Resources & Information

Medical News Today
January 16, 2026
Food deserts are regions where people have limited access to healthy food. This can be due to obstacles such as a lack of grocery stores, transportation, or affordability. Without access to healthy food, people living in food deserts may be at higher risk of diet-related conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) now refers to these areas as “low-access” areas. Continue reading to learn more about food deserts and their impact on health.

NC Health News (Co-published with The Charlotte Ledger)
January 16, 2026
Measles, once considered eliminated in the U.S., is back in a big way. Driven by declining vaccine rates and growing vaccine hesitancy, the United States experienced its largest number of measles cases in decades in 2025, with 2,242 cases reported across the country and outbreaks in Texas, New Mexico, Utah and South Carolina. In North Carolina, seven cases have been confirmed since early December. Most are linked to a fast-spreading outbreak in Spartanburg, S.C., near the state border, where more than 430 cases have been reported.

Medical News Today
December 29, 2025
For young adults, cutting back on social media for a week resulted in a significant reduction in anxiety, depression, and insomnia in a new study published in JAMA Network Open. Participants in the study reported 16% fewer anxiety symptoms, 24.8% fewer symptoms of depression, and 14.5% less insomnia. The study involved 373 individuals ages 18 to 24, each of whom was paid $150 to participate. Of the cohort, 277 were female, 73 were male, 12 were non-binary, 9 were transgender, and 2 were listed as ‘Other’.

STATNews
December 22, 2025
The infant botulism outbreak that sickened dozens of babies who drank ByHeart formula is a reminder of how vulnerable we all are to the companies that sell us food — and how important it is to have a robust food safety system that responds quickly to problems and prevents illness in the first place.

But federal cuts this year will leave more people exposed to potential foodborne illness in the future, food safety experts predict. The changes they say will degrade U.S. food safety include the reduced number of pathogens now monitored by a key surveillance program, brain drain of the foodborne illness staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration amid low morale and overwork, and cuts to the administrative staff who support FDA inspectors, which agency officials say has already led to a historic low in inspections of foreign facilities that import food to the U.S.

Medical News Today
December 12, 2025
If you struggle getting a good night’s sleep, you’re not alone. Researchers estimate that about 16% of the world’s population lives with insomnia, while a recent survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation found that six out of every 10 adult Americans report they don’t get enough sleep.

Medical News Today
November 27, 2025

Nearly 3 billion people worldwide are living with overweight or obesity. Weight gain usually happens slowly, over many years, and we still have limited evidence on how everyday behaviors can help prevent the build-up of fat in different body compartments over the long term. Fat that builds up deep in the abdomen around internal organs, known as visceral fat, is especially harmful. It raises the risk of cardiometabolic diseases and premature death. Finding effective ways to prevent this type of fat gain is therefore very important.