Taxes on sugary beverages seem to cut consumption, a Harvard public health expert said Tuesday, describing the sometimes controversial tariffs as one path of attack against the U.S. diabetes epidemic.Sara Bleich, a professor of public health policy at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Carol K. Pforzheimer Professor at the Radcliffe Institute, said that a preliminary analysis of Philadelphia’s six-month-old 1.5-cent per-ounce tax shows sales dropping 57 percent by volume.“Consuming those drinks is very tightly linked to both obesity and diabetes,” Bleich said of the single largest source of added sugar in the American diet.Philadelphia’s tax-related drop came amid reports that consumption of soda and other sugary beverages has been in decline nationwide, said Bleich, speaking as part of a panel at the Harvard Chan School on the toll of diabetes and the future of treating the disease.LaShawn McIver, senior vice president of government affairs and advocacy for the American Diabetes Association, noted that the metabolic disorder is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S., killing more than AIDS and breast cancer combined, and costs the country $322 billion annually.One in 11 Americans — some 30 million people — has diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many more — about 84 million — have prediabetes. Complicating the picture, McIver said, is that nearly 90 percent of the latter group aren’t aware of the threat.“This is a huge issue from a public health perspective,” McIver said.Diabetes is closely linked to the nation’s obesity epidemic, with nearly 90 percent of those with type 2 diabetes — the vast majority of cases — also overweight or obese. The root problem, Bleich said, is that we live in an environment rich in cheap, convenient, calorie-laden foods, and an era of increasingly sedentary lifestyles.“Diet is a huge driver of the diabetes epidemic, and this is important because a person’s ability to control their diabetes is very dependent on their ability to select foods or be in an environment that allows them to control their blood sugar,” Bleich said.That’s where food policy comes in, she said. Policy can alter the food environment and make consumers less dependent on willpower alone. Taxes alter environment by making cost a more significant factor. Another effective tactic, Bleich said, is requiring calorie counts on restaurant menus, so that customers can consider not just price and taste, but also the health effects of meals.Requiring calorie counts on menus began in New York in 2006 and has since spread to other states, Bleich said. A federal version of the requirement contained in the Affordable Care Act is set to take effect next year. The measures have had less impact on consumer choices than on restaurants, which have been dropping the highest-calorie dishes and adding new ones that average 12 percent less, a difference of roughly 60 calories.“It sounds small, but at a population level, if you can extract that number of calories out of the diet, it can actually have a pretty big impact on levels of both obesity risk and diabetes risk,” Bleich said.Panelists also discussed the role of technology in treating the disease. Continuous glucose monitors use a probe under the skin to keep tabs on blood sugar, with data uploaded for doctors to review. They can also send out help signals.Howard Wolpert, vice president for medical innovation at the Lilly Innovation Center, said that technology can both improve blood sugar control — reducing risk of complications such as blindness, kidney failure, and infections — and make medical care more efficient. People whose blood sugars are relatively stable can see the doctor less frequently, while those with erratic sugars can keep regular appointments.Telemedicine, Wolpert said, has the potential to make a bigger difference, extending the reach of physicians to underserved communities, like Native Americans and Inuits, in which care is scarce but rates of diabetes are high.
A Fort Lauderdale priest is going viral after showing off his dance moves at a Catholic high school in Fort Lauderdale.Father Ricardo Rivera reportedly brought Cardinal Gibbons High School students, and faculty to their feet at a homecoming pep last Friday.Father Rivera who teaches theology is said to have shocked every except the school’s dance coach.
Authorities in West Palm Beach are reporting that a mother and her one-month-old baby have died after their vehicle struck a dump truck.The incident was reported, Monday at 3:30pm on State Road 80 and Hatton Highway.According to the report, the victim identified as 26-year-old Antoinette Johnson was traveling westbound on State Road 80 approaching Hatton Highway when she struck the backend of a dump truck that was turning left onto Hatton Highway. The victim’s 2008 Chevy Impala immediately became engulfed in flames as it spun out of control before coming to a stop in a southeasterly direction at the intersection.Johnson and her 1-month-old daughter Alina Johnson were pronounced dead at the scene while, the driver of the dump truck was left uninjured in the crash.Florida Highway Patrol is still investigating the incident.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport — 100 firearms recoveredOrlando International Airport — 96 firearms recoveredTampa International — 87 firearms recoveredThe continued increase in the number of firearms that travelers bring to airport checkpoints is deeply troubling,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said.If travelers are not safely traveling with their guns they can be arrested and face civil penalties.Check out this video by the TSA explaining tips on traveling with a gun: Many Americans were traveling with heat in 2019. According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) more guns were confiscated in the United States last year than ever before in the agency’s history.The TSA reports 4,432 firearms were discovered in carry-on bags or on passengers at checkpoints in 2019—87% of which were loaded.In Florida,the TSA recovered a total of 283 firearms:
Boynton Beach police say a man called them after he allegedly stabbed the person he attempted to rob.Police received a phone call from West Palm Beach resident Victor Morel on Saturday night, claiming that he had been shot at two times around the area of SE 23rd Avenue and South Seacrest Boulevard. Morel also told them that he had stabbed a person at 2039 South Seacrest Boulevard, and refused to meet with law enforcement.Officers responding to 2039 South Seacrest Boulevard found two spent shell casings in the parking lot. They also discovered an empty holster, loose amphetamine pills and a blood trail close to the front door of an apartment at that address.The victim was taken to Bethesda Memorial Hospital with a stab wound to his upper back and an abrasion to the right side of his head. He was later transported to the Delray Medical Trauma Center for a collapsed lung.When Morel eventually agreed to meet with police, he told them that he met the victim on a social media app called “Grindr.”He added that he had heard the victim was a drug dealer, and his intentions when meeting the victim were to “make some money off of him.”Morel also admitted that they met at the victim’s argument and got into an argument there.According to police, Morel admitted striking the victim in the head with a closed fist, causing the victim to fall to the ground.The arrest report adds that Morel then grabbed a briefcase filled with methamphetamine and struck the victim again before running out the front door.Morel stabbed the victim, who had managed to get a hold of a firearm.The other man fired two shots as Morel drove away, hitting the front windshield and driver’s side window.Police contacted the victim at the hospital, who told them that Morel had attempted to rob him of his wallet, but he put up a fight.The victim added that Morel stabbed him in the back, forcing him to pull out his firearm and shoot.Morel is charged with Robbery and Aggravated Battery.He was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail, and there is no word on any charges against the victim.
Facebook20Tweet0Pin0Submitted by Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region Olympic National ForestOlympic National Park, Olympic National Forest and Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest are experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions. Temperature and precipitation outlooks continue to indicate warm, dry conditions extending through the summer season. This had led to above normal potential for significant fire activity.Federal land managers are monitoring the situation closely and are prepared for an active fire season. There has been close communication and coordination with federal, state, and local resources to ensure prompt response to any reported fires.If conditions continue to worsen, some level of fire restrictions will most likely be implemented. The purpose is to reduce the ignition potential during periods of high fire danger. These restrictions are coordinated amongst land managers to ensure clear communication to park and forest visitors.The public is urged to be aware of the increasing fire danger and take precautions to ensure fire safety. Visitors to national parks and forests should always use caution to prevent human-caused wildfires. To reduce the risk, please consider the following:Fireworks are prohibited on federal public lands.Before going camping, learn of any fire restrictions in place and never leave a campfire unattended. Ensure campfires are completely out before leaving the camping area.If smoking, always dispose of cigarette debris in some type of an ashtray.To report a fire dial 911. Updated fire danger and fire information will be posted on the park and forest websites.How to Extinguish a Campfire: smokeybear.com/Active Fire Information- Incident Information System: inciweb.nwcg.gov/Olympic National Park information: www.nps.gov/olym/Olympic National Forest information: www.fs.usda.gov/olympicMount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest information: www.fs.usda.gov/mbsState and county area burn bans: www.waburnbans.net