The number of obese young people between the ages of five and 19 is ten times higher now than it was forty years ago. A study in the Lancet found 124 million obese children and teenagers around the world last year. An additional 213 million were overweight, but did not classify as obese.
Researchers said there’s a disturbing trend in men’s reproductive health. A study in the British Medical Journal reviewed thousands of reports and found that the sperm count among men in western countries has plummeted more than 50 percent. It’s not clear what’s causing the trend but the study suggests a closer look at environmental factors, including chemicals like pesticides.
The popularity of meditation and mindfulness has exploded in recent years, but a panel of experts at Brown University said the field is at a critical crossroads where there is too much hype and not enough rigor. Meditation is now being used for everything from depression to addiction, but researchers say dependable scientific evidence is in short supply.
Sources:
1 = The Lancet
2- The BMJ
3 – Perspectives on Psychological Science