Health

In her new book, neuroscientist Sandra Aamodt tackles why traditional diets don't work for many people, and often leave the dieter worse off than before.

A Neuroscientist Tackles 'Why Diets Make Us Fat'

4:42pm June 07, 2016

by Jean Fain

Why don't traditional diets work for many people? Blame your brain, suggests Sandra Aamodt. Her new book delves into the science of why eating and weight have become such a sizable problem.

Doctors Must Overcome New Red Tape In Struggle To Treat Veterans

4:41pm June 07, 2016

by Patricia Murphy

The Veterans Choice program hasn't cut wait times for vets seeking medical care because the program has added one more layer of bureaucracy. That complicates life for doctors trying to provide care to vets and for vets looking to see a doctor. This story is part of a collaboration among NPR and member stations looking at Veterans Choice.

Amina Ali Nkeki, 19, is one of the Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014. She was found last month wandering in the Sambisa Forest, a Boko Haram stronghold, with her 4-month-old baby.

Health & Safety

The Long Road Back From Boko Haram

1:34pm June 07, 2016

by Diane Cole

How will 19-year-old Amina Ali Nkeki remake her life? The experiences of former captives suggest what might help — and what will not.

Did revised federal standards make transplant centers more averse to risk and encourage them to drop sicker patients who might affect the hospitals' patient survival rates?

Federal Standard May Be Thwarting Some Liver Transplant Patients

11:38am June 07, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

Researchers report that performance standards set by federal health officials may have led to many patients being dropped from transplant lists without an improvement in survival rates.

A common house mosquito (Culex pipiens) is about to sink her six-weaponed proboscis into a human arm. This type transmits West Nile virus by biting infected birds, then biting humans.

WATCH: Mosquitoes Use 6 Needles To Suck Your Blood

11:00am June 07, 2016

by Gabriela Quirós

Beyond pesky, mosquitoes kill hundreds of thousands of people worldwide each year. And the bites aren't random. A mouth packed with sensors, drills, spears and straws guides the bug to blood.

An Afghani child was one of Gilkey's "little buddies."

David Gilkey: What A Funny — And Deeply Caring — Photographer

7:35pm June 06, 2016

by NPR Staff

The NPR staffers who worked with Gilkey pick a favorite photo and share some memories.

Psychologist Diane Adams devotes a portion of her private practice in Renton, Wash., to veterans. But she said the bureaucracy involved in the Veterans Choice program has proved frustrating and veterans have had a hard time getting approval to see her.

For Doctors And Patients, 'Veterans Choice' Often Means Long Waits

7:11pm June 06, 2016

The $10 billion Veterans Choice has not cut backlogs, critics say. This problem can be particularly urgent when it comes to mental health cases.

Queue Listen Now

Medical worker Abaare Hussein extracts a Guinea worm from a child's leg in Savelugu Village in northern Ghana in 2007.

The Last Days Of Guinea Worm

6:37pm June 06, 2016

by Jason Beaubien

The world has wiped out only one human disease: smallpox. Guinea worm disease looks like it's on the verge of being the second.

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Seth Barker of Maine Fresh Sea Farms checks a seaweed line. People have foraged wild seaweed off the Eastern Seaboard for centuries. But now a much more active effort to grow seaweed in the U.S. is afoot.

Seaweed On Your Dinner Plate: The Next Kale Could Be Kelp

3:47pm June 06, 2016

by Fred Bever

Why are chefs adopting sea greens in their cuisine? They're tasty and nutritious, and growing them is good for the planet. Maine's budding seaweed business is boosting an endangered coastal economy.

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This picture depicts the strong bond between the mother and child. A five (5) to six (6) months old baby holds strongly on his mother's finger, even while his attention is elsewhere.

Nutrition In 'The First 1,000 Days' Of Life Can Shape A Child's Future

3:33pm June 06, 2016

by Allison Aubrey

In his new book, journalist Roger Thurow chronicles the obstacles that women around the globe face in raising healthy babies.