How? With attention-grabbing images of “pregnant” teenage boys.

Images like this:

And this:

The purpose of the campaign is to “spark conversations among adolescents and adults on the issue of teen pregnancy and to make the case that teen parenthood is more than just a girl’s responsibility,” according to a Chicago health department news release.

The ads are displayed on public buses, trains, platforms and bus shelters in Chicago.

The teen birth rate in Chicago is one of the highest in the nation, despite declining 33 percent from 1999-2009.

“These ads work to increase education and awareness which will in turn help reduce the number of teenage pregnancies in Chicago,” health department Commissioner Dr. Bechara Choucair said in the news release.

What do you think of the campaign?

The post Teen pregnancies a two-way street appeared first on Live Well.

The annual survey polled 752 of the academy’s board-certified facial plastic surgeons on the trends in reconstructive and cosmetic surgery.

This year, the poll revealed surgeons are seeing a 31 percent increase in plastic surgery requests as a result of how people wanted to present themselves on social media, according to a Time Healthland article.

“I see a lot of men and women who are executives or high profile so they are in the public eye. Their photos get taken all the time and they never know where they may end up. Between high definition television, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, how you look in photos and video clips has definitely become a driver for all cosmetic procedures from Botox to neck lifts,” Dr. Sam Rizk, director of Manhattan Facial Plastic Surgery, told Time.

The survey also showed that growth in cosmetic plastic surgery outpaces demand for reconstructive procedures. Cosmetic surgery accounted for 73 percent of all plastic surgery operations in 2012, according to the article.

“Whether you think it is harmful or not, it is a trend and I don’t think we will see it slowing down anytime soon,” Rizk told Time. “There is the potential in some individuals with low self esteem and psychological issues to fixate on certain features, such as a prominent nose or a weak chin or a heavy neck. When the concern about your appearance or specific features starts to border on obsession, that can be a red flag.”

While social media is influencing patients’ decisions to get surgery, it’s not serving as a resource for identifying and vetting surgeons and procedures.

In 2012, only 7 percent of patients used social media to research doctors and surgical options – a drop from 35 percent in 2011, according to the article.

The post Social media and plastic surgery appeared first on Live Well.

A United Nations report released Monday found the health benefits of eating nutritious insects could help fight obesity.

The authors of the study, conducted by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization’s Forestry Department, said many insects contain the same amount of protein and minerals as meat and more healthy fats doctors recommend, according to a Reuters story.

“In the West we have a cultural bias, and think that because insects come from developing countries, they cannot be good,” scientist and report author Arnold van Huis told Reuters.

In addition to battling obesity, the report said insect farming was “likely to be less land-dependent than traditional livestock and produce fewer greenhouse gases,” according to Reuters.

It would also provide business and export opportunities for poor people in developing countries, especially women, who are often responsible for collecting insects in rural communities, according to the story.

Van Huis told Reuters that the barriers to enjoying dishes such as bee larvae yogurt were psychological. In a blind test carried out by his team, nine out of 10 people preferred meatballs made from roughly half meat and half mealworms to those made from meat, he said.

How’d you like to be a part of that blind taste test?

The post Fighting obesity with insects appeared first on Live Well.

No? Well, soon you might.

The dairy industry is looking to create low-calorie milk by replacing the sugar added to milk with artificial sweeteners, like aspartame.

The move, however, has ignited a debate over milk labels. At the center of the debate is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s “standard of identity” requirement.

The requirement means if a manufacturer wants to include an ingredient that is not among those in the product’s standard of identity, the name of the food on the package’s main display panel must be modified with a nutrient content claim (“reduced calorie,” for example) to show how it has been changed, according to the FDA.

The dairy industry has petitioned the FDA, asking the regulatory agency to amend the standard of identity for flavored milk and 17 other dairy products (including nonfat dairy milk, heavy cream, eggnog, half-and-half, and sour cream) so that non-nutritive sweeteners are among the standard ingredients.

If successful, the petition would mean manufacturers wouldn’t have to change the description on the label to include “reduced calorie” or other clauses.

Either way, manufacturers would have to include the artificial sweetener on the ingredient list.

The dairy industry wants to do away with the “reduced calorie” wording because its “not attractive to children” and the proposed amendments would promote “more healthful eating practices and reduce childhood obesity.”

What do you think about the petition to change the standard of identity for flavored milk?

For more information, check out the FDA website. The FDA is taking public comment on the labeling issue until May 21 (Directions for submitting comments are located at the bottom of the web page).

The post Artificially sweetened “milk?” appeared first on Live Well.

“Obesity is today’s most challenging health issue, affecting nearly every family and community across the globe. It is a global societal problem which will take all of us working together and doing our part,” Muhtar Kent, chairman and chief executive officer of The Coca-Cola Company, said in a news release.

“We are committed to being part of the solution, working closely with partners from business, government and civil society. Today’s announcement is another step forward on our journey, as we take action with scale and reach across every country and continent where we operate,” Kent continued.

Here is how the soda giant plans to help promote healthier, happier and more active communities:

1. Offer low- or no-calorie beverage options in every market.
2. Provide transparent nutrition information, featuring calories on the front of all of our packages.
3. Help get people moving by supporting physical activity programs in every country where we do business.
4. Market responsibly, including no advertising to children under 12.

The company has already taken “important steps,” according to the news release.

Those steps include expanding the availability of mini-cans in the U.S. and other countries; supporting hundreds of active, health living programs; and putting calories on the front of nearly all beverages.

Thoughts on Cola-Cola’s announcement?

The post Coca-Cola wants to join obesity fight appeared first on Live Well.

In a study published in the journal “Obesity” four that the body’s internal clock (the circadian system) increases hunger and cravings for sweet, starchy and salty foods in the evenings, according to a news release from OHSU.

While the urge to consume more in the evening may have helped our ancestors store energy to survive longer in times of food scarcity, in the current environment of high-calorie food, those late night snacks may result in significant weight gain,” according to the release.

“Of course, there are many factors that affect weight gain, principally diet and exercise, but the time of eating also has an effect. We found with this study that the internal circadian system also likely plays a role in today’s obesity epidemic because it intensifies hunger at night,” said Steven Shea, director for the Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology at OHSU and senior author of the study.

“People who eat a lot in the evening, especially high-calorie foods and beverages, are more likely to be overweight or obese,” he added.

Shea and the other researchers involved in the study found study participants felt the least hungry in the morning (8 a.m.) and most hungry in the evening (8 p.m.).

The human body handles nutrients differently depending on the time of day. For example, sugar tolerance is impaired in the evening, according to the news release.

“If weight loss is a goal, it’s probably better to eat your larger, higher-calorie meals earlier in the day,” Shea said in the news release. “Knowing how your body operates will help you make better choices. Going to bed earlier, getting enough sleep and choosing lower-calorie foods rather than higher-calorie foods in the evening can all help with weight loss.”

The post Late-night snacking explained appeared first on Live Well.

The Mexico City health secretary and the city’s restaurant chamber signed an agreement to encourage eateries to provide shakers only at the request of guests. The program is voluntary, but the chamber is urging members to comply, according to a CBS News story.

The campaign – “Less Salt, More Health” – is aimed at tackling residents affinity for salt. Some estimates show Mexicans eat nearly three times the recommended amount and significantly more than what Americans consume, according to the CBS News story.

In Mexico City, “people often sprinkle salt-and-chili powder onto already salted potato chips. Bags of apples sometimes contain plastic packages of salty vinegar-and-chili salsa,” according to the story.

The city’s health secretary said Mexicans regularly consume as much as 11,000 milligrams of salt each day, which translates to about 4,400 milligrams of sodium.

Americans, on average, eat about 3,300 milligrams of sodium each day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. U.S. dietary guidelines recommend limiting sodium to less than 2,300 milligrams daily.

What do you think of the salt shaker campaign? How would a similar campaign fare in the U.S.?

The post Say goodbye to salt shakers appeared first on Live Well.

The comprehensive study is conducted every two years and assesses the demographics, lifestyle, attitudes, habits and product preferences of the running population nationwide, according to Running USA.

The results reflect “core runners,” or active adult participants who tend to enter running events and train year-round. The study surveyed more than 30,000 core runners across the country.

Based on the findings, the typical female U.S. runner is 39 years old, stands 5’5”, weighs 140 pounds, averages 20 miles a week and has been running for 9.6 years.

The typical male U.S. runner is 43 years old, stands 5’10”, weighs 174 pounds, averages 25 miles a week and has been running for 13.6 years.

Here are some more interesting findings included in the report:

-Average number of running events participated in during the last 12 months: women, 7; men, 8.

-Completed one or more marathons in their lifetime: women, 49 percent; men, 66 percent.

-Average number of running shoes purchased in the last 12 months: women, 3; men, 3.

-Average body mass index (BMI): women, 23.3; men, 24.7.

According to Running USA,  the core runners “typically run alone, early in the morning, on a paved path or road and likely run with music, GPS, sunglasses, hat/visor, watch, cell phone, keys, and a personal ID.”

“They consume Gatorade, Clif Bars and energy gel products. But you might be surprised to learn that these runners who are committed to a healthy and fit lifestyle state that they frequently go to McDonald’s and their favorite restaurants include In-N-Out Burger, The Cheesecake Factory and Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream,” according to Running USA.

Core runners are motivated to run in order to stay in shape (77.3%), stay healthy (76.1%), relieve stress (61.9%) and have fun (61.7%).

The post America’s core runners appeared first on Live Well.

A proposal introduced Monday by the New York City Council would raise the age limit for buying cigarettes. The proposed law would raise the minimum age for tobacco purchases from 18 to 21 years old, according to the Associated Press.

Under federal law, no one under 18 can buy tobacco anywhere in the country, but some states and localities have raised it to 19. Public health advocates say a higher minimum age discourages, or at least delays, young people from starting smoking and thereby limits their health risks, according to the AP.

Last month, Bloomberg proposed legislation that would require stores to put cigarettes out of public sight and increase penalties on the smuggling and illegal sales of cigarettes.

Since taking office in 2002, Bloomberg’s administration has helped impose the highest cigarette taxes in the country, barred smoking at parks and on beaches and conducted sometimes graphic advertising campaigns about the hazards of smoking, according to the AP.

The age minimum proposal, however, arose from the city council, not Bloomberg.

The post Proposal to raise cigarette age limit in NYC appeared first on Live Well.

Judge Edward R. Korman accused the Obama administration of putting politics ahead of science, according to a New York Times story.

The judge said the administration didn’t make decisions based on scientific guidelines, and that its refusal to lift restrictions on access to the pill was “arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable,” according to the article.

The judge also called a 2011 decision by Kathleen Sebelius, Health and Human Services secretary, “politically motivated and scientifically unjustified.” Sebelius publicly overruled the Food and Drug Administration, refusing to allow emergency contraceptives to be sold over the counter.

At the time, Sebelius said she was basing her decision on science because she said the manufacturer failed to study whether the drug was safe for girls as young as 11.

Scientists, including those at the Food and Drug Administration, have recommended unrestricted access for years, as have the American Medical Association, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, according to the Times article.

They contend that the restrictions effectively keep many adolescents and younger teenagers from being able to use a safe drug in a timely way to prevent pregnancy, which carries greater safety risks than the morning-after pill, according to the article.

The pill, Plan B One-Step, helps prevent pregnancy when taken soon after sexual intercourse.

Plan B was approved in 1999 as a prescription-only product.

President George W. Bush’s administration in 2006 allowed over-the-counter sales to women 18 and older but required a prescription for those 17 and younger.

In 2009, Judge Korman directed that the pill be made available over the counter for those 17 and older.

The post Morning-after pill age limits struck down appeared first on Live Well.