Pregnant women, kids and young adults are among those who should get swine flu vaccine first, advisers to U.S. health officials said this week. There was good news and bad news about obesity. Obesity raises health care costs, but, for those who are very overweight, surgery has become a safer option. The World Health Organization declared this week that tanning beds definitely can cause cancer. And a U.S. agency reported that Americans spend $34 billion a year on alternative medicine.
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Priorities Listed for Who Gets Swine Flu Vaccine
Pregnant woman are among those who should get H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine first, an expert panel ruled this week. The vaccine advice came from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, USA Today said. The U.S. government usually follows its advice. Pregnant women have had some of the most severe cases of swine flu so far. The committee said a few other groups also should get top priority for swine flu shots. They include children and young adults, parents and others who care for infants, emergency medical workers, and non-elderly adults with certain medical conditions. Swine flu vaccine supplies may be limited at first. Companies got a late start, and each person needs two doses. U.S. officials hope the vaccine will be ready by late October. Companies also are working on the regular annual flu vaccine. The two are not the same. They fight different types of flu.

Study: Obesity Raises Medical Costs
Obesity is costly for our wallets as well as our health, researchers said this week. The new study looked at U.S. medical spending. It averages $1,400 more per year for an obese person than for someone of normal weight. Obesity-related medical spending has reached $147 billion per year. That figure has doubled in less than 10 years. Several conditions occur more often among obese people. Two of the most common are heart disease and diabetes. Obese people also take more prescription drugs. The Associated Press wrote about the study. It appeared in the journal Health Affairs.

WHO: Tanning Beds Cause Cancer
Tanning beds can cause cancer, the World Health Organization (WHO) said this week. The conclusion by WHO experts appeared in the journal Lancet Oncology. Researchers analyzed 20 previous studies. They found that skin cancer risk jumps 75% for people who use tanning beds before age 30. WHO now has moved tanning beds into the category of "carcinogen." Before, they were classified as a "probable carcinogen." The Associated Press wrote about the statement.

Study: Weight-Loss Surgery Getting Safer
Weight-loss surgery done by experts is no more dangerous than other major surgery, a study published this week said. These procedures are known as bariatric surgery. The study looked at data on two types, gastric bands and gastric bypass. The bands are wrapped around the stomach to make it smaller. The bypass makes the stomach smaller and also bypasses part of the intestines. Researchers looked at two years of data from 10 hospitals that specialize in this type of surgery. For every 1,000 people, 3 died during surgery or within the next month. Another 43 had a major problem, such as a blood clot. A few years ago, death rates were about 20 per 1,000. The Associated Press wrote about the study. It appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Report: $34 Billion a Year for Alternative Medicine
Americans spend $34 billion a year on alternative medicine, a report released this week said. The report came from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. This U.S. agency leads research in the field. The director, Josephine Briggs, M.D., said some alternative treatments are "promising and sensible." Others are "potentially harmful," she told the Associated Press. Examples of alternative therapies discussed in the report include meditation, yoga, chiropractic and supplement pills. Vitamins and minerals will be covered in a later report. More research is needed because so many people use these treatments, Dr. Briggs said.

Used with the permission of the copyright owner. All rights reserved. The above summaries are not intended to provide advice on personal medical matters, nor are they intended to be a substitute for consultation with a physician.