SATURDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- A new study confirms what seems obvious: people who live in communities where walking and cycling are common are less likely to be overweight or obese.

The researchers analyzed statistics about walking and cycling in 14 countries, and also studied data about walking and cycling to work in all 50 states and in 47 of the largest U.S....(click link above to read more)

SATURDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- As children head back to school, parents can help make sure their little ones stay healthy and happy all year, an expert suggests.

Adequate sleep and rest are essential, Dr. Peter Richel, a pediatrician at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mt. Kisco, N.Y., said in a hospital news release. His advice in this regard? Establish fixed bedtime routines...(click link above to read more)

FRIDAY, September 3 (HealthDay News) -- A 7-year-old San Diego boy brought back more than souvenirs and memories from a family trip to Switzerland a couple years ago.

While there, he became infected with measles, a disease his parents had chosen not to have him vaccinated against. Upon his return to the United States, the boy unknowingly exposed 839 people to measles.

The story...(click link above to read more)

FRIDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Carl Buher came home from the football game feeling rotten.

A strong, healthy, 14-year-old high school freshman, Carl had attended a day's worth of school and then played in the game, but it felt as if he were coming down with the flu. That made sense: A lot of his teammates had recently had the flu, and he figured they'd just passed it on to...(click link above to read more)

FRIDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Children with sickle cell disease experience more life-threatening complications from the H1N1 swine flu than from seasonal flu, a new study has found.

This means that doctors and parents need to be aware that children with sickle cell disease are more likely to need emergency treatment and to be hospitalized, Dr. John Strouse of Johns Hopkins...(click link above to read more)

FRIDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- It isn't personal success or failure that make up the best and worst moments of a person's life, but the events that occur within social relationships, new research has found.

"Most of us spend much of our time and effort focused on individual achievements, such as work, hobbies and schooling," study co-author Shira Gabriel, an associate professor...(click link above to read more)

FRIDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Safety is the most important workplace issue, say 85 percent of American workers.

Workplace safety, in fact, ranked first in importance among labor standards, ahead of issues such as minimum wage, family and maternity leave, paid sick days, overtime pay and the right to join a union.

That's the finding of researchers who analyzed dozens of...(click link above to read more)

FRIDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- The risk of bowel surgery for children with Crohn's disease is much lower than reported in previous studies, according to new findings.

Crohn's disease involves chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The exact cause is not known, but the condition is often associated with an immune response problem. Some recent studies have found that...(click link above to read more)

FRIDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- A new report casts doubt on the argument that marijuana is a "gateway drug" that plays a major role in leading people to try other illegal drugs.

Researchers found that other factors, such as ethnicity and stress levels, are more likely to predict whether young adults will use other illegal drugs.

Even...(click link above to read more)

FRIDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to lead in early childhood may delay puberty in girls, a new study from the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has found.

Researchers from the institute analyzed the findings of blood samples taken from more than 700 girls aged 6 to 11. They found that those with elevated levels of lead (5 or more micrograms of...(click link above to read more)