A collection of health and environmental posts from other governmental blogs.

A Healthy Start to the School Day Leads to Bright Opportunities Ahead

Wholesome meals at school support educational achievement - and bright opportunities ahead for our nation's kids and teens. Which is why, each year, during National School Breakfast Week (March 5-9), USDA recognizes the importance of a healthy start and the many ways the School Breakfast Program improves the health and nutrition of school children nationwide. - From the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) blog

Lowering Your Cancer Risk: A Matter of Ups and Downs

Think of listening to your favorite song. No matter what kind of music it is, someone was behind the scenes making it sound great: bringing out certain parts or instruments, balancing it, getting rid of background noise. Cutting your cancer risk is a little bit like making great music. You turn some things up, turn some things down, and get rid of some things altogether. And you don't have to be a professional to make choices that can help keep you doing what you love for a long time. - From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) The Topic Is Cancer blog

Prevent Colorectal Cancer: We Can Do It!

A childhood friend has late-stage colon cancer. The prognosis is grim. But this is one cancer you can prevent, writes Cindy Gelb, lead of CDC's Screen for Life campaign. One more late-stage diagnosis is one too many. Each of us really can make a difference. - From the CDC's The Topic Is Cancer blog

Tackling eHealth Literacy As I waited in the exam room on a recent visit to my doctor's office, I noticed there was a large wall display with an interactive screen. It resembled a smartphone and I could use the touchscreen to scroll and learn about various conditions, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's, and colon health. Each menu included signs and symptoms of illness, and information on diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. The designs were bright, jargon was kept to a minimum and defined when used, and navigating was simple for routine smartphone users. The display also included short videos supporting the on-screen text.

Great! I thought, But what about patients who don't have strong English skills or those who don't feel confident engaging with the display? How do they get the information if they don't directly ask for it? - From the CDC's Public Health Matters blog

2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans: We Want to Hear from You

Interested in being part of our process as we develop the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA)? Start today at DietaryGuidelines.gov. - From the USDA blog