health

Brian Wallach and Sandra Abrevaya at their home in suburban Chicago.

He was diagnosed with ALS. Then they changed the face of medical advocacy

12:08pm June 30, 2023

After Brian Wallach was diagnosed with ALS, he and his wife Sandra Abrevaya threw themselves into advocating for patients. Everyone up to President Biden took notice.

Queue Listen Now

Good health depends on more than daily exercise and a healthy diet. Access to safe housing, good schools and a decent job are important too.

Living Better: What it takes to get healthy in America

7:43pm May 30, 2023

by Allison Aubrey

Poor diet, lack of exercise, stress and trauma, all drive America's declining life expectancy and increasing rates of chronic disease. So how can we live better in America? NPR looks for answers.

Children share apples in Sydney, Australia.

Health & Safety

New childhood obesity guidance raises worries over the risk of eating disorders

9:21pm February 15, 2023

by Kaitlyn Radde

Many eating disorder specialists oppose the new guidance's focus on weight loss and BMI, and say it minimizes the risk of disordered eating and will perpetuate deep-rooted, damaging stigmas.

Transgender inmates who don't get proper gender-affirming care in prison can experience serious anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation. One individual said the experience was "catastrophic."

National

Trans inmates need access to gender-affirming care. Often they have to sue to get it

8:10am October 25, 2022

by Jaclyn Diaz

Lawyers and health experts, as well as incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, say getting gender-affirming care in prison often comes only after threats of lawsuits or a full legal fight.