Content about Health & Wellness

CHICAGO — The winner of a contest sponsored by the Quaker Oats Co. will appear with an NFL rookie quarterback in an event sponsored by the company to promote healthy living.

Quaker, a subsidiary of PepsiCo, said 10-year-old Hunter Paulin would join the Indianapolis Colts' Andrew Luck at the Kids Day at NFL Experience Driven by GMC, where Luck will introduce him to kids from the New Orleans area during a Quaker Oatmeal breakfast event before they run football drills. Luck and Paulin will encourage kids to eat healthy, stay active and serve as role models for healthy living.

WASHINGTON — A group of organizations has launched a nationwide competitive outreach project to enlist students studying to become healthcare professionals to find new ways to raise awareness about medication adherence as a public health issue.

SAN FRANCISCO — Three-in-four women today are motivated to be healthy, and most (82%) believe they will suffer negative consequences if they don't pursue that healthier lifestyle, according to a white paper released by Anthem Worldwide on Tuesday titled, “What Women Really Want From Health And Wellness.” 

WASHINGTON — As many as 7-in-10 U.S. adults track a health indicator for themselves or for a loved one, according to a Pew Research Center study released Monday. 

ATLANTA — If the flu were a storm cloud, the influenza virus is hovering over America's Bread Basket on its way to the Southwest, according to data provided through the U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday reported that 4.3% of patient visits reported through ILINet were due to influenza-like illness, above the national baseline of 2.2%. But as the map indicates, influenza rates are declining up and down the East Coast and is most virulent in Texas and states west.

ADA, Ohio — Students at an Ohio pharmacy school are taking part in a nationwide effort to boost medication adherence.

Ohio Northern University announced that the school's chapter of the American Pharmacists Association — Academy of Student Pharmacists — had scheduled several events as part of the Medication Adherence Challenge, sponsored by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.

NEW YORK — The number of people who have died from flu in Minnesota is 75, more than double what it was last year, according to the state health department and published reports.

According to data released by the department, the third week of January — Jan. 13-19 — saw 15 people die from flu-related illness, bringing the total for the season to 75. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that 33 people died from flu last season, while 67 died during the 2009-2010 season, coinciding with the H1N1 pandemic.

WALTHAM, Mass. — One-of-every-4 deaths among Americans between the ages of 35 years and 69 years can be attributed to smoking, according to a study published Thursday in The New England Journal of Medicine. But smoking cessation efforts can help curb that trend, researchers noted. 

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A new study indicated that some parents may not be sufficiently concerned about misuse of narcotic painkillers by children and teenagers.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Sam's Club has hired cookbook author Katie Workman to recommend simple and healthy foods to influence people to eat better, the club retailer said Monday.

Workman is the author of "The Mom 100 Cookbook," and the retailer has hired her to join its Sam's Club Simply Delicious Chef Brigade and give people healthy recipes and encourage them to add fish and vegetables to their diets.

RESTON, Va. — STS Health on Thursday announced the launch of its homeopathic cold and flu symptom reliever FluNada. 

"After years of intensive research and testing, this natural spray product has been developed to offer a new era of relief from common cold and flu-like symptoms," stated Steven Schwartz, who invented the product. "Each of the active ingredients integrated into the spray was chosen based on the specific health characteristics it provides. In addition, it was important to develop a product that was 100% free of zinc."

CULVER CITY, Calif. — An advocacy group focused on a rare lung disorder is working with government authorities to educate patients about the need to get flu shots.

The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis said it would partner with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to inform patients about the need for immunizations. PF is a disorder with no known cause or cure that causes scarring and deterioration of the lungs, affecting about 128,000 Americans.