Labeling the Danger in Soda

Northern Maine is home to some of America's poorest - but it ranks high on national measures of health. Hospital programs visit more patients in their homes where they can be more comfortable and receive everything they need, which in turn reduces medical costs.

The Affordable Care Act’s provisions to increase health care while decreasing costs have caused physicians some economic uncertainties. Two physicians have transformed their practices into business models that offer more services than what the insurance companies cover. The physicians report that patients spend less money on medication and hospital visits, while providing more holistic care.

Losing weight is a struggle for many people and research has shown that one diet does not fit all, some people lose weight on a diet while others gain. For obese individuals, the way to lose weight may be highly personalized and involve a specific diet type, counting calories, or one of many different medications.

An obesity crisis has spread across Britain. A trend in some schools called "the daily mile" has children put their pens down and run or walk a mile every school day.

In the United Kingdom, an initiative known as parkrun, is working to bring people together for a weekly free 5K run in order to inspire physical fitness as well as community interaction. Although the US is not seeing as much success with its iteration of the initiative, there are several key lessons – such as corporate sponsorship and government involvement – that the advocates of the initiative can learn from.

The First 1000 Days program in Amsterdam aims to cut childhood obesity down to 0% by 2033. Facets of this program include extensive visits to mothers by nurses, organization of healthy community activities, and specifically targeting at-risk mothers and babies and offering them extensive support. This extensive support can include personalized nutritional programs and physiotherapy for the mother and education about good nutrition and sleep patterns for their baby.

Paul Sinton-Hewitt, founder of the charity Parkrun, never set out to create a revolution. All he wanted was a low-pressure space to run. Now, his organization supports over 1,600 community running events around the globe, with an expected one million participants by 2023. This is part of a trend of “people’s innovation,” or the idea that innovation can come from users rather than just executives. Parkrun exemplifies the inclusive spirit of people’s innovation and the positive impacts it can spread all around the world.

RVA League For Safer Streets uses a basketball league as "bait" to change young men's lives by teaching critical thinking and better ways to resolve conflicts. The Richmond, Virginia, program was co-founded in prison by a former drug dealer convicted of murder who learned the methods of cognitive behavioral therapy behind bars. Paroled after 23 years, he began counseling youth with an approach that police say contributed to a significant drop in Richmond's gang violence and other crime.

Diabetics require fresh food and produce to maintain their health, but doing so has become difficult during the pandemic, especially for people who are immunocomprised and therefore unable to frequently venture out to food banks. One food bank found a solution which involves bringing out food packages to cars so diabetics do not have to expose themselves to potential germs. This vulnerable population relies on their bi-weekly haul of fresh produce to stay healthy.

The United States has rising childhood obesity and schools deal with kids who are picky. Through innovative school gardens and kid taste testing food, entrepreneurs across the nation are getting children to eat vegetables at school and love it.