S. Weasel

For each approach, analysts from CHIP present an exemplary program, its results and its cost-per-impact. In essence, the guide answers the question: whats the best bang for the buck? So, how much does it cost to get children exercising more often, drinking less soda and eating healthier? Based on one model cited in the guide, the answer is sometimes as low as $10. Using data from a comprehensive school health program, it can cost approximately $10 to $25 for each student to exercise regularly, consume less soda and eat more fruits and vegetables,"said Danielle Wolfe , a social impact fellow at the Center. When added to a statistically significant decline in childhood obesity observed in a region that implemented the health model in its school districts, these results point to the promise of such programs. Also highlighted in the guide is Philadelphias progress in reducing childhood obesity rates among higher-risk populations. In addition, Philadelphia has reported a statistically significant decline in obesity rates among students from lower-income families. Unlike other cities, Philadelphias comprehensive approach to preventing childhood obesity during the last decade has combined increased access to healthy food, nutrition education and exercise. Donor Strategies adds that many municipalities and organizations are eager to adapt lessons learned about childhood obesity prevention and treatment in Philadelphia.

Money for mental-health services in wake of Sandy Hook shooting is drying up

Others are surprised to learn there are subsidies available to defray premium costs or that navigators and certified counselors can help them enroll. Still others are unaware that the marketplace closes shop for the year on March 31. "There is this information out there that health insurance is too expensive, you won't be able to afford it and it's not a good plan," Kraus said. "In reality, most people are getting financial assistance and every plan has to cover 10 essential health benefits. They are getting good-quality plans." The same goes for England's group, where most people are getting subsidies and getting premium payments ranging from 12 cents to $100 a month.

By The Associated Press / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Monday, March 17, 2014, 1:04 AM Comment James Keivom/New York Daily News Mourners are seen at a makeshift memorial for victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Conn., in December 2012. Officials in Newtown are applying for a federal grant because they're running short on funds for mental-health services for children and families affected by the tragedy. Charities paying for mental health care for children and families affected by the Sandy Hook school shooting are running short on money, and officials dont know how much theyll need and for how long to address the psychological scars from the mass shooting. Newtown, Conn., officials are applying for a federal grant, and charities are pooling their resources in an attempt to ensure that free long-term mental health care remains available following the December 2012 shooting that left 20 first-graders and six educators dead. RELATED: NEWTOWN BIKE RIDE JOINS HARLEM RALLY We hear in the media, Well, Sandy Hook was 14 months ago, isnt everything fine? said Candice Bohr, executive director of the Newtown Youth and Family Services. Well, no, its not, and we get calls every day from the school wanting to address an issue. James Keivom/New York Daily News People comfort one another after the 2012 shooting. Charities in Newtown say the demand is still high for mental-health services in the community.

When tribes build casinos, obesity falls in youth

"Healthier habits are beginning to become the new norm." Also on Tuesday, Obama announced new rules to ban the marketing of unhealthy foods in schools during the school day. "Our classrooms should be healthier places where kids aren't bombarded with ads for junk food," Obama said in a statement. Some obesity researchers say the new report offers little reason to celebrate. According to the CDC report, older children made no progress, with nearly 18% of kids ages 6 to 11 remaining obese, as well as 20.5% of kids ages 12 to 19. In women over age 60, obesity rates climbed from 31% to 35.4% in the same period, the study shows. Obesity "remains at historic highs," says David Ludwig of Boston Children's Hospital, who has warned that today's kids could be the first generation in history to live shorter, less healthy lives than their parents. He described the declining obesity rates among youngsters only as an "encouraging preliminary finding." Thomas Robinson, a professor of pediatrics at Stanford University, notes that obesity rates among kids ages 2 to 5 have gone up and down significantly over the past decade.

Such a change was associated with a drop in the proportion of local youth who were overweight or obese by 2.5 percent, Jones-Smith said. The researchers counted students as overweight if their weight was in the 85th percentile or above on the pediatric growth chart. "We weren't trying to weigh in on whether casinos should be held up as an example of economic development," Jones-Smith said. "Instead, we were trying to isolate the impact of economic resources on kids' health." Although why obesity rates fell in communities that added or expanded casinos remains unknown, Jones-Smith has some ideas. Her study suggested an addition of 13 slot machines per capita in a community was linked to an increase in annual income of $7,000 for each resident. The increased income might allow families to purchase healthier, less fattening food, she said. Federal law mandates that casinos return profits to their communities or make charitable donations, Jones-Smith said.

The S&P 500 edged up four-hundredths of a point to close at 1,845.16, three points short of its record high close of 1,848.38 set Jan. 15. The index climbed as high as 1,852.65. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 18.75, or 0.1 percent, to 16,198.41. The Nasdaq composite rose 4.48 points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,292.06. Home builder stocks rose sharply after the government reported that U.S.