Month: March 2013

By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Breastfeeding does not seem to protect babies against becoming overweight or obese kids, a large, new study says. "It's just a reality check that in itself, promoting breastfeeding, while a good thing and will have other health benefits, is unlikely to have any effects on stemming the obesity epidemic," said the study's lead author, Richard Martin, from the University of Bristol, UK. Past research has suggested babies who are breastfed are less likely to grow up to be obese children. …

By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – People who have quit smoking have a lower chance of suffering a heart attack or stroke than current smokers – even if they put on a few extra pounds in the process, according to a new study. Although the long-term cardiovascular benefits of kicking the habit have been well-established, researchers said it's been unclear how the weight gain that often accompanies quitting fits into that picture. "Weight gain is a real concern for smokers who want to quit and this might not only be an aesthetic one," Dr. …

NEW YORK (AP) — Eateries from corner delis to movie concession stands have gotten a last-minute reprieve from the nation's first ban on big sugary drinks. But Mayor Michael Bloomberg is urging them to shrink their cups and bottles anyway.

(Reuters) – Tesco Plc, Britain's biggest grocer, said on Tuesday it withdrew its line of frozen meatloaf after it tested positive for between 2 to 5 percent horsemeat. The company said it pulled from its shelves Tesco Simply Roast Meatloaf 600g packs made between October 2012 and January 2013 at Eurostock in Craigavon, Northern Ireland. Tesco said it would complete its own investigation into tracing the source of contamination before it took a call to continue with the supplier. …

By Richard Cowan and David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republicans and Democrats on Tuesday unveiled vastly different plans to slash long-term budget deficits that highlight the wide gulf separating the parties and the difficulty of reaching a bipartisan compromise any time soon. Republicans would balance the budget in 10 years with $4.6 trillion in spending cuts, building on earlier proposals for deep reductions to social programs. Democrats say their plan shrinks deficits by $1. …

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City has told a court it plans to appeal a judge's decision blocking a first-of-its-kind ban on big sugary drinks.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Applying for benefits under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul could be as daunting as doing your taxes.

Adults who work with volatile teens know how quickly events involving them can move from merely fast to wildly out of control. An ABC News story recounts events last week when a group of eight adolescents piled into a stolen vehicle, hurtled along a freeway, and launched themselves upside down into a pond. A tragedy of another type occurred in August in Steubenville, Ohio, when police arrested two teen members of the town’s football team for the rape of an allegedly intoxicated 16-year-old girl. …

Dr. Jennifer Ashton on how you can turn fun into fitness.

An antibiotic used to treat common infections may carry serious heart risks, according to a new warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The drug, called azithromycin but sold under the brand names Zithromax and Zmax and dubbed Z-packs, is prescribed for infections of…

By Keith Coffman CENTENNIAL, Colo. (Reuters) – A Colorado judge presiding over the case of accused theater gunman James Holmes entered a not guilty plea on his behalf on Tuesday to charges he went on a shooting spree in a Denver suburb nearly eight months ago and killed 12 moviegoers. Arapahoe County District Judge William Sylvester made the move after declining a defense request for a continuance, paving the way for a trial to begin in August. Holmes' lawyers said they were not ready to enter a plea. …