Not much of a surprise for those of us who’ve been watching this bill — last week, the Senate voted to cut President Obama’s proposed budget for the School Nutrition Act in half, from $10 billion to $4.5 billion. $4.5 billion sounds like a lot, just like $10 billion sounds like a lot, so let’s […]
Category: Adolescents
Let’s Move: What’s next?
My last post on “Let’s Move,” Michelle Obama’s new anti-obesity initiative, brought up a number of questions about the program’s ambitious goal: “To solve the epidemic of childhood obesity within a generation.” The main question, of course, is this: where will the money come from? Obama’s $400 million dollar Healthy Food Financing Initiative, as described […]
Let’s Move: Michelle Obama’s new plan to end obesity
The Obama Administration’s new childhood health campaign, “Let’s Move,” has just one goal: “To solve the epidemic of childhood obesity within a generation.” Ambitious? Yes. Impossible? Maybe not. Let’s take a look at the plan’s specific objectives: 1) Parental support. As letsmove.gov notes, parents “play a key role in making healthy choices for their children.” “Let’s […]
Drive-Thru Diet?
With obesity rates in this country at an all time high, the food industry has responded. Many eating establishments have added healthier options to their menus, including smaller portions and a selection of lower calorie foods. However, one fast food chain has gone as far as promoting their menu items as “diet food.” Taco Bell’s […]
HIV/AIDS cases increase by 13 percent in Minnesota, young males show largest increase in new infections
In a January 26 press release, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) outlined the disturbing results of a preliminary report on HIV rates in the state. According to the report, there were 368 HIV cases reported in 2009, compared with 326 cases in 2008. This represents a 13 percent increase for 2009 – a 17-year […]
EC in Minnesota: some facts for minors
A recent comment from a visitor prompted this blogger to wonder–how accessible is emergency contraception in Minnesota, anyway? The short (and uninformative) answer is, it depends. For women and their partners who are 17 and older, emergency contraceptive (commonly known as “the morning after pill,” branded as “Plan B” or “Next Choice”) is available over-the-counter. […]
Federal Funding for Comprehensive Sexual Education
In the United States, the federal government has historically been a supporter of abstinence-only funding. Since 1982, the government has spent over $1.3 billion on abstinence only funding, with $800 million being spent during the Bush administration alone. However, even though huge amounts of tax payers money have been issued for these programs, research has […]