Obesity Watch: American Children Still Pigging out, Grossly Overweight

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Despite efforts by local, state and federal governments to curb fat intake by children, American kids are still pigging out, leaving the trend of rising obesity among the young unabated, says a report published this month in the journal Pediatrics . . .

“The main take-home message for me is that, clearly, obesity remains a problem,” says Asheley Skinner, an associate professor of population health services at Duke University and leader of the analysis. “It’s not improving.”

Childhood-obesity rates have been rising for decades, sparking widespread alarm among public health researchers and officials. Obese children tend to become obese adults, who are prone to many health problems, including cancer, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes . . .

The latest data shows the percentage of children ages 2 to 19 who are obese increased from 14 percent in 1999 to 18.5 percent in 2015 and 2016 . . .

“It is a big jump,” Skinner says. “That’s the highest level of obesity that we’ve seen in 2- to 5-year-olds since 1999. Obesity in the youngest group is a concern because when obesity starts younger, most of these children continue to have obesity throughout childhood and into adulthood. The earlier you start seeing this, the harder it is to address it for these kids.” (Read more from “Obesity Watch: American Children Still Pigging out, Grossly Overweight” HERE)

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Media Go Wild Over ‘Junk’ Antidepressant Story

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American and British media have been rhapsodizing over the “largest ever” research project on antidepressants, published last month in the Lancet. They quote the study’s prestigious Oxford authors claiming their research proves millions more people should be taking antidepressants and that holding back is like denying needed treatment to patients with hypertension or cancer. The lead researcher says he’s “very excited” about the study’s results and boldly declares the “final answer” has been found regarding antidepressants’ effectiveness.

Yet, when one considers that 10 percent of Britons are already taking antidepressants (one in six in some areas), and 13 percent of Americans, including – shockingly – one in four middle-aged women (age 40-59), a nagging doubt arises about this headlong rush into ever-greater medicating of the population.

Add to this the raging debate, not just over antidepressants and suicidality, but also the question of homicidality – a controversy dramatized by the alarming increase in mass shootings in recent years and the disturbing correlation between the mostly young male perpetrators and the psychiatric medications, particularly antidepressants, they have been taking – and one suspects there is a lot more to this story.

To all appearances, the Oxford University study is indeed impressive – a broad meta-analysis of 522 randomized controlled trials spanning almost four decades and involving 21 different antidepressants. Its 18 authors represent not only Oxford’s psychiatric community, but also one or two experts each from France, Germany, Switzerland and the U.S. – plus seven from Japan . . .

In the researchers’ own words, their study confirms: “All antidepressants were more efficacious than placebo in adults with major depressive disorder.” (Read more from “Media Go Wild Over ‘Junk’ Antidepressant Story” HERE)

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Wheelchair-Bound Girl in Middle of Interview When Brother Suddenly Makes Tearful Confession

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We don’t always know what we mean to those in our lives until they’re asked to share their feelings. If you’re one who gets choked up by watching sentimental videos, this one will push all your emotional buttons. There’s nothing wrong with that at all. In fact, it’s important to let those around you know how you feel about them. This story involving Trenton and his little sister, Lindsay is one of the most heartwarming I’ve ever seen. After watching it, I have no doubt you’ll agree.

Lindsay is wheelchair bound; she was born with a rare disorder called Spinal Muscular Atrophy. She doesn’t allow her disability to slow her down or get in her way of living a healthy life. It doesn’t hold her back one bit. And it’s because of the support she receives on a daily basis from her big brother, Trenton that keeps her on an equal footing with her environment.

She received an Unsung Hero award for all the great work she’s done. Lindsay doesn’t take all the credit for her accomplishments. She fully acknowledges the part her brother plays in allowing her to live her life.

Here’s where this tale gets tough to watch. For those with a stiff upper lip, be warned, you’ll have difficulty maintaining your composure. As Trenton was asked to explain what his sister means to him, the little man had a hard time gathering his thoughts.

(Read more from “Wheelchair-Bound Girl in Middle of Interview When Brother Suddenly Makes Tearful Confession” HERE)

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The Most Pro-Life Law in the U.S. Was Just Passed

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An state bill restricting legal access to abortion is earning Mississippi lawmakers praise from pro-life activists and scorn from those who believe its language is too extreme.

As The Daily Wire reported, members of the state House voted by a margin of 75 to 34 in favor of the Gestational Age Act, which prohibits abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy, except “in a medical emergency or in the case of a severe abnormality.”

The legislation, which Republican Gov. Phil Bryant pledged to sign into law, has been described by supporters as the most pro-life bill in the nation.

Mississippi, which currently has just one operating abortion clinic, is set to enforce the earliest abortion ban of any U.S. state, though the threshold varies widely across Western society with several European countries enforcing even stricter regulations.

In defending the bill against criticism from one Twitter user, Bryant reiterated what he described as a dedication to making his state “the safest place in America for an unborn child.”

As Politico reported, prior efforts to impose even earlier bans by lawmakers in Arkansas and North Dakota were struck down by federal courts.

The Republican state senator who introduced the bill, however, said he is “not afraid of” threatened legal challenges by the operators of Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the state’s lone abortion provider.

“I think we found the right balance with this 15-week ban,” said Sen. Joey Fillingane.

Others in the state, including Mississippi Center for Public Policy President Jameson Taylor, similarly saw the proposal as “another step in protecting maternal health and advancing the state’s interest in protecting pre-born life.”

In a statement celebrating what it saw as a legislative win, Pro-Life Mississippi affirmed its belief that the unborn “deserve the right to live, which is supported by this bill.”

Praising the language in the legislation, the organization described it as the latest effort to pass bills that “are grounded in science and protect human life.”

Citing prior court decisions, other state leaders predict the law will ultimately be struck down — or at least face a vigorous challenge.

“We know that bans below 20 weeks have been struck down,” said state Attorney General Jim Hood.

The Democrat official said he expects “an immediate and expensive legal challenge.”

Activists including Jackson Women’s Health Organization’s Diane Derzis said now is the time for opponents of the bill to make their voices heard.

“These groups are tossing anything and everything out there, anything that could start winding its way through the legal system because we’re in a very fragile place right now,” she said. (For more from the author of “The Most Pro-Life Law in the U.S. Was Just Passed” please click HERE)

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Gunman Takes Hostages at California Veterans Home

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A man exchanged gunfire with law enforcement officers before taking three people hostage inside the Veterans Home of California in Yountville, authorities said Friday afternoon.

The hostages are employees of The Pathway Home, a counseling service for veterans who suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and not residents of the facility north of San Francisco, Napa County Sheriff John Robertson said at a news conference.

Negotiating teams are trying to contact the gunman, who is believed to be armed with a rifle, he said . . .

The man held other people hostage but released them, Robertson said. He said authorities know the gunman’s [identity] but are not releasing it yet. He didn’t give a motive for the gunman’s actions. (Read more from “Gunman Takes Hostages at California Veterans Home” HERE)

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Loyal Dog Won’t Leave Hospital Where Owner Died 5 Months Ago

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His owner died five months ago after being fatally stabbed, but a loyal dog who chased the ambulance that was transporting his owner still won’t leave the hospital.

The dog, which apparently has no name, has made a home outside the Santa Case de Novo Horizonte hospital in Brazil, and he refuses to leave, according to posts on Facebook by a woman named Cristine Sardella.

He arrived at the hospital in October after his 59-year-old homeless owner was stabbed in a street fight, Brazil’s O Globo newspaper reported . . .

Hospital staff provided food and water for the dog. A local kennel agreed to take him in.

But even though a new owner tried to adopt the dog, he escaped from the kennel and returned to his spot in front of the hospital. (Read more from “Loyal Dog Won’t Leave Hospital Where Owner Died 5 Months Ago” HERE)

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Sexism Law: Man Who Insulted Female Officer First to Be Convicted

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A man who insulted a female police officer because of her gender has become the first person to be convicted of sexism in a public space in Belgium.

The man, who has not been named, was stopped in June 2016 for violating the highway code and told the officer that her job did not suit women.

A court in Brussels fined him €3,000 (£2,690; $3,725). He can still appeal.

The law was introduced in 2014 after an outcry over a documentary showing the abuse women faced on the streets.

It condemns any act or statement meant to “express contempt”, that considers a person inferior due to their gender or reduces someone to a sexual dimension. (Read more from “Sexism Law: Man Who Insulted Female Officer First to Be Convicted” HERE)

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2nd Ambulance in 2 Weeks Spotted at ‘Safe, Legal, and Rare’ Abortion Provider Planned Parenthood

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One Planned Parenthood facility in Missouri is facing backlash from some pro-life activists not only for the sheer number of ambulances reportedly called to the clinic but the way those ambulances are allegedly asked to operate upon arrival.

According to a recent Life News report, witnesses involved in protests outside of the St. Louis facility reported an ambulance arriving to pick up a patient without its siren or lights activated, which critics argue is an apparent violation of a law meant to combat actions that might delay proper medical treatment.

Activist Kathy Forck relayed second-hand information from a witness on the scene during the incident this week, asserting that “the ambulance lights were on coming down Forest Park, turned off when entering” the Planned Parenthood property.

“When the ambulance left, the lights were initially on and the ambulance proceeded down Forest Park with the lights off,” said Forck, the 40 Days for Life campaign director for Columbia, Missouri.

A similar incident was reported just 11 days earlier, after which witnesses also indicated the ambulance’s lights and siren were not used.

Operation Rescue also covered the recent complaints, but presented the story as one of the dozens involving that particular Planned Parenthood clinic in recent years.

The Feb. 24 emergency response was “so significant” because it represented the “sixty-eighth time an ambulance has transported a patient from this abortion facility since mid-2009,” the organization wrote.

That track record, according to writer Cheryl Sullenger, is enough to place the St. Louis facility “among the worst in the nation for abortion patient safety.”

Operation Rescue President Troy Newman said the evidence indicates a need for additional regulation of the abortion industry and its primary provider nationwide.

“There needs to be an investigation into whether Planned Parenthood is in compliance with the law,” he said. “If they are delaying emergency medical care to patients, they should be held accountable in court like anyone else who commits crimes.”

The controversy comes as abortion providers in St. Louis are in the news for another reason.

City leaders continue to debate the merits of a proposed buffer zone surrounding the Planned Parenthood clinic, which supporters say will provide additional patient and doctor protection against protesters.

If successful, the measure would require individuals to remain eight feet or more from the sides of a health care facility-adjacent sidewalk. A vote on the proposal was delayed earlier this month.

With a razor-thin margin expected, its sponsor said pushing for a vote would not be in the best interest of its passage.

“I think it gives both sides opportunity to get people who may be on the fence, but I’m still feeling confident that regardless of both of our efforts, I will have the votes to get this thing out of here,” said Christine Ingrassia, a Democrat representing the city’s 6th Ward.

Among those opposed to the proposal are Missouri state Rep. Holly Rehder, the Republican behind a bill that would mandate “no city, town or village shall pass or enforce any law, ordinance or resolution that restricts a person from exercising a right enumerated in Amendment 1 of the Constitution of the United States while such a person is on a public sidewalk, street, avenue, alley, or other public place unless state law authorizes such a restriction.” (For more from the author of “2nd Ambulance in 2 Weeks Spotted at ‘Safe, Legal, and Rare’ Abortion Provider Planned Parenthood” please click HERE)

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Exposed: Twitter Promotes Culture of Death, Targets Pro-Life Posts

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Conservative writer Devin Sena tweeted a picture Saturday of a healthy unborn baby with the caption: “This is a human.” He added the hashtag “TriggerALiberalIn4Words.”

Twitter chose to suppress the factually accurate tweet as “sensitive material” and warned certain users before they saw it

“Upon review, we have determined that the media is potentially sensitive and have labeled it accordingly. There will now be a click-through warning message over the media for users whose accounts are set so they are informed before viewing media that may be sensitive,” Twitter said in an email to Sena that was reviewed by The Daily Caller News Foundation.

The email warned that all of Sena’s future tweets could be permanently suppressed in a similar manner if he didn’t self-censor in the future.

Twitter has consistently censored pro-lifers who use the platform to raise awareness on behalf of unborn babies.

The tech giant last month barred pro-life group Human Coalition from advertising three pro-life tweets.

Twitter removed the three Human Coalition ads just three hours after they went up, the group said. Human Coalition re-submitted the three ads to Twitter on Monday.

They have yet to be approved.

Other pro-life groups have battled similar suppression from Twitter, which did not return TheDCNF’s request for comment.

Pro-life group Live Action cried foul in 2017 after Twitter demanded it to delete pro-life images, such as fetal ultrasounds, from its Twitter feed and website before allowing the group to run advertisements. Live Action refused the request.

Another pro-life group, the Susan B. Anthony List, was barred in October from running a video advertisement because it used the phrase “killing babies” to refer to abortion.

“No advertiser is permitted to use the phrase ‘killing babies,’” Twitter told the group.

That same month, Twitter blocked an advertisement by Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn’s campaign for Senate in Tennessee.

Twitter objected to one line Blackburn said: “I’m 100% pro-life. I fought Planned Parenthood, and we stopped the sale of baby body parts –thank God.”

The tech giant demanded that Blackburn remove the reference to Planned Parenthood selling baby parts, but she refused and went on the offensive instead, demanding Twitter apologize for censoring her.

Twitter reversed course after the ensuing backlash and allowed Blackburn to run the ad.

Blackburn’s experience suggests conservatives might — with enough pressure — be able to shame Twitter into softening its censorship of pro-life messages.

A version of this article appeared on The Daily Caller News Foundation website.

Leftist Rabbi Names ‘Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming’ Bible Characters

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On Saturday, an openly gay Leftist rabbi twisted the Bible to support transgender identity, and in so doing he explicitly named eight Bible figures who he suggested were transgender or gender non-conforming.

Responding to a recent statement from the Kansas Republican Party rejecting transgenderism, Jay Michaelson disputed the idea that “God’s design for gender” involves accepting biological sex.

“[W]hat about those men and women who deviate from gender roles in the Bible?” Michaelson asked in a Daily Beast article. “The patriarch Jacob, for example, is clearly gendered female in comparison with his twin brother Esau. Esau is hairy, Jacob is smooth; Esau is a hunter, Jacob ‘stays in the tent’ (which is where women stay) and cooks; Esau is favored by his father, Jacob by his mom. And yet Jacob is the chosen one who becomes Israel, who fathers a nation” (emphasis added).

Yes, this rabbi suggested Jacob was “clearly gendered female.” Since Jacob was biologically a male, and even fathered children, this would necessarily make him transgender. Michaelson went on, “Of course, Jacob didn’t go on hormone therapy, but the way the Bible constructs his gender identity makes it very clear that, at least until his transformative nighttime wrestling match, he is gender non-conforming.”

The rabbi didn’t stop with Jacob, however. “Likewise, Deborah the Judge, who performed a male societal role. Likewise, the beautiful young David in his ‘armor-carrier’ relationships with Saul and Jonathan. (1 Sam. 16;12, 1 Sam. 18:1-3) Likewise the Apostle Paul, who rebelled against the most fundamental gender role of his time, fathering children, by becoming celibate,” Michaelson wrote. (Read more from “Leftist Rabbi Names ‘Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming’ Bible Characters” HERE)

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