Retrieved 10 February 2015. Vincent Marks is an Emeritus Professor of Clinical Biochemistry at the University of Surrey.Frenandez, Manny (7 Aug 2010). "Let Us Now Praise the Great Men of Junk Food". New York Times. Retrieved 2018-12-31.Petri, Alexandra E. (February 17, 2015). "Where Did Junk Food Come From?". The Daily Meal. Retrieved 2019-04-23.Parsons, Russ (Jun 4, 2013). "Cracker Jack: 120-year-old junk food gets new flavors, 'enhanced' prizes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2019-04-23.Sena, Matt. "Fast Food Industry Analysis 2015 - Cost & Trends". FranchiseHelp. Retrieved 27 March 2015."Supermarket Facts". Food Marketing Institute. Retrieved 27 March 2015."Larry Groce "Junk Food Junkie"". K-tel International. Retrieved 20 March 2015.Grossman, Samantha (16 Nov 2012). "Top 10 Iconic Junk Foods". Time. Retrieved 28 March 2015.Severson, Kim (30 May 2007). "Having a Snack? Make It a Holiday". New York Times. Retrieved 8 April 2015.Valia, Anu (21 July 2014). "Celebrate National Junk Food Day With… Beer-Flavored Oreos?". MTV (Viacom). Retrieved 8 April 2015.Pfahler, Eric (21 July 2014). "National Junk Food Day: Pick your favorite unhealthy treats in this poll". WMAR-TV ABC 2 News (Scripps TV Station Group). Retrieved 8 April 2015."Celebrities' favorite junk food". ABC Inc., KABC-TV. 21 July 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2015.Reinagel, Monica (21 July 2014). "A Nutritionist's Guide to National Junk Food Day". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 8 April 2015.Thompson, Jadiann (21 July 2014). "It's National Junk Food Day: Got snacks?". KSHB (Scripps TV Station Group). Retrieved 8 April 2015.Ault, Alicia (26 Mar 2015). "Ask Smithsonian: Why Do We Love Junk Food So Much?". http://Smithsonian.com. Retrieved 2018-12-30.Darmon, Nicole; Adam Drewnowski (May 2008). "Does social class predict diet quality?". American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 87 (5): 1107–1117. doi:10.1093/ajcn/87.5.1107. PMID 18469226. "A large body of epidemiologic data show that diet quality follows a socioeconomic gradient. Whereas higher-quality diets are associated with greater affluence, energy-dense diets that are nutrient-poor are preferentially consumed by persons of lower socioeconomic status (SES) and of more limited economic means. ... However, a convincing causal relation between SES indicators and diet quality still remains to be established."Paquette, Marie-Claude (July–August 2005). "Perceptions of healthy eating: state of knowledge and research gaps". Canadian Journal of Public Health. 96 (Supplement 3): S15-9, S16-21. PMID 16042159. "This article’s aim is to review and summarize the literature on the perceptions of healthy eating ... Databases, the worldwide web, selected journals and reference lists were searched for relevant papers from the last 20 years. Reviewed articles suggest relative homogeneity in the perceptions of healthy eating despite the studies being conducted in different countries and involving different age groups, sexes and socio-economic status." Also, "...the small number of studies that focused on variations in perceptions according to socio-economic status..."Adams, Tim (7 September 2013). "Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much". The Guardian (Guardian News and Media). Retrieved 3 April 2015.McWilliams, James (4 Aug 2014). "Why Are So Many Low-Income People So Overweight?". Pacific Standard (Miller-McCune Center for Research, Media and Public Policy). Retrieved 3 April 2015.Roizman, Tracey. "Reasons Eating Junk Food Is Not Good". SFGate (Demand Media). Retrieved 29 March 2015.Searcey, Dionne; Richtel, Matt (2017-10-02). "Obesity Was Rising as Ghana Embraced Fast Food. Then Came KFC". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-10-19."effects of junk food & Beverages on Adolescent's health-A review article".Hall, Kevin D.; Ayuketah, Alexis; Brychta, Robert; Cai, Hongyi; Cassimatis, Thomas; Chen, Kong Y.; Chung, Stephanie T.; Costa, Elise; Courville, Amber; Darcey, Valerie; Fletcher, Laura A. (2019-07-02). "Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake". Cell Metabolism. 30 (1): 67–77.e3. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2019.05.008. ISSN 1932-7420. PMC 7946062. PMID 31105044.Junk-Food FactsJohnson, Paul M.; Kenny, Paul J. (2010). "Addiction-like reward dysfunction and compulsive eating in obese rats: Role for dopamine D2 receptors". Nature Neuroscience. 13 (5): 635–41. doi:10.1038/nn.2519. PMC 2947358. PMID 20348917.Goodwin, Jennifer (March 29, 2010). "Junk Food 'Addiction' May Be Real". Bloomberg Business Week. BLOOMBERG L.P. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012.Craving for junk food 'inherited' Mothers who eat junk food during pregnancy may be condemning their children to crave the same diet, according to animal tests. BBC News. 14 August 2007. Study title: "A maternal ‘junk food’ diet in pregnancy and lactation promotes an exacerbated taste for ‘junk food’ and a greater propensity for obesity in rat offspring."Bullen, James (2017-06-10). "The foods making you feel sad, mad or 'high on life'". ABC News. Retrieved 2017-10-19.Wiles, N. J.; Northstone, K.; Emmett, P.; Lewis, G. (2007-12-05). "'Junk food' diet and childhood behavioural problems: results from the ALSPAC cohort". European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 63 (4): 491–498. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602967. ISSN 0954-3007. PMC 2664919. PMID 18059416.Saez, Catherine (11 June 2014). "UN Advisor Denounces Junk Food As 'Culprit' In Rising NCDs, Calls For Change". Intellectual Property Watch. Retrieved 27 March 2015.Anson, Robert Sam (1972). McGovern: A Biography. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. pp. 218–242. ISBN 978-0-03-091345-7.Warren Belasco (1989) Appetite for Change: how the counterculture took on the food industry 1966 — 1988, page 148-153, Pantheon Books ISBN 0394543998"History of Dietary Guidelines for Americans". US Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved 5 April 2015."Denmark scraps its infamous fat tax after only one year". EurActiv. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 27 March 2015.Kliff, Sarah (13 November 2012). "Denmark scraps world's first fat tax". Washington Post. Retrieved 27 March 2015.Bomsdorf, Clemens. "Denmark Scraps Much-Maligned 'Fat Tax' After a Year". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2012-11-14.Wright, Alexandra (19 Jun 2017). "Policy lessons from health taxes: a systematic review of empirical studies". BMC Public Health. 17 (1): 583. doi:10.1186/s12889-017-4497-z. PMC 5477308. PMID 28629470.Figueroa-Alcantara, Héctor (28 October 2013). "Mexican Senate approves tax scheme for 2014, (in Spanish)". Excelsior. Retrieved 31 October 2013.Toppa, Sabrina (30 March 2015). "This Place Just Became the First Part of the U.S. to Impose a Tax on Junk Food". TIME. Retrieved 6 April 2015."The Impact of Advertising on Childhood Obesity". American Psychological Association. Retrieved 17 March 2015.Campbell, Denis (21 March 2014). "Children are being 'bombarded' by junk food ads, research has found". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 March 2015.Supermarkets must stop discounting unhealthy foods to tackle child obesity, say MPs The Guardian'Ban cartoon characters' on unhealthy food, MPs say BBCHagan, Kate (27 January 2015). "Junk food ads saturate cricket". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 January 2015."'We Had To Take Action': States In Mexico Move To Ban Junk Food Sales To Minors". 14 September 2020.Further readingAnsel, Karen. "30 Surprisingly Healthy Fast Foods". Fitness Magazine (Meredith Corporation). Retrieved 20 March 2015.Anthony, Mark (1 Apr 2014). "Understanding Satiation and Satiety". Food Processing. Retrieved 5 April 2015."Junk food is more expensive than healthy food: study, says Dept. of Agriculture study". NY Daily News. Associated Press. May 16, 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2015.Center for Public Health Nutrition (University of Washington). "Nutrient Profiling". Center for Public Health Nutrition (University of Washington). Retrieved 24 March 2015.Fernandez, Manny (7 August 2010). "Let Us Now Praise the Great Men of Junk Food". New York Times. Retrieved 20 March 2015.Freedman, David H. (19 Jun 2013). "How Junk Food Can End Obesity". The Atlantic. Retrieved 20 March 2015.Lehman, Shereen (1 November 2014). "Why Is Junk Food So Popular? Here Are Three Reasons". http://About.com. Retrieved 27 March 2015.Moss, Michael (20 Feb 2013). "The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food". New York Times. Retrieved 20 March 2015.Parker-Pope, Tara (5 Dec 2007). "A High Price for Healthy Food". New York Times. Retrieved 19 March 2015.Poti, Jennifer M; Kiyah J Duffey; Barry M Popkin (23 Oct 2013). "The association of fast food consumption with poor dietary outcomes and obesity among children: is it the fast food or the remainder of the diet?". American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Retrieved 20 March 2015.Saez, Catherine (11 June 2014). "UN Advisor Denounces Junk Food As 'Culprit' In Rising NCDs, Calls For Change". Intellectual Property Watch. Retrieved 24 August 2014.ScienceDaily (15 January 2014). "Fast food not the major cause of rising childhood obesity rates, study finds". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 20 March 2015."Empty Calories: What are empty calories?". EnergyFirst. Retrieved 19 March 2015.