Month: December 2013

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Linked to Obesity in Women

Women with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) gain weight more rapidly and are more likely to be overweight or obese than women without the disorder, according to a new study by researchers at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the Harvard School of Public Health. The researchers say the study is the first to look at the link between PTSD and obesity over time.

New Independence for California Midwives

California licensed midwives will have increased independence and authority in attending births, potentially giving more pregnant women access to their services under a new law that goes into effect in January. Assembly Bill 1308 removes an unworkable clause that required all licensed midwives to be supervised by a physician. Licensed midwives had been unable to fulfill that requirement since it went into effect 20 years ago because physicians’ malpractice insurance prohibited them from filling that role.

UCLA Keeps Patients Connected to Care

Marjorie Crear suffers from hypertension and diabetes, and is recovering from both a recent stroke and heart attack. The 66-year-old Los Angeles resident lives alone, and as a result of her health problems, is frequently seen in the emergency room at the Ronald Reagan University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center. She has been hospitalized numerous times.

Will Food Prices Rise Under Obamacare?

The cost of food likely will go up, but growers could have a more reliable work force after federal laws kick in requiring many farms to provide health insurance to their workers by 2015. That’s according to growers and agriculture experts in California and around the nation, as they and other employers in the United States prepare to offer health insurance if they employ 50 or more full-time workers.

U.S. High Chair injuries Occur Once Every Hour

A new study by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, finds that accidents linked to high chairs and table booster seats occur every hour and are on the rise in the U.S.

Obamacare and Me, California-style

As a 50-something, self-employed California resident repeatedly denied health insurance through the private market, I was looking forward to getting covered by the Affordable Care Act. Well, it looks like I have accomplished that, and I will have better, more secure coverage at a lower price than I ever could have found otherwise. But getting there wasn’t easy.

Parental Stress Linked to Obesity in Children

Parents’ stress  can be linked to weight gain in children, according to a new study from St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Canada. The study found that children whose parents have high levels of stress have a Body Mass Index (BMI) about two percent higher, and gained weight at a 7 percent higher rate, than children whose parents have low levels of stress.

Chief Justice backs school discipline reform

California’s school drop-out rate is driven largely by a cycle of kids getting in trouble, being suspended or expelled, and never getting back on track. Reformers have been arguing for an overhaul of the school discipline system to focus it on keeping kids in school while they are held accountable for their actions. Now the state’s Chief Justice has thrown her support behind these efforts, saying reform would be smart and more just, and save money too.

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