a new assessment puts sunbed use on a par with smoking or exposure to asbestos

A recent assessment from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) puts sunbed use on a par with smoking or exposure to asbestos. This assessment appears in Lancet Oncology and is based on a review of existing research on the use of sunbeds and the risk of melanoma. The authors concluded that this risk was increased by 75% in people who started using sunbeds regularly before the age of 30.

The IARC is an expert committee that makes recommendations to the World Health Organization. The Sunbed Association (TSA) disputes these conclusions of the IARC assessment.

Cost of treating obese patients soars to $147 billion

The USA Today reports that obese Americans cost the country an estimated $147 billion in weight-related medical bills in 2008, double what it was a decade ago, a new study shows. This issue of rising health care costs for conditions perceived by some to be the consequence of personal behavior plays prominently in the debate over universal health care.

E-Cigarettes Pose a Health Hazard, FDA Warns

The HealthDay Reporter is reporting that testing of electronic cigarettes, known as e-cigarettes, has shown that they contain cancer-causing chemicals and other toxins, including a compound used in antifreeze, U.S. health officials said Wednesday. The article focuses on the harmful ingredients of the e-cigarette and the its potential to normalize and cue smoking behavior. The issue of whether this vapor is harmful to others in the vicinity was not specifically addressed. However, the ingredients are toxic and I would argue that the precautionary principle should guide states and communities to prohibit the use of these devices in indoor public places, and these restrictions should only be removed if scientific consensus emerges that indicates the vapors from these devices poses no harm to others.

Restaurants across the country may have to post calorie-counts

The Economist recently published an article on calorie labels in restaurants. IMHO, this policy intervention can help to inform consumers, while placing little undue government regulation on businesses. As Kelly Brownell points out, we have labels on your clothes to tell us what’s in it and where it’s made, and the consumer has a right to know the calorie-count of a restaurant meal.

Reactions to the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act

President Obama signed this bill in to law on 22 June 2009. Below are some of the reactions to this controversial bill.

NPR notes the President's own struggles with nicotine addiction.

CNN highlights the support from the voluntary health organizations, and also includes a dissenting opinion from Stan Glantz - "The bill creates a 12-member advisory board through which all regulations will flow. Tobacco industry representatives will hold three nonvoting seats. Putting three guys on this committee would be a little bit like putting three mobsters on the Department of Justice committee on organized crime." This article also notes the objection to the Philip Morris involvement in drafting the bill from rival tobacco companies.

Michael Siegel - is frustrated by the PR coup that Philip Morris is experiencing from this bill.

The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids highlights the harms of tobacco and the key benefits of this bill

Lance Armstrong Appeals for More Funding for Cancer Prevention and Research

Seven-time Tour de France winner pushes Washington to put more dollars to cancer research and prevention in this op-ed from the The Hill. In recognition of the role of tobacco in cancer, Armstrong highlights the need for higher tobacco taxes and more smoke-free legislation. He also cites the importance of the FDA Bill to regulate tobacco (it passed the Senate today).

Taxes on Junk Food

The NYT recently published an editorial on the issue of using taxes on junk food to reduce obesity. This editorial highlights two of the major issues facing obesity researchers; 1) the obesity epidemic is a complex problem, and there is no magic bullet that will solve this problem (moreover, many of the proposed remedies are not yet sufficiently supported by the literature), and 2) many of the potential remedies face stiff opposition due the cost of implementation or - as in this case - industry opposition.