tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28578234421794330742011-07-29T01:40:48.019-04:00Veritas HealthA blog discussing innovative approaches to evaluation for public health, philanthropy, and social entrepreneurship.Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.comBlogger1701100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-81497148337105915952011-05-13T20:41:00.001-04:002011-05-15T17:11:51.425-04:00What Does a Healthy Population Look Like?How do you quantify something as complex and dynamic as a person's health?
First, you define it. What does health mean? Or asked another way, what does it look like to be healthy? The World Health Organization defines health as
"a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."For a long time, I found that answer Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-34936651422332310252011-03-20T17:28:00.000-04:002011-03-20T17:28:33.262-04:00What Shapes Health? Find Out!I've always had the perspective that my successes and wellbeing were influenced by factors far beyond my individual control. My family, friends, and influential members of my community provided me with opportunities and a perspective on life that helped me to 1) not be afraid to tackle challenges and 2) believe that I could be "whatever I wanted to be" if I worked hard enough.
So what does shapeKatelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-376168811937137552010-10-30T14:59:00.000-04:002010-10-30T14:59:51.816-04:00Evaluating Impact: Storytelling Versus Metrics, Which Matters?<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-33405831186547759582010-10-23T15:58:00.001-04:002010-10-23T15:59:24.378-04:00Veritas Health: Evaluation UnpluggedGreeting from California!
Veritas Health has officially relocated to the West Coast. I'm excited to start putting my newly minted Harvard degree into action. I am now working for FSG, a nonprofit strategy consulting firm, in San Francisco as an evaluation consultant.
I've been learning every day how my public health training translates into skills and expertise as a strategy consultant, and I'mKatelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-16765125368482901042010-06-28T11:28:00.001-04:002010-06-29T09:07:28.153-04:00Documentary Film Discussion "The Day My God Died": Child Sex Trafficking in NepalIn Nepal, a small country in South Asia, hundreds of children are trafficked into work as sexual slaves each year. While nonprofits like Maiti Nepal have emerged to fight, prevent, and assist victims of sex trafficking, political, social, and economic circumstances in and around Nepal have created conditions where child slavery and trafficking persist.
A film that documents the personal, social Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-57857803811441970882010-06-22T14:17:00.000-04:002010-06-22T14:17:21.125-04:00Guest Post: A ridiculous burgerAs you are probably aware, this is a time of transition for Veritas Health. I just completed my Master's degree from Harvard School of Public Health and am moving back to the San Francisco Bay Area to begin a new phase in my public health career.
Interviewing and packing has been taking up a lot of my time these past few weeks - so I am extremely grateful to Jessica Yen, who serendipitously Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-10847553744789048472010-06-16T11:55:00.002-04:002010-06-16T11:58:25.395-04:00Lead Poisoning - A true global health problemAround the world children are dying from lead poisoning and many more suffering from the neurological and physical health problems associated with lead exposure. In one region of Nigeria, lead poisoning has caused an estimated 163 deaths, mostly among children.
CNN ran a lead story on the tragic developments this week, even though it seems that the problem was first recognized back in January. Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-44982304008127669712010-06-08T14:31:00.001-04:002010-06-11T17:57:48.901-04:00Gates Pledges $1.5b for Maternal & Child HealthThe Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged $1.5 billion over 5 years to improve systems that will reduce maternal and newborn deaths and illness in the developing world. The announcement came yesterday during the Women Deliver conference.
I heard the story first on NPR - you can access their brief interview with Melinda Gates here. But this story peppers papers from the Wall Street JournalKatelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-24721476053379333812010-05-12T09:54:00.002-04:002010-06-08T14:32:48.522-04:00Task Force Releases Report on Childhood ObesityTo rollback childhood obesity in one generation.
Ambitious goal - to get the prevalence of childhood obesity down to 5% by 2030. No society has ever succeeded in undertaking such an enormous task - one that is complicated by deeply ingrained norms around diet and exercise, a well-financed commercial industry (not only fast/junk food, but also when it comes to diet and weight loss), and a generalKatelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-87030971227679278402010-05-03T09:29:00.001-04:002010-05-03T23:04:10.523-04:00Updating Nutrition LabelsIt was only 20 years ago that we began seeing uniform nutrition labels on processed food products telling us how many calories, how much fat and sugar, and what nutrients are in the food we eat.
But many health groups believe it's time to update nutrition labels. I agree that it's time to give consumers information in a way that is useful and helps people make healthy choices. In this week's Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-87855238855475772662010-04-27T17:00:00.000-04:002010-04-27T17:00:55.362-04:00Remember the Food Pyramid?Every five years the US federal government reviews the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Remember the days of the "Food Pyramid" and then the recent 2005 edition of the "My Pyramid"? Well, if you missed my past post on the topic you should see the Harvard School of Public Health rendition - the Healthy Eating Pyramid - which has a much simpler and scientific food guide for health!
Marion Nestle Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-56461717231773796992010-04-26T18:57:00.000-04:002010-04-26T18:57:13.750-04:00Allentown High School Student Wins Top Public Health Honors!Two girls from *near* my hometown in Pennsylvania won top honors from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in the YES Competition for high school students.
According to the news release,
"Shoshanna Goldin, a 17-year-old student at Moravian Academy in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, won for her research project entitled, Energy Epidemic: Teen Perception and Consumption of Energy Drinks."Not only is she Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-27128637577319689682010-04-20T12:25:00.002-04:002010-05-15T19:22:23.851-04:00Caution: Camel Orbs are NOT Kid FriendlyPhoto from the HSPH website
Candy or tobacco? Do you think your child could tell the difference?
Harvard School of Public Health professor, Gregory Connolly, recently published an article in Pediatrics on the dangers of this Camel Orbs, a dissolvable nicotine tablet, widely available in the US.
(Click here for the news release)
Note: I looked up the Colbert Report segment that references Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-38959553014821300322010-04-19T22:37:00.001-04:002010-04-19T22:38:35.264-04:00Breastfeeding Saves Money, Saves LivesMost parents enter labor expecting to breastfeed. Many are confronted with numerous challenges (some from the start, others as they go back to work) to continue breastfeeding throughout infancy.
A CNN news report highlights the challenges and public health importance of promoting and supporting new mothers in breastfeeding their baby throughout the first 6 months of their child's life.
This Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-7990133890753019692010-04-07T22:48:00.001-04:002010-04-07T22:49:13.480-04:00World Health Day 2010Today, April 7, 2010 marks World Health Day.
I've been thinking a lot about my own health habits. It's easy to get complacent when it comes to our health. We expect that our bodies will just keep on functioning like they always have. Usually reality hits us when it's too late.
Staying healthy in body, mind and spirit requires us to make conscious decisions about what we eat, how we travel, and Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-22225006541626057122010-04-05T16:59:00.002-04:002010-04-05T17:04:50.029-04:00It's Public Health Week!This week is National Public Health Week 2010 - and there are many ways you can get involved to promote a Healthier America. You can view a video and get tips on how your individual actions and easy changes can have a HUGE impact on our nation's health! To find out more visit: http://generationpublichealth.org.
Here are some of my favorite tips:
Go for a run! (or bike ride)
Get proper sleep and Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-38277527049850819302010-03-30T17:30:00.003-04:002010-03-30T23:24:03.815-04:00Veritas Health: Back from Hiatus?Life has never been busier. With school work, classes, legislative events, teaching, and flying around the country Veritas Health has gotten short shrift. Sorry to all my readers! And this has come at a terrible time -- Health care reform has passed, been signed into law, been revised, and signed again! The School Nutrition Act in Massachusetts has been passed by the Senate and will likely make Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-67167605254790728122010-03-23T09:33:00.001-04:002010-03-23T09:35:49.250-04:00Top Picks in 2010 Health Care Reform: Bill Passed!I can't believe we've passed national, comprehensive health care reform! A first for public health. With all that I learned from the esteemed Bob Blendon in Political Strategies, I knew it would be a long shot. Presidential diplomacy likely played a strong hand in back deal negotiations, as well as the organizing and activity of pro-reform groups in putting pressure on key (read: moderate) Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-83208282879711824682010-02-28T15:51:00.000-05:002010-02-28T15:51:01.025-05:00Vote for Veritas Health Content!I want to hear from you! See that new poll to the right of the this post??
In order to keep this blog interesting and relevant to my readers I want to know what you would like to see more of on Veritas Health?
And, if you don't see what you want to read represented to the right, just comment below and I'll be sure to address it! Thanks for reading VH.
Can't get enough of VH? Follow me on Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-3439436119396745622010-02-27T19:43:00.003-05:002010-02-28T10:07:22.396-05:00From Cigarettes to Snus: Tobacco Advertising Returns!I had read about the tobacco industries attempts to shift its marketing from cigarettes to a "spitless" tobacco (or what it is calling Snus), but it didn't really sink in until I was reading Entertainment Weekly.
Sitting on the T on my way up to Cambridge I saw this ad. My first thought while reading it was "That's interesting...Camel is promoting quitting smoking?" It's fascinating how quickly Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-50065807356875257502010-02-21T20:55:00.000-05:002010-02-21T20:55:27.835-05:00Embrace Life PSA (Video)How often do you wear your seatbelt? If you live in California, chances are you wear your seatbelt every day (a 2007 survey found that 92% of Californians wear their seatbelt). Having lived in California, I am pretty sure that people wear seatbelts because chances are you will get pulled over if you (or someone else in your car) is not wearing a seatbelt. I know that all too well.
But if you Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-15676593523994052422010-02-20T16:04:00.002-05:002010-02-20T16:05:14.302-05:00FDA May Tackle Serving Size Concerns in Food Labeling Overhaul"Once you pop, you can't stop!"
What clever marketing. Like a self-fulfilling prophecy, really. I mean "Bet you can't eat just one!" -- that'll get you, too.
Well, it's time we faced the facts of American food culture straight up. Bigger is better, and more makes you merrier. Tell me, who eats for breakfast a bowl filled with only 1 cup of cereal or -- heaven forbid -- 1/2 cup of granola? And Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-78619230595062035982010-02-15T09:34:00.001-05:002010-02-15T09:36:15.965-05:00Jamie Oliver (Naked Chef) Takes on Child Obesity at TedJamie Oliver gives a Ted Prize speech on childhood obesity at the Ted Conference in southern California. He believes that the food reality in America is awful and that action must be taken. Oliver is a food ambassador that commands attention, even of our nations tech leaders!
This is not a research presentation; it's a passionate, moving talk on the realities of death and the TRUE costs of a Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-46980321832672298942010-02-09T20:47:00.001-05:002010-02-09T20:48:29.040-05:00Let's Move! ...to Prevent Childhood Obesity
It's no surprise that childhood obesity is drawing more public attention than ever before. Evidence is growing on the ill-effects and complicated origins of childhood obesity, making inaction impossible both for public health programs and politicians.
We can prevent childhood obesity. And that's precisely what the White House initiative, Let's Move!, intends to do.
The four main components of Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-16900385004185989442010-02-08T19:00:00.002-05:002010-02-08T20:20:48.559-05:00Soda Causes Cancer, Could it be?A study done in Singapore has found that drinking 2 or more sodas per week is associated with nearly twice the risk of pancreatic cancer than staying soda free. The study was published this month in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, & Prevention and reported on WebMD.
It's no surprise that the beverage industry is doing all it can to discredit the study; however, the methods used seemKatelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-69954026770496412642010-02-06T16:03:00.000-05:002010-02-06T16:03:04.590-05:00Pap Test PSA: VideoSaw this PSA from the Michigan Department of Community Health (on BroganBlog) and thought it was a pretty clever 30 second ad. Why do I think it works:
Good use of humor. (Come on, you laughed a little, right?)
Simple, clear message.
Songs just get stuck in your head.
Links to birthday so you don't just think about getting tested once, but once a year.
What do you think about this PSA? Was Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-49419964119713000912010-02-04T17:12:00.000-05:002010-02-04T17:12:59.755-05:00Text4Baby Service Launched TodayEver have trouble keeping track of taking your vitamins? How about making sure you make (and keep) your doctor's appointments? Get enough exercise? Well this can be even more complicated when you are pregnant or are caring for a new baby!
Today Text4Baby (text BABY or BEBE to 511411) was launched by large coalition of partners -- and it's designed specifically to help pregnant women and new momsKatelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-11392363881650150522010-01-30T18:25:00.001-05:002010-01-30T18:25:44.068-05:00Slimming Down School Milk: Did it have an impact?Schools are getting smart and thinking more about where kids are getting their calories from in school. With childhood obesity continuing to rise (even though adult obesity seems to have slowed down), the implementation of sound school wellness policies is imperative to curbing unhealthy habit forming behaviors in kids' lives.
There is not a ton of data on how school nutrition policies have Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-71001295956448138602010-01-29T16:53:00.002-05:002010-02-25T00:00:54.164-05:00Update: MA School Nutrition BillIt took a little investigating (and some decoding) to figure it out: the School Nutrition Bill passed the House!
Thanks for calling and/or writing your Legislators. It does make a difference. I know there was a lot of movement on the ground Thursday morning among advocates for school wellness and nutrition policy even though I couldn't join them.
You can access the legislative history of the Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-34743127561601306502010-01-27T16:01:00.006-05:002010-01-27T16:27:16.317-05:00Contact Your MA Legislator for School Nutrition!Tomorrow may be a historic day for school nutrition in Massachusetts!
This Thursday, the Massachusetts House plans to vote on House Bill 4438 (previously HB 2092), also known as the School Nutrition Bill. This would be a milestone in Massachusetts school nutrition history, as no previous bill has set standards for the types and quality of food sold in school besides the VERY minimal federal Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-52109900400937531572010-01-23T09:37:00.001-05:002010-01-23T09:41:13.986-05:00Fav Five Public Health HeadlinesFrom Haiti to Brooklyn, this week's Fav Five highlights promising strategies to improve kids' health, the fate of national health care reform, and the public health and medical response to the Haiti disaster.Year Round Edible Schoolyard Planned for Brooklyn Elementary School (01/19) - The NY Times reported that a Brooklyn elementary school will be developing a $1.6 million school garden that canKatelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-50003009910990513702010-01-20T09:30:00.001-05:002010-01-20T09:31:03.187-05:00Health Care Reform Revisited: Brown Defeats Coakley
In yesterday's Senate race Scott Brown (Rep) soundly defeated Martha Coakley (Dem) by 5 percentage points, according to today's headlines in the Boston Globe. While Coakley proved she is knowledgeable and articulate during the debates it seems that voters' took issue with health care reform and probably a number of other issues related to the economy, taxes, and national security.
What I think Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-39151796991060834502010-01-18T15:42:00.001-05:002010-01-18T15:42:41.404-05:00Altering Our Salt Obsession: A New York City Initiative
Salt is a hot topic in health right now. For more than a decade Americans have been consuming nearly twice the recommended amount of salt in their foods, mostly due to eating out more and the increased consumption of heavily processed, heavily salted foods.
Nutritionists and doctors have been concerned about individuals' excess consumption of salt (or sodium), particularly among those with highKatelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-23708124038776707532010-01-13T21:34:00.003-05:002010-01-13T21:42:42.661-05:00Have American Waistlines Stopped Growing?Pam Belluck of the New York Times reported today that obesity rates have been seen to stabilize (for some groups like blacks and whites, but not Mexican-Americans) over the past 5 years. I've heard this data in several classes, and it does appear to be true. But this shouldn't be taken to mean that obesity rates are declining -- they certainly are not.
What puzzles me and other obesity Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-1440870989224177342010-01-12T18:04:00.003-05:002010-01-13T17:01:27.918-05:00Leisure Time in Bavaria -- Germany, that is.Snow capped mountains and miles of farmland lined the streets and highways on my way through the Bavarian Alps last week. I was on a vacation with my family in southern Germany where we spent a few days in Stuttgart and a few more in Garmisch with family who have lived there for the past six years.
What struck me most during my days was not least the cold but that despite the cold if you walked Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-25922254530295223492009-12-30T15:09:00.000-05:002009-12-30T15:09:55.493-05:00Top 3 Public Health News of 2009This year public health undeniably became a part of our national consciousness. In order to ring in the New Year and reflect on the past year at Veritas Health, I've highlighted below what I believe to be the top three issues in public health of 2009. For those interested, the headlines link to my previous posts on the topic.
Swine Flu Pandemic - the outbreak of a new flu strain (a.k.a. Swine Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-64297230079322326332009-12-28T17:54:00.001-05:002009-12-28T19:40:11.479-05:00Nourishing Traditions: A book that gets to the heart of foodThere is no arguing that our food system has dramatically changed over the past half century. The American diet has been overhauled with the advent of fast-food, supermarkets, and convenience foods (read: shelf-stable products all found in the interior of your local market or in those vending machines you frequent). These changes have affected public health in unimaginable ways -- not the least Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-85910889546224230452009-12-17T09:31:00.003-05:002009-12-17T09:41:01.056-05:00It's a Water Problem
After spending 3 months thinking and writing about sugar-sweetened beverages, obesity, and school food environments I am a little concerned about the effects of the New York Times' Toxic Waters series and peoples' consumption of water (a great alternative to all those sugary drinks).
The series is exposing the many problems with our nations' water supply (including the dangers hidden in some Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-58543064040285392162009-12-16T18:03:00.002-05:002009-12-16T18:07:37.528-05:00Teenage Pregnancy: A Cool WebsiteThis semester I started working with a group of Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) students on a student-run social media campaign. After some collaboration with the Center for Health Communication at HSPH we decided to pursue an online campaign that targets pregnant teenagers in the Boston area.
Why? Because teens who become pregnant are less likely to have a healthy pregnancy and less Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-53495517313569214592009-12-13T10:59:00.001-05:002009-12-14T11:22:26.434-05:00Is "Healthier" Healthy Enough for School Vending?Early on a Tuesday morning, while walking the halls of Winter Hill Elementary School in Somerville, Massachusetts, I was struck by the absence of an item that has become nearly ubiquitous in schools across Massachusetts: vending machines. Vending machines are the most convenient source of exactly what you tell your kids not to eat.
To my pleasure, Winter Hill is not unique – vending machines areKatelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-3838224939509844582009-12-09T11:50:00.001-05:002009-12-09T11:51:51.143-05:00States Cut Tobacco Prevention FundsAccording to a recent report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, all states with the exception of North Dakota have cut tobacco prevention funds.
Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to be a result of ineffective prevention efforts.
According to the news release for the report there is
"conclusive evidence that tobacco prevention and cessation programs work to reduce smoking, save lives and Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-73307182275631471582009-12-04T17:35:00.001-05:002009-12-04T17:37:41.326-05:00Debunking American Nutrition MythsDarya Pino of Summer Tomato (an amazing blog with lots of health and nutrition information) promoted this video. It's amazing -- Dr. Lustig of UC San Francisco debunks popular nutrition myths, particularly related to sugar consumption by tying together the science of public health, nutrition, and biochemistry.
Hope you enjoy!Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-82982221930033170672009-12-04T00:01:00.003-05:002009-12-04T00:09:26.802-05:00Mammography Guidelines RevisitedReaction to the updated mammography guidelines -- see previous posts on the topic -- from the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a panel of experts charged with determining guidelines for cancer screening, has reached partisan proportions. Republicans are trending toward outrage and Democrats sympathy.
At least that's how Alicia Mundy of the Wall Street Journal reads what's happening Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-25079328694538541492009-12-01T21:28:00.000-05:002009-12-01T21:28:16.859-05:00World Aids Day: Youth Finding a VoiceToday is World AIDS Day. I read an article in the Huffington Post written by a graduate of Harvard School of Public Health, Rena Greifinger, and some colleagues about the impact of HIV on youth. She discusses a global phenomenon that
"Young people 10 to 24 years old make up one of the most vulnerable, yet historically overlooked populations affected by the HIV pandemic."
But brings the issue Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-52973209364383709742009-11-28T10:02:00.002-05:002009-11-28T10:06:17.919-05:00House of Hope Holiday Cards For Sale!
This past summer I traveled to Nicaragua and Costa Rica to meet with organizations that were trying to help women leave prostitution and that were providing health, education, and other services to women and girls would had been exploited sexually. One of the organizations that I spent the most time at was House of Hope (see my first blog post on my experience).
One of the weekly House of Hope Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-46871094688380445212009-11-20T10:23:00.001-05:002009-11-28T09:22:34.281-05:00Making Mammography Screening Guidelines: Two approachesSo how did the "experts" at the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) come up with the "new" mammography guidelines, anyway?
As you read in yesterday's post, the decision was based primarily (or fully) on the findings from epidemiological data (i.e. population-level health research, rather than medical case studies, case histories).
While an epidemiologist (...a "social epidemiologist," Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-32487975026626273402009-11-19T14:21:00.001-05:002009-11-19T14:22:43.718-05:00Mammography Screening Myths ExposedThe US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released "new" mammogram guidelines this week. The guidelines have received major backlash from the American Cancer Society and many cancer survivors.
Below is are some of the mammography screening myths floating around:
Myth #1. These are new guidelines
Ok, so these guidelines are "new" for USPSTF (although they look a lot like older USPSTF Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-10171971473482214532009-11-16T10:20:00.003-05:002009-11-16T12:17:05.805-05:00It's Del-i-CIOUS!If you haven't noticed my posts on Delicious.com (linked on the sidebar to the right) you should check it out. Many of the posts are discussed in the Veritas Health blog, but many more of the bookmarks reference websites and news articles that I have never gotten to writing about.
Are you on Delicious? If so, I'd love to join your network. Just let me know!Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-57355856307394366342009-11-15T11:53:00.031-05:002009-11-15T22:26:25.073-05:00Sugar-Sweetened Beverages the Next Tobacco?
Image from the NY City Department of Health Anti-Obesity Campaign
In class this week, we discussed strategies for reducing the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages at home. Sugar-sweetened beverages are exactly what they sound like: any drink sweetened with sugar (sodas, fruit juices, "vitamin" or flavored waters, sports drinks, energy drinks....etc.).
The larger question at hand was: CanKatelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-4280182061297765122009-11-12T09:40:00.006-05:002009-11-15T17:27:47.381-05:00Healthiest Nation In One Generation - VideoKatelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-28545742922568160112009-11-11T21:41:00.000-05:002009-11-11T21:41:25.933-05:00APHA Concluded
The 2009 APHA Annual Meeting is officially over. It was an exciting meeting for me. I loved networking and talking with folks from all over the country who are doing work in food and nutrition policy, public health communications, and the use of social media.
Here I am, in the picture above, presenting my summer work from Nicaragua and Costa Rica and a study that was recently published looking Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-74491446546033392842009-11-10T10:55:00.003-05:002009-11-11T21:58:49.397-05:00APHA Day 2: Exhibit ExplorationsAfter two hours of perusing the hundreds of booths and five blisters later, I made my way through most (though notably, not all) of the exhibits housed in the Philadelphia Convention Center for the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting. The exhibits promote health and educational products, provide information on the latest medical and online technologies, share program activities and Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-61799131738291883392009-11-10T00:38:00.000-05:002009-11-10T00:38:32.802-05:00Harvard Vaccination Guru Speaks SwineStill confused about whether the swine flu vaccine is safe?
Don't know whether you should be vaccinated?
Here's an interview published in today's Boston Globe with Dr. Marie McCormick, professor of maternal and child health at the Harvard School of Public Health and the lead advisor on an expert committee that reviewed data related to the safety of the swine flu vaccine.
In response to whetherKatelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-49012396515161543362009-11-08T22:12:00.000-05:002009-11-08T22:12:39.493-05:00APHA Day 1: Environment Matters for HealthMayor Nutter described Philadelphia, "the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection," as a city of public health firsts during today's Opening Address at APHA. He and several other speakers talked about the many public health "firsts" that Philadelphia can pride itself with: the first medical school, the first water and sanitation bureau, the first city to require water flouridation....
Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-42381879799814842122009-11-06T15:49:00.002-05:002009-11-06T15:52:09.601-05:00APHA 2009 Bound!
Veritas Health will be tweeting and blogging from the 137th American Public Health Association Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA -- right near her hometown! The conference begins Saturday, November 7th and will last until Wednesday, November 11th.
The theme of this year's conference is Water and Public Health. Dr. Mirta Roses, Director of the Pan American Health Organization will be Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-16974603972760655452009-11-02T22:45:00.002-05:002009-11-02T22:57:48.699-05:00Can What You Eat Prevent Depression?Did you know that eating a lot of processed foods (most of the foods in the center aisles) may be related to developing depression? A study recently reported by BBC News and passed along to a fellow colleague at Harvard School of Public Health (thanks Rachael!) has reached this conclusion -- and I am apt to agree.
Take-Home Message
Eat a diet rich in whole foods (fruits, vegetables, unprocessed Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-36601735728119313702009-10-28T18:07:00.000-04:002009-10-28T18:07:44.914-04:00Gender and the HPV VaccineI need to take a minute to post about a non-school-health related topic: a recent study published in the British Medical Journal concluded that vaccinating males against HPV is not cost-effective. News outlets everywhere have reported on authors' conclusions.
However, are the underlying framework and assumptions of the study authors misguided?
William Saletan published a provocative (go-figure)Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-38253425736760715992009-10-26T13:05:00.002-04:002009-10-26T13:08:45.522-04:00How Healthy is Your Breakfast Cereal?Cereal is about as commonplace in the American home as peanut butter and jelly (unless you are allergic, I guess). At some point in our nations history, whole cereal grain breakfast that took minutes or hours to prepare were replaced by highly processed refined grain "cereals" that had loads of added sugar and went by the name of Cap'n and Lucky.
Until today's release of the Yale Rudd Center's Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-30374627018063049422009-10-25T22:01:00.001-04:002009-10-25T22:02:24.273-04:00Smart Choices Labeling System Divided, Fails?The "Smart Choices" label, which was meant to be a guide for consumers to make healthier food choices when shopping the supermarket, may be lying on its deathbed, according to a recent article in the New York Times. A few of the major food industry supporters, including PepsiCo and Kellogg's have cut its ties with the program and will phase out production of products (like Froot Loops cereal) Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-44594522102523553092009-10-16T10:15:00.003-04:002009-10-17T09:15:54.211-04:00Mandated H1N1 Vaccination: Right or...Oh, so Wrong?A good friend and former colleague inspired this post (thanks Joanne) after realizing how media attention to mandated H1N1 vaccination among health workers has grown in the past few weeks. NPR, Time, the New York Times, ABC News all are covering what is an unprecedented move to require health care workers to be vaccinated against swine flu.
While many hospitals and clinics are requiring Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-14430879294858131862009-10-11T18:05:00.002-04:002009-10-11T18:11:31.139-04:00How to Lose Weight in Ten DaysGimmicks.
Losing It
Weight loss isn't easy. The following weight loss plans: Atkins, South Beach, Green Tea, Low Carb, Low Fat all have one thing in common: they focus on diet. Why do all these weight loss fads all focus on changing what you eat? The answer may be simpler than you think: results. Changing what you eat is the quickest way to lose weight. Eat fewer calories and you will lose Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-11482422556736705122009-10-05T18:23:00.001-04:002009-10-05T18:23:44.608-04:00Battleground School FoodIt may be a fluke or it may be fortune that the New York Times has taken up the "cause" of school food and nutrition in the last week or so. First there was the article profiling the cafeteria at a popular New York City public school in Queens. Then, Saturday, they ran an article on the ban of sugary foods from public schools in New York City even for celebrations (think kids' birthdays) and bakeKatelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-10983827797951496162009-09-29T21:39:00.004-04:002009-09-29T23:16:39.240-04:00School Nutrition Policies, MA on my mindAs I mentioned on Twitter this morning, french fries appear to be the lunch food of choice for students in a popular school in Queens, New York, according to the New York Times. That probably doesn't surprise anyone who works in a school or has visited one during lunch. Unfortunately, I have not.
Nonetheless, my memories of school lunch are not much different. I remember tater tots and pepperoniKatelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-11710987304234322009-09-24T19:38:00.001-04:002009-09-24T19:39:02.576-04:00Is Extreme Public Health the Answer?I'm taking off my "reporter" hat for a moment to share some public health talk I've been mulling over lately. You know the uproar over health care reform and the public option? Of course you do! How about the fury and debate over the state and national initiatives to tax soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages? Or the resistance of businesses, "consumer groups" (i.e. backed by the food industry)Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-66550501604951562009-09-21T09:06:00.001-04:002009-09-21T09:06:49.828-04:00Going to the Park? Walk or Bike!Just in case you need a little nudge to ride your bike to work or walk to get groceries here's further evidence that "active" transit (i.e. walking or biking to get somewhere) is associated with better health. In the latest American Journal of Preventive Medicine one year of data was taken from a 20-year follow-up study to assess whether walking or cycling compared to only using a car to get Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-65336018366341158102009-09-18T21:45:00.002-04:002009-09-18T21:50:40.668-04:00News FlashThe intersection between the environment and public's health has made recent headlines in the New York Times. I wonder if it is any surprise that conditions related to CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) are implicated in at least one of the public health disasters. Here two of the most interesting (and disturbing) stories I read recently:
Health Ills Abound as Runoff Fouls Wells - TheKatelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-78609346516936466802009-09-17T16:18:00.000-04:002009-09-17T16:18:46.682-04:00Soda Tax To Combat Obesity, Will it Work?Cigarettes are taxed, alcohol is taxed, why aren't soft drinks taxed?
One huge reason for the dirth of legislation levied against unhealthy foods including sodas is the enormous lobby of the food industry in DC and across the country. Whenever there is serious consideration of restricting access to unhealthy foods (such as in public schools) there is enormous resistance. Big Food has lots of Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-34612082712048463892009-09-15T14:18:00.000-04:002009-09-15T14:18:06.480-04:00Smoking Outside, A Public Health Threat?The New York Times has been impressing me recently with its coverage of public health issues. Sure, health care reform makes that coverage pretty much a no-brainer, but today's front page article on the proposal to ban smoking outdoors in New York City definitely peaked my interest. It is part of the "Take Care New York Plan 2012" and includes other public health proposals in addition to banning Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-64121415115499292072009-09-12T12:10:00.004-04:002009-09-15T13:34:53.250-04:00Low-Fat Diet DisasterSaturated fat has historically been the "number one enemy" of dietitians and nutritionists. For decades, popular thought was that the most effective way to lose weight or to prevent weight gain was to eat a diet low in fat. This approach to weight loss and management has had disastrous consequences; however, because of its subsequent timing with the explosion of refined carbohydrates (as opposed Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-57314715416301116042009-09-10T09:32:00.002-04:002009-09-10T09:38:55.119-04:00Missing the Health in Health Care ReformMichael Pollan was preaching to the choir today in his New York Times op-ed piece on "Big Food Vs. Big Insurance." His words were music to my ears:
"...the fact that the United States spends twice as much per person as most European countries on health care can be substantially explained...by our being fatter. ...That's why our success in bringing health care costs under control ultimately Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-6247677765326493672009-09-09T21:02:00.002-04:002009-09-09T21:05:15.127-04:00Obama Health Care Speech, Meat and MeaningWe know we must reform the system. The question is, 'How?' - President Obama, Health Care Speech, September 9, 2009
Tonight at 8pm Eastern President Obama made his appeal for passing health care reform. Prescriptions columnist David Herszenhorn had a timely piece in the New York Times this morning, "How to Watch the Obama Speech." Where was Herszenhorn right? Where did he go wrong? This is my Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-12106774069073646612009-09-08T21:43:00.001-04:002009-09-09T21:15:34.905-04:00Can We Harness New Media for Public Health?After a year of public health blogging I have numerous questions on the utility and impact of new media on public health. While there is no technical definition of "new media" that I am aware of (please tell me if you have one) this is what I mean by the term:
"Interactive digital media, such as the Internet, as opposed to traditional media such as print and television" (from Wictionary - an Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-80181222943476646332009-09-07T16:26:00.004-04:002009-09-07T16:29:56.015-04:00Support Healthier School Lunches TODAY!Slow Food USA is sponsoring a National Day of Action (today, September 7, 2009) which includes hundreds of "eat-ins" (a.k.a. pot lucks) all across the country. You can log in to their website to sign a petition to improve school lunches, spread the word, or attend an eat-in.
I heard about this too late to attend an eat-in; if I hear of more in the future I will try to get the word out sooner! Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-75830991938407882412009-09-07T11:34:00.001-04:002009-09-07T11:35:40.135-04:00Banning Peformance-Enhancing Drugs from the Military?While today's New York Times article is titled "A Focus on the Effects of Dietary Supplements Among Troops in War Zones," the article actually discusses the use performance-enhancing (PE) supplements meant to build and maintain muscle mass quickly by our U.S. troops. At first glance I thought the article might talk about Vitamin D or Calcium intake; a poor editorial title choice if you ask me.
Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-11809044615149365542009-09-04T23:30:00.001-04:002009-09-05T10:38:40.833-04:00"Smart Choices" Is Fool's GoldThe New York Times today ran a story today on the "Smart Choices" food labeling campaign that is being heavily endorsed by the biggest food industry players. The program claims to respond to consumers' need to be able to make quick, convenient choices on "healthier" food products. I mean, who has time to read through ingredient lists and nutrition labels? Well...I do. But, I know most people do Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-1406006562882969372009-09-03T21:57:00.005-04:002009-09-03T22:02:38.708-04:00Health Reform Update: Congress ResumesWhat has happened to health reform?
If you are like me, you are wondering if this "deep sigh" of health reform silence will turn into a coma or a comeback. Will health reform get its much needed second-wind? The New York Times today reported that President Obama hopes to create momentum in Congress for health care reform as senators and representatives return from their roller-coaster of an Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-32158585131014445092009-09-03T20:20:00.002-04:002009-10-18T20:48:57.909-04:00Web ResourcesThank you for checking out my favorite web resources for the latest public health information. Just a reminder that this is a work in progress. I would LOVE your feedback. Suggestions?
US Health CareKaiser Family Foundation (health reform, medicaid/care, media, state policy)
American Public Health Association (health care reform, advocacy)
Food & NutritionCenter for Science in the Public InterestKatelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-43064391473594890432009-09-01T18:49:00.002-04:002009-09-07T11:43:52.250-04:00NYC Ads Target Sugar-Sweetened Drinks
This is the most eye-catching public health campaign ad that I have seen in a long time that does not have to do with violence. While it specifies cutting back on sodas in the text, the liquid resembles sugar-laden iced team more than Coca-Cola and could apply to a wide range of beverages.In fact, you can check out the entire ad campaign at the New York City Department of Health website, which Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-69560343494621438042009-08-31T18:49:00.002-04:002009-09-07T11:44:53.893-04:00One Year of a Public Health Blog!August came and went so quickly that I hardly even realized that there is an anniversary to celebrate -- one year of Veritas Health, my beloved public health blog. I started Veritas Health because I could not find anything on the web like it. Individuals just didn't seem to be writing about their public health experiences or ideas on the web! Now I not only have a public health blog, but am Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-55605256860242091062009-08-24T18:48:00.000-04:002009-09-07T12:05:30.008-04:00An Eating Local Challenge @ TastyKateI have decided to commit to increasing my consumption of locally grown/raised foods during my last year at HSPH (Harvard School of Public Health). It was difficult to decide whether to initiate this using Veritas Health or my food blog, TastyKate, but finally decided that TastyKate was a better venue. Check out my first post here. There are many barriers to healthy eating that we, in public Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-21250318472183152462009-08-22T18:48:00.002-04:002009-09-07T11:49:02.411-04:00Can Chemicals in Drinking Water Be Safe?How about an article in today's New York Times:
Debating Just How Much Week Killer is Safe in Your Water Glass
It would be impossible to eliminate all chemicals and microbes from drinking water, right? Rather than elimination, the EPA often sets standards of "allowable" levels of chemicals and microbes in the water supply. For example, a chemical used to kill weeds, atrazine, has been consideredKatelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-18481640027293315152009-08-19T18:47:00.001-04:002009-09-07T11:48:25.768-04:00My Public Health Passion: Round 2Day by day I am getting closer to identifying what makes me spring out of my chair, telling each and every person I meet the latest offense against our nation's health. Some days it is fast food commercials. I get so angry over them because I know they work! For example, I craved Dunkin Donuts for about two weeks before finally giving in and getting a Boston kreme donut (240 calories, 9 g fat, 13Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-26168381788749621142009-08-18T18:41:00.004-04:002009-09-03T20:42:50.337-04:00Racial Disparities in Boston Swine FluHealth status differs by race and ethnicity. This is not news to people working in the health arena, in fact an entire department of the Boston Public Health Commission is focused on reducing racial health disparities. Often such inequities in health are assumed to be a result of genetic differences or differences in income or socioeconomic position. However, social and environmental factors are Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-38541564331465592752009-08-16T18:41:00.000-04:002009-09-07T11:45:51.288-04:00Gluten-Free = Wallet WoesAfter a few months living in California I was struck by the number of food allergies and intolerances of my friends, colleagues, and their families. Gluten-free, lactose-free, peanut-free, pit-free...the list goes on and on. I don't believe that these diseases are just more 'common' in people living in the Bay Area, rather I think it is more likely that doctors (and patients) are probably more Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-37084301174079045672009-08-14T18:41:00.000-04:002009-09-07T11:46:56.740-04:00Reuters Picks of Trafficking Story in SE AsiaAfter months of hard work compiling data for the United Nations Development Programme our final report on the intersection of HIV/AIDs and sex trafficking was presented in Bali (see my previous post on this international conference). Reuters picked up the story and published it in its AlertNet section on Wednesday. Trafficking is a public health concern and HIV/AIDs illustrates one of the major Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-3661261429242345782009-08-12T18:39:00.000-04:002009-09-07T11:46:18.032-04:00When Kids Lack Calcium and Vitamin D......feed them Trix and Lucky Charms?! The commercial begins with two cute kids in the frame. One is trying to figure out the other's height with measuring tape; they are playing in a large kitchen. Then the fact, which is something to the effect of "Did you know: not enough kids are getting enough calcium and vitamin D in their diet." So what does the ad suggest? Feed your kids more vegetables (Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-88261929061949296492009-08-11T18:38:00.000-04:002009-09-07T11:47:28.065-04:00The Ugly Truth: We Already Ration Health CareSave Dick Cheney or protect 180,000 kids against measles? ...interesting question... The debate about rationing health care and reducing choice is somewhat misleading, if you ask me. We already ration health care based on our health insurance (the more expensive, the better the coverage) and our employers decide what doctors we can see and what benefits we have by deciding which insurance Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-27998812264970092912009-08-10T18:31:00.000-04:002009-09-07T11:45:51.291-04:00RWJF Tackles America's Nutrition DeficitFarmer's Market Ad in Boston TToday I listened to a Webinar hosted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) which discussed the nutrition recommendations of their own Commission to Build a Healthier America. The conversation, moderated on Harvard School of Public Health's own Dr. David Williams, focused on two of their three overarching recommendations: Fund and design WIC and SNAP (Food Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-85252047171608691942009-08-09T18:30:00.000-04:002009-09-07T11:47:28.066-04:00Health Reform ConfusionThere are a lot of rumors out there about health care reform that are completely baseless. They are politically (not empirically) motivated and lack respect. Remember why health care became such a huge topic during the debate: the number of uninsured are on the rise and costs are skyrocketing. Small business owners are struggling to afford health insurance benefits for their employees (and Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-86661690177272321292009-08-06T18:30:00.000-04:002009-09-07T11:46:56.742-04:00Increase Funding to Prevent Child TraffickingToday International Justice Mission (IJM) held phone conferences to prepare constituents nation wide to meet with their legislators during August recess to discuss the Child Protection Compact Act (HR 2737) that has been introduced in the House. The Act aims to increase funding ($50 million over 3 years) to the State Department's Global Trafficking in Persons Office to help provide resources and Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-87973789978783186192009-08-05T18:29:00.000-04:002009-09-07T12:28:07.470-04:00SE Asian Conference on Trafficking and HIV BeginsTomorrow several international organizations kick-off the first "South East Asia Court of Women on HIV and Human Trafficking" in Bali, Indonesia. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Asian Women's Human Rights Council, Yakeba (a local NGO) among others are involved in the conference proceedings. This regional conference connects the human rights and public health implications of Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-80825784586027860762009-08-04T18:28:00.001-04:002009-09-07T11:48:25.769-04:00News FlashThe Boston Globe ran several front-page public health stories today, totally catching my attention. In case you missed it on NPR (I heard a few of them during my 6 hour drive from PA) or don't get the paper -- here are the links and a brief description of the stories. Safer Sex Campaign Launched by BPHC -- Boston Public Health Commission has launched their safer sex campaign targeting teens aged Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-66796987085314352572009-08-03T18:28:00.002-04:002009-09-10T18:33:34.154-04:00Diet Soda: Friend or Foe?Last year at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) I attended a weekly seminar class. It took place during lunch so we were regularly provided with a platter of fresh fruit and some drinks to compliment whatever quick sandwich or salad we brought with us. The drinks on display were usually fruit flavored seltzer waters and Diet Coke. While we weren't offered regular Coke, I found it rather Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-56190957890017170092009-07-31T18:26:00.000-04:002009-09-07T12:24:54.196-04:00Health Benefits of "Organic" Questioned AgainThe debate over whether organically farmed produce is nutritionally superior to conventionally farmed produce has been around for a long time (I posted on the topic in my food blog: TastyKate last year!). This week an article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reviewed the published literature on the topic and concluded that there is not scientific evidence that organic produce has Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-703554107802138412009-07-30T18:26:00.002-04:002009-09-07T12:31:36.287-04:00National Initiative to Stop Teen Dating ViolenceThe Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) just announced that Blue Shield of California Foundation and the Family Violence Prevention Fund will join with RWJF to help communities combat and control teen dating violence. The initiative called Start Strong targets kids aged 11 to 14 and the budget is big -- $18 million. However, this budget will be divided between 11 communities in the country.
IfKatelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-41525902504079104742009-07-28T18:24:00.000-04:002009-09-07T11:49:19.180-04:00Input Wanted: Favorite Public Health ResourcesI would like to create a "Resources" page to direct readers to websites and organizations that they may find interesting or useful. I started by thinking about the different public health topics that often appear in Veritas Health -- food/nutrition; violence prevention; health care reform. Then I have listed a few organizations/websites that I have discovered over the years that help me find Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-30443104037345745802009-07-27T18:23:00.000-04:002009-09-07T11:48:00.421-04:00Harry Potter Stirs Alcohol ControversyI've been debating going to see the new Harry Potter movie ever since it came out in theaters. While I wouldn't call myself a huge "fan" I have enjoyed the previous films and think there is no substitute for a big-screen view of Quidditch. So after mixed reviews from friends, I was surprised to read about the intersection of Harry Potter and public health in today's New York Times Health Section.Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-7303512644740662342009-07-23T18:20:00.000-04:002009-09-07T11:48:25.772-04:00My Public Health Passion: Round 1What is my public health passion? When I arrived at HSPH in August, I was asked this question by Dr. Howard Koh, who is now sitting down in DC working on health care reform and preparedness for the Obama administration as Assistant Secretary for Health at HHS (Health and Human Services). Dr. Koh has had a clearly articulated public health passion related to cancer prevention and tobacco control. Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-63320015244372877142009-07-21T09:50:00.004-04:002009-07-21T10:27:45.981-04:00Buying "Organic" Or Are You?A few weeks ago the Washington Post ran an article titled "Purity of Federal 'Organic' Label is Questioned." It discusses the major battle that is being waged by organic food advocates over the federal loopholes that allow companies to achieve a 'USDA Organic' seal of approval without assurances that 100% of the ingredients are non-synthetic or cultivated organically (in actuality the real Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857823442179433074.post-51134873858187369222009-07-17T22:17:00.005-04:002009-07-21T10:38:14.279-04:00Health Reform Quick ComparisonFor a quick comparison of the two pending health care reform bills in the House and Senate from a prevention and social determinants of health perspective check out my post at Society and Health. If you are interested in more detailed information about the plans, APHA seems to be updating their comparison table pretty regularly (last updated yesterday) so check out that site, as well. Have a Katelyn Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16580748536424850026noreply@blogger.com0