The federal government recently banned the chemical BPA from baby bottles and sippy cups. Now a new study has tied the compound to child obesity. (Nerissa's Ring/Flickr Creative Commons)
It's possible that there's a connection between BPA, the chemical used in food packaging, and child obesity, reports Businessweek. A new study found that kids with the highest levels of BPA in their urine were twice as likely to be obese as those with the lowest level. That doesn't prove anything, researchers noted, and that trend could be explained in a variety of ways, but theirs is the first study to tie obesity to an environmental chemical.
High-fructose corn syrup has become a four letter-word in the fight against America's obesity woes, but new research appearing in the International Journal of Obesity suggests that notion should be put to rest. Researchers found no evidence to suggest that the country's obesity epidemic can be specifically blamed on consumption of that particular kind of syrup. It's nutritionally equivalent to sugar, which means high-fructose corn syrup is not a "unique cause" of obesity.
Black people with high blood pressure, reports HealthDay, are less likely to stick to a diet that will keep them healthy. According to a new study, people who do stick to this diet see significant reductions in their blood pressure, but black folks are less likely to do so, in part because following the diet would mean eliminating beloved traditional recipes.
As temperatures rise, so do heart deaths, says HealthDay. A new study found that extreme temperatures – on both ends of the thermometer – increase a person's risk for premature death from heart disease. That risk is higher during heat waves than it is during extremely cold spells.
And finally, some news on fish. First, the good: KPCC says eating fish gives you Omega-3 fatty acids, which keep your memory and thinking ability in tip-top condition.
And the bad? Scientific American says canned albacore tuna bought by U.S. schools may contain more mercury – which is highly toxic – than has been reported by the government, which raises the risk for kids who love them some tuna.
Photo by Nerissa's Ring via Flickr Creative Commons.
