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US obesity rates balloon
Vancouver Sun
07/02/2009
Americans have been adding significantly to their waistlines over the past year, with obesity rates rising in almost half of the 50 states, and falling in none, an annual survey released Wednesday shows.
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One in 4 Oregon adults obese
Oregonian
07/01/2009
One in four Oregonian adults is obese, putting Oregon smack in the national midriff bulge -- 28th among states -- according to a new report on America's weight problem. One in four kids in the state is overweight.
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Views: Solving obesity epidemic starts with kids
Oregonian
07/01/2009
Deep in the new national obesity report is a small portion of hope: Oregon has one of the lowest rates of obese and overweight kids. That rate is 24.3 percent, and yes, you get a sense of the challenge when it is considered heartening that "only" one in four Oregon kids aged 10 to 17 is seriously overweight.
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Views: Affordability is key to real health care reform
Oregonian
07/01/2009
While there's a good chance that Congress will enact some type of health care reform this year, all will be for naught if the new system leaves the cost of care out of reach for many Americans. If affordability is not adequately addressed, the prognosis for the nation will be poor.
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EPA testing yards near former Spokane factory
Seattle Times
07/01/2009
Crews are testing residential yards near W.R. Grace & Co.'s former insulation factory in Spokane for asbestos fibers that can cause cancer. The work was prompted by the recent declaration of Libby, Mont., as a public health emergency.
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Private health coverage hits 50-year low
Seattle Times
07/02/2009
The percentage of Americans with private health insurance has hit its lowest mark in 50 years, according to two new government reports. About 65 percent of nonelderly Americans had private insurance in 2008, down from 67 percent the year before, according to preliminary data released Wednesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Tribes keep eye on health care reform
Missoulian
06/30/2009
As much as reform could affect any individual American, it has the potential to affect tribal members more. That's because of the unique relationship Indian nations have with the federal government, which must offer free health care on reservations. No one knows how national health reform may affect that agreement.
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CA chains must fork over calorie counts
Sacramento Bee
07/01/2009
Today California becomes the first state to require that chain restaurants supply calorie counts for virtually everything they serve. There will be no guessing – or denial – about that double Western Bacon Cheeseburger from Carl's Jr.: 960 calories.
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Views: Many more baby bike steps in BC, please
BC Local News
06/30/2009
It’s always a precious sight to see a parent trying to show a little one how to ride a bike without training wheels. That’s about the same evolutionary stage TransLink is at with the opening of the Central Valley Greenway. It’s a baby step toward making Greater Vancouver conducive for commuting cyclists, or even recreational ones for that matter.
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Cantwell hints she might back public health plan
Seattle Times
07/01/2009
Sen. Maria Cantwell on Tuesday made her strongest statement to date supporting President Obama's idea to create a national public-health plan, but said she hasn't decided exactly which option she'll vote for. Cantwell was the most prominent member of Washington's congressional delegation who until now had not voiced wholehearted support for the public-plan option.
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Water intakes at risk from toxic algae blooms
BC Local News
07/01/2009
Fish may not live in the depths of Okanagan Lake, but there’s still lots happening down there, and some of it could be toxic to human health. In the case of a toxic algae bloom near a water intake, few utilities could continue to deliver normal drinking water service.
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Kitsap Peninsula Clinics get stimulus funds
Kitsap Sun
06/30/2009
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., announced Monday that Peninsula, which has clinics in Bremerton, Port Orchard and Poulsbo, will receive an $861,275 grant as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s Capital Improvement Program, according to a press release from Murray’s office.
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Climate bill shaped by compromise
Los Angeles Times
06/28/2009
President Obama's willingness to sit down with each group affected by a historic climate bill and compromise yielded a narrow victory in the House on Friday. The question is: did supporters give away so much in the process that the benefits to the environment ended up being slim to none?
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Even those with health insurance going broke
Seattle Times
06/28/2009
When Mark Moody and Glenda Krull could no longer afford both health insurance and mortgage payments, the Edmonds couple knew which had to go. They sold their house.
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Views: Young mothers at the margin
Oregonian
06/28/2009
Lately, there has been a good deal of discussion on abstinence, teen pregnancy prevention, adoption and even the search for middle ground on the issue of abortion. Yet something is left out. We're not talking about how to support teen parents, the ones who have already gotten pregnant and whose babies are here.
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Boise's human-powered bike move
Boise Idaho Statesman
06/28/2009
The Boise Bicycle Project is resourceful: the sign on the front door was made with bike gears and rusted sections of chain. The non profit has rehabbed and donated 460 bikes to local kids, refugees and people in need. And Saturday hundreds of volunteers stepped up for its human-powered bike move.
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San Francisco aims for universal coverage
Sacramento Bee
06/29/2009
Three years ago, this city turned itself into a laboratory for remaking the country's health care system with a bold experiment to expand services to the uninsured, working poor and medically underserved. It's early to tell whether it should serve as a national model, with researchers beginning to evaluate the program's early successes and longer-term limitations.
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Obama praises climate bill's progress
Washington Post
06/28/2009
In an interview with a small group of energy reporters in the Oval Office, Obama brushed aside criticisms about compromises and savored last week's narrow victory in the House on one of his top domestic priorities: a climate bill designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency.
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CA fingerprints all over climate policy
San Francisco Chronicle
06/28/2009
When California passed sweeping laws to fight global warming nearly three years ago, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other state politicians hoped the move would force a reluctant federal government to act. They got their wish.
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Green Bike Project reduces congestion, changes lifestyles
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
06/26/2009
With a $225,000 state trips-reduction grant, organizers of the Green Bike Project handed out 200 free bikes, some gear and training lessons. About 265 people, who enlisted through 25 employers from King County, joined the Washington program, which began last August. Thursday, they celebrated their miles logged and pounds lost.
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BC's Native men living longer, youth suicides down
Victoria Times Colonist
06/26/2009
The health of BC's aboriginal people shows signs of improving, but still lags behind that of the general population, the provincial health officer said Thursday.
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Canadian teens most satisfied with life
Vancouver Sun
06/25/2009
Most of us are content with our lot in life, according to a new survey -- but Canadian teens are getting the most satisfaction. Compared to their fellow Canadians, 94 percent of teenagers report being satisfied or very satisfied with their lives, shows a survey released Thursday.
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Few sexually active teens in US get HIV test
Vancouver Sun
06/25/2009
Nearly half the HIV-positive US adolescents and young adults are unaware of their infection, and less than a quarter of sexually active high school students are tested for the virus, US health officials said on Thursday.
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Officials in Idaho nix emissions tests, despite health risks
Oregonian
06/25/2009
Canyon County commissioners in southwest Idaho say they will not create a vehicle emission testing program to clean up smoggy air in the region but instead will try to come up with an alternative that satisfies state officials.
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More preemies linked to pollution from cars, trucks
Environmental Health News
06/25/2009
Women exposed to air pollution from freeways and congested roads are much more likely to give birth to premature babies and suffer from preeclampsia, according to a study by California scientists. The findings add to the growing evidence that car and truck exhaust can jeopardize the health of babies while they are in the womb.
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