Improving health

[stpioc]

There has been a mass epidemic of obesity in much of the rich world. Many people try to blame the victims, and while ultimately everyone is responsible for their own diet, it is nevertheless remarkable that this has been such a mass phenomenon. 

Have people suddenly become more irresponsible en masse? Or are there other forces at work, like industrialized food, ever increasing portion sizes and non-stop ads (often targeted at children) of unhealthy food. 

Increased sugar content is one of the forces responsible, and there actually is stuff that limit the damage:

People in Berkeley, California, significantly cut back on soda after the city introduced a tax on sugary beverages. That's according to a study of two low-income neighborhoods that was published in the American Journal of Public Health on Tuesday. The study found that soda consumption dropped an impressive 22% after Berkeley imposed a penny-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages.

People in Berkeley, California, significantly cut back on soda after the city introduced a tax on sugary beverages. That's according to a study of two low-income neighborhoods that was published in the American Journal of Public Health on Tuesday. The study found that soda consumption dropped an impressive  22% after Berkeley imposed a penny-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages.

Unsurprisingly, the soda industry isn't pleased with efforts to turn customers away from sugary beverages. The American Beverage Association, the industry's main lobby group, has already invested millions of dollars to fight  laws to tax and label sugary beverages.

Berkeley soda tax lowered soda consumption, study finds - Business Insider

It's actually a good idea to shift taxation on known bads, like sugar. cigarettes, alcohol and CO2, to limit their damage and provide funding to combat the effects.

[stpioc]

Obamacare has provided health insurance to some 20 million people. But are they any better off? This has been the central question as we’ve been watching the complex and expensive health law unfurl. We knew the law was giving people coverage, but information about whether it’s protecting people from debt or helping them become more healthy has been slower to emerge. 

A few recent studies suggest that people have become less likely to have medical debt or to postpone care because of cost. They are also more likely to have a regular doctor and to be getting preventive health services like vaccines and cancer screenings.

A new study, published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine, offers another way of looking at the issue. Low-income people in Arkansas and Kentucky, which expanded Medicaid insurance to everyone below a certain income threshold, appear to be healthier than their peers in Texas, which did not expand.

Obamacare Appears to Be Making People Healthier - The New York Times