Health & Science

Researchers at Emory University say who your child picks as a friend may be a big factor in your child’s level of physical activity.

In a review article that appears in the May 16, 2013, edition of the American Journal of Public Health, Emory researchers looked at hundreds of prior studies about children’s activity levels.

For the first time, there’s a comprehensive, nation-wide report on what hospitals charge for services.

The federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services just released a massive compilation of cost data for more than 3,000 facilities.

And variations between facilities can be eye-opening. 

Take pneumonia. 

Only one in five Americans is getting enough exercise according to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC says 20.7% of Georgians are clearing the physical fitness bar which is just a bit above the national average.

Georgia usually comes in toward the bottom of health-related statistics. So in relative terms, you could consider this a small victory for Georgia.

The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says suicide among middle-aged Americans has risen at an alarming rate in the last decade.

39 states, including Georgia, have what the CDC calls a statistically significant rise in middle-aged suicides between 1999 and 2010. The rate among Georgians, ages 35-64, rose almost 25%.

Injury Center Researcher Thomas Simon says CDC tracks the numbers, but not background data, so it is impossible to pinpoint causes.