CBS HEALTHWATCH (WZMQ) – Why “Healthy” food may not be so healthy after all, and a warning about the number of medications older people take.
Older Americans are taking more prescription medications than they used to. A University of Southern California study found nearly 36 percent of Americans age 62 to 85 are taking 5 or more prescription medications- that’s up from 31 percent 10 years ago. Researchers also say 1 in 5 older adults is at risk of a major drug interaction.
Adults who experienced multiple traumas during childhood have a higher risk of poor health. That’s according to a new study from u-t health Houston that found that children who experienced emotional abuse, sexual abuse, discrimination, or were witnesses to domestic violence had much higher rates of depression, suicidal thoughts, violence, and hard drug use as adults. Researchers found the more traumas a person experiences, the greater the health risk.
The word “Healthy” on food packaging may be misleading. A Cornell University study found that foods marketed as healthy are not only not consistently healthier; sometimes they’re even less nutritious than other foods. The study’s authors say that’s because often, foods called “Healthy” substitute one unhealthy ingredient, like fat, for higher amounts of other unhealthy ingredients, like salt or sugar.
Those are some of the day’s top health stories.
