Mike Stobbe

America’s obesity epidemic hasn’t budged, new research shows

June 2, 2018 at 4:07 a.m.

America's weight problem isn't getting any better, according to new government research. Overall, obesity figures stayed about the same: About 40 percent of adults are obese and 18.5 percent of...

Study prompts call to examine flu vaccine and miscarriage

June 2, 2018 at 5:16 p.m.

A puzzling study of U.S. pregnancies found that women who had miscarriages between 2010 and 2012 were more likely to have had back-to-back annual flu shots that included protection against...

Teen drug overdose deaths inch up after years of decline

June 3, 2018 at 3:59 a.m.

After years of decline, teen deaths from drug overdoses have inched up, a new U.S. government report shows. The drop in teen deaths had been a rare bright spot in...

CDC warns against placenta pills after infant’s infection

June 3, 2018 at 3:23 p.m.

Health officials are warning new moms about the potential dangers of taking pills made from their placenta, after an Oregon infant's infection was tied to the practice. Trendy among some...

Flu vaccine ineffective for people 65 and older last winter

June 3, 2018 at 6:52 p.m.

The flu vaccine did a poor job protecting older Americans against the illness last winter, even though the vaccine was well-matched to the flu bugs going around. U.S. health officials...

In this Thursday, July 24, 2008 file photo, obese patients wash their plates after lunch at the Aimin Fat Reduction Hospital in Tianjin, China.

10 percent and growing: Obesity rising in nations rich and poor, especially in kids

June 4, 2018 at 6:21 p.m.

The world's weight problem is growing in countries rich and poor, and in many of them obesity is increasing faster in children than adults. The research found obesity has tripled...

Heroin epidemic pushing up hepatitis C infections in U.S.

June 5, 2018 at 2:26 a.m.

The heroin epidemic is driving up hepatitis C infections, with the biggest increase in people in their 20s, U.S. health officials said Thursday. The number of new infections nearly tripled...

CDC: Don’t donate sperm in parts of Florida due to Zika

June 5, 2018 at 7:37 p.m.

Men from three Florida counties shouldn't donate sperm because of a small risk of spreading Zika, U.S. health officials said Monday. The guidance had previously applied to Miami-Dade County, the...

U.S. life expectancy falls for first time in decades, types of death increase

June 8, 2018 at 10:52 p.m.

A decades-long trend of rising life expectancy in the U.S. could be ending: It declined last year and it is no better than it was four years ago. In most...

Dr. Shruti K. Gohil, associate medical director for epidemiology and infection prevention at UCI Medical Center in Orange County, Calif., holds a dose of MMR, the vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella.

Q & A: Why you should, and shouldn’t, worry about measles

June 16, 2018 at 6:29 a.m.

Measles has become relatively rare in the United States, thanks to a very effective vaccine. A recent outbreak tied to Disneyland has shown that even among some doctors, knowledge of...

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