Tag: health

Barbie launches first doll with Type 1 diabetes, glucose monitor

Barbie is aiming to expand on inclusivity with the launch of its first doll with Type 1 diabetes.

The doll, part of Barbie’s Fashionistas line, comes complete with a continuous glucose monitor, insulin pump and other features to represent those diagnosed with the chronic disease.

The brand partnered with Breakthrough T1D, formerly JDRF, a diabetes research organization, to create the doll. Barbie said in a news release that it is also donating dolls to the Breakthrough T1D 2025 Children’s Congress, a biennial event that brings over a hundred children with Type 1 diabetes to Washington to meet with members of Congress.

“Introducing a Barbie doll with type 1 diabetes marks an important step in our commitment to inclusivity and representation,” Krista Berger, senior vice president of Barbie and global head of dolls at Mattel, said in a release. “Barbie helps shape children’s early perceptions of the world, and by reflecting medical conditions like T1D, we ensure more kids can see themselves in the stories they imagine and the dolls they love.”

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Illness and Endless Wars

Hey, you remember that guy, right? You know, the candidate who, in his third campaign for president in 2024 insisted that he was the one who would remove this country’s “warmongers and America-last globalists” and that returning him to the White House would “turn the page forever on those foolish, stupid days of never-ending war. They never ended.”

Yes, indeed, America’s wars haven’t ended, not by a long shot, not with Donald Trump back in the White House a second time. And yes (again), he did indeed swear that he was done with such wars. But then he wasn’t thinking about Bibi Netanyahu, was he? He wasn’t thinking about Israel bombing Iran. In typical fashion, he wasn’t thinking three (two? one?) steps ahead. And now, of course, we have Iran. I know, I know, after his bombing runs against that country’s nuclear sites, there is at least what passes for a truce in place (until, of course, there isn’t). With Netanyahu once again focused on killing Palestinians in Gaza and Trump focused on… well, himself, it’s easy enough to forget that he did indeed bring American-style warfare back to a Middle East that already had an estimated 40,000-50,000 American soldiers stationed at perhaps 19 sites across the region. And mind you, he hasn’t stopped implying that there might be worse to come. (“Can it start again? I guess someday, it can. It could maybe start soon.”)

And with all of that looming, and the unpredictable Donald Trump in the White House, let TomDispatch regular Andrea Mazzarino, one of the founders of the invaluable Costs of War Project, take you on a grim voyage into what war — in fact, the wars this country has so regularly fought in this century across the Greater Middle East and Africa (where, by the way, the Trump administration is still sending American planes on remarkably regular bombing runs in Somalia at a pace that could set a Trumpian record this year) — does to our health. It isn’t pretty, believe me.

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Former Rep. Jamaal Bowman Says N-Word Is to Blame for Blacks Suffering from Obesity, Cancer, and Heart Disease

Former Congressman Jamaal Bowman has claimed that black people are suffering from serious medical conditions because they are called the N-word so regularly.

Appearing on a CNN panel on Thursday, Bowman outlined his theory that rates of cancer, obesity, and heart disease are higher among black Americans because of people allegedly using the N-word.

“I’m a black man in America,” Bowman explained.

“The reason why heart disease and cancer and obesity and diabetes are bigger in the black community is because of the stress we carry from having to deal with being called the n-word directly or indirectly every day.”

Bowman’s rhetoric was so bizarre and extreme that even the Democratic Party ultimately rejected him.

In last year’s Congressional primary, Bowman lost to former New York State Assemblyman George Latimer by over 20 points.

In the wake of President Trump’s landslide election victory, Bowman openly attacked white people for not supporting his political ideas and claimed that some are simply “too far gone.”

“Dear White People,” he wrote at the time. “I don’t know why I feel the need to keep talking to you. I don’t know why part of me still has hope for you and for us.

“Some of you are too far gone. But maybe enough of you aren’t and will join us in fighting to end white supremacy.”

“I just wanna call out the hypocrisy and evil of it all and just continue to hope.

”I won’t rely completely on you because I know what’s most important is to work with my community and other like minded allies in the fight for justice.”

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Trump administration funds $10 million study on health effects of East Palestine train derailment

The Trump administration has launched a study of the long-term health consequences for residents of East Palestine, Ohio, from a train derailment that spilled toxic chemicals in 2023.

The initiative, spearheaded by Vice President J.D. Vance, comes after he was brushed off by Biden administration officials when he urged a study on any detrimental environmental and health effects on the East Palestine community. Mr. Vance was a U.S. senator representing Ohio at the time.

Under President Trump, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Director of the National Institutes of Health Jay Bhattacharya have launched a five-year, $10 million research initiative to investigate the disaster’s long-term health impacts.

“I’ve been to East Palestine a number of times, and they’re very worried about, what are the long-term impacts of these chemicals in the water, in the air, what effect does it have on their kids and grandkids after five years, 10 years, 15 years of exposure?” Mr. Vance said during an announcement of the initiative, while flanked by Mr. Kennedy and Dr. Battacharya.

“I tried as a United States senator to work with the Biden administration, and they refused to do anything to actually study the effects of these long-term exposures on the people of East Palestine,” he said.

Mr. Kennedy called the effort “the first large-scale, coordinated, multi-year federal study focused specifically on the long-term health impacts of the East Palestine disaster.

“The program will support robust community-engaged epidemiological research to understand the impacts of exposures on short and long-term injuries,” he said.

According to Mr. Kennedy, the program will also “support public health tracking and surveillance of the community’s health conditions to help us make informed health care choices and take appropriate preventative measures.”

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Despite decades of Democrat health initiatives, Americans are sicker than ever

Heath and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a viral and heated exchange with Senator Patty Murphy, D-Wash., during a Senate Appropriations hearing last week that was supposed to focus on budget priorities for his department.

The exchange between the two went off the rails when Murray accused Kennedy of “sprinting down the road to illegally impounding billions in funding through intentional action and incompetence.” She highlighted a number of programs which fall under his purview that Kennedy has considered altering or omitting.

Kennedy’s came back with a mic-drop response that tied decades of growing health problems in America to the policies of Murray’s party.

“Senator, you’ve presided here, I think for 32 years. You have presided over the destruction of the health of the American people. Our people are now the sickest people in the world, because you have not done your job,” Kennedy fired back.

Data and history back up his argument.

Most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic destroyed public trust in health authorities and agencies.

In April 2020, trust sat at a reasonable 71.5%. Four years later in April 2024 it plummeted to 40.1%, according to a 50-state survey of U.S. adults led by Northeastern University’s distinguished professor of political science and computer sciences.

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New Study Links Longer Breastfeeding to Fewer Developmental Delays

The more scientists research the effects of breastfeeding, the more benefits they identify for infants. Some advantages extend past infancy into childhood and even have a potential effect on adult health.

A recent study found that breastfeeding for at least 6 months was associated with fewer delays in reaching social, language, and motor developmental milestones. It was also linked to a reduced likelihood of neurodevelopmental conditions that can cause disability.

The findings build on earlier studies from recent years associating breastfeeding with a lower likelihood of allergies, asthma, high blood pressure, and infant death.

“It is widely known that ‘breast is best’ and that babies who are fed breastmilk have fewer infections, less allergic diseases, healthier GI [gastrointestinal] tracts, and so much more,” Dr. David Berger, a board-certified pediatrician not involved in the study, told The Epoch Times in an email.

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Trump Confronts What Every Other President Ignored: The Toxic Collapse of America’s Health

Today, from the White House, President Trump, joined by his HHS Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., unveiled the MAHA Report, a groundbreaking new initiative to Make America Healthy Again.

The timing couldn’t be more urgent. Chronic disease is skyrocketing, life expectancy is plummeting, and America’s health is teetering on the edge of collapse.

The White House event started with a warning. “There’s something wrong,” he said, his tone heavy.

He wasn’t speaking in vague generalities. Trump listed the cold, hard numbers.

“More than 40% of American children now have at least one chronic health condition.”

“Since the 1970, rates of childhood cancer have soared in many cases by nearly 50%.”

“In the 1960s, less than 5% of the children were obese. Now over 20% are obese.”

“Just a few decades ago, 1 in 10,000 children had autism. Today it’s 1 in 31.”

Each one was a glaring signal of a system in collapse.

Trump then vowed to get to the root of the crisis and “not stop until we defeat the chronic disease epidemic in America.”

The report lays out the full scope of that epidemic in unforgiving detail.

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Netflix, the FBI, and a Federal Frame Job That Took Down a Wellness Company…

There’s a dangerous trend happening in this country that we’re all aware of—and it’s picking up speed. The federal government is using the justice system as a weapon. Not to punish real crimes, but to punish the people it doesn’t like. That’s what lawfare is, and it’s been the go-to move of the FBI and DOJ for years now.

Conservatives have felt the bitter sting of lawfare more than anyone. From Douglass Mackey to the January 6ers to President Trump himself, the feds have gotten really comfortable twisting the law into a pretzel to go after political enemies. But here’s the curveball—what happens when they start using those same dirty tactics on people or groups who aren’t categorized as Trump supporters?

That’s what makes the case against the California-based wellness company OneTaste so disturbing. Not because the group is conservative—far from it—but because their prosecution reveals just how brazen and far-reaching lawfare has become.

OneTaste started as a Silicon Valley wellness company, but over time, it started to be accused of being a “sex cult.” We’re talking taboo rituals, a tight rein on emotions, and a setup that felt more like a tribe than a business. Most conservatives would take one look at this group and say, “No thanks”—but that’s not the point of this story, as you’ll find out below. And that’s precisely what makes the case so important.

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Toothpaste widely contaminated with lead and other metals, US research finds

Toothpaste can be widely contaminated with lead and other dangerous heavy metals, new research shows.

Most of 51 brands of toothpaste tested for lead contained the dangerous heavy metal, including those for children or those marketed as green. The testing, conducted by Lead Safe Mama, also found concerning levels of highly toxic arsenic, mercury and cadmium in many brands.

About 90% of toothpastes contained lead, 65% contained arsenic, just under half contained mercury, and one-third had cadmium. Many brands contain a number of the toxins.

The highest levels detected violated the state of Washington’s limits, but not federal limits. The thresholds have been roundly criticized by public health advocates for not being protective – no level of exposure to lead is safe, the federal government has found.

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Following the Money on RFK’s Top Targets, Pharma Ads & Soda

What do Big Pharma ads on TV and Diet Coke have in common? Both are targets of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the new head of the Health and Human Services department.

In his early efforts to press the “Make America Healthy Again,” Kennedy has singled out two seemingly different issues: those ubiquitous television ads for pharmaceuticals, and whether people on federal food assistance programs should be able to buy soda and junk food on the taxpayer dime.

Popping open a can of Diet Coke to open the latest episode of The Drill Down, host Peter Schweizer savors the taste of crony capitalism.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign to swiftly bar the use of food stamps to buy soda is fueling tensions between his team and the Agriculture Department. Of course, the American Beverage Association, a trade group that lobbies on behalf of “Big Soda,” is firing back, too.

HHS wants the Trump administration to approve petitions from the governors of Kentucky and West Virginia to ban soda purchases from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) program for the first time. But the USDA controls the program, not HHS. So that sets up a conflict, and for the beverage industry the stakes are very high.

The SNAP program costs $100 billion per year and serves about 42 million Americans.

Co-host Eric Eggers says that Coca-Cola would see a 2.5 percent decline in worldwide sales if sugary sodas were no longer covered by SNAP nationwide. Coca-Cola is just one of many makers of soda. Moreover, about 25 percent of all SNAP program spending is done at the cash registers at Walmart, so its influence will be felt as well.

The show also takes on another perennial issue and MAHA target — pharmaceutical advertising on television.

Every American is used to hearing and seeing ads for miracle drugs when watching television, especially news programs and sports. They often show bright, happy old people whirling around in golf carts or briskly walking while a voiceover speed-reads a cocktail of terrifying potential side effects.

“I’m generally a free-speech guy, but what is the purpose of these ads? They are meant to create demand for new, expensive drugs,” Schweizer points out.

Here also is the brewing conflict with those who make money based on those ads — media companies that sell those ad spaces to Big Pharma. About 30 percent of the ads sold for any news show on TV are for pharmaceuticals. Many people have noticed how generally easy the news media at those networks go on pharmaceutical companies.

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