With obesity among children and adolescents in the U.S. nearly tripling since the 1970s, many of those affected are dealing with health problems that previously weren't seen until adulthood. These include: High blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and elevated blood cholesterol levels. There are psychological effects as well.

Since elementary school, the boy "had a daily portion of fries from the local fish and chip shop and snacked on Pringles, white bread, processed ham slices and sausages." A British teenager who had been a "fussy eater" since elementary school lost his vision and suffered significant hearing loss due to his years’ long diet of junk food, according to a recently published case report.

Worker injuries linked to opioid-related deaths and suicides, a Total Worker Health report card and heat-related illness takes a toll on construction workers. These were among the top stories featured on ISHN.com this week.

“While you don’t have to give up foods derived from animals completely, our study does suggest that eating a larger proportion of plant-based foods and a smaller proportion of animal-based foods may help reduce your risk of having a heart attack, stroke or other type of cardiovascular disease,” said lead researcher, Casey M. Rebholz, Ph.D., assistant professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland.

Although some outdoor workers are required to perform their labors during certain hours, if you’re off duty, the American Heart Association (AHA) advises you to avoid being out of doors in the early afternoon (from noon to 3 p.m.) because that’s when the sun is usually at its strongest, putting you at higher risk for heat-related illnesses.

The University of Kentucky (UK) is being honored for implementing a voucher program that reduces UK employees’ cost of buying organic produce and encourages healthy eating. The school has just received an HR Innovation Award from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program that provides participants with vouchers toward shares of weekly produce from a participating local organic farm of their choice.

A billionaire and a famous actor both experienced the same health emergency recently – one that surprised many people, given their relatively young ages. One survived, one did not. The two high profile incidents involving Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and actor Luke Perry have drawn renewed attention to the danger of strokes, which strike about 700,000 Americans a year, according to WebMD.

People can reduce their risk of dementia by getting regular exercise, not smoking, avoiding harmful use of alcohol, controlling their weight, eating a healthy diet, and maintaining healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, according to new guidelines issued by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Placing healthier options in more prominent positions on grocery store shelves and packaging food in smaller serving sizes are among the improvements in the U.S. food system that would make it easier for consumers to choose healthy foods – and to get heathier. That’s according to a science advisory from the American Heart Association (AHA), which says that change that needs to occur at multiple levels- the food industry, agricultural industry, public health and medicine, policy, and among communities, worksites, schools, and families.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Heart Association (AHA) have put together a list of public health measures they say will reduce kids’ consumption of sugary drinks – a habit strongly linked to obesity, diabetes, heart disease and tooth decay. The recommendations in a joint policy statement issued by the two organizations, “Public Policies to Reduce Sugary Drink Consumption in Children and Adolescents,” include excise taxes, limits on marketing to children, and financial incentives for purchasing healthier beverages.