The Checkup: Soda Companies Target More Ads at Kids
• As if Halloween candy isn’t enough sugar for kids to deal with, there’s this—news of a report which found that kids’ and teens’ exposure to soda ads doubled between 2008 and 2010. What’s more, hispanic and black kids were disproportionately targeted by the advertising than other groups. Read more at NPR.
• Did you know we’re in a prescription drug shortage? President Barack Obama suspects foul play (i.e. stockpiling to drive up prices) on the part of pharmaceutical companies, so yesterday he signed an executive order to help reduce shortages and protect consumers from the whims of Big Pharma. In a statement about the order, the White House said: “At the extreme, a drug used to treat high blood pressure that was normally priced at $25.90 was being sold at $1,200 due to a drug shortage.” Egads. Get more at CNN.com.
• You probably won’t be surprised by this, but new research found that happy people live longer—35 percent longer, to be exact. Something to smile about, perhaps?
