The USDA’s decision to “relax” guidelines for healthier school lunches established under an initiative by Former First Lady Michelle Obama is getting sharp criticism from public health experts and policy makers.

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is an illness that causes sores in or on the mouth and on the hands, feet, and sometimes the buttocks and legs. The sores may be painful. The illness usually doesn't last more than a week or so. Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is common in children but can also occur in adults.

A recent study by Michigan State University shows that of almost 4,000 people observed in a field test only five percent washed their hands effectively and more than 10 percent didn’t wash them at all. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend people wash for 15 to 20 seconds with soap and water in order to kill infection-causing germs.

Despite widespread knowledge of the importance of handwashing, there is still room for improvement. A recent study showed that only 31% of men and 65% of women washed their hands after using a public restroom.

In the workplace, irritant contact dermatitis can develop after a short, heavy exposure or a repeated or prolonged, low exposure to a substance. The appearance of irritant contact dermatitis varies considerably according to the conditions of exposure. For example, an accidental contact with a strong irritant causes immediate blisters. Contact with a mild irritant may only produce redness of the skin. However, if the irritation continues, small lesions or sores appear on the reddened area; afterwards crusts and scales form. The skin damage usually heals a few weeks after exposure ends if no complications have arisen (e.g., no infections occurred).

Dermatitis is a localized inflammation of the skin. In general, inflammation refers to a condition in the body when it is trying to react to a localized injury of tissues. Signs of inflammation include some or all of the following: redness, heat, swelling, pain.

Since 2003, the Alliance for Biking and Walking has produced the Benchmarking Report that tracks data across the U.S. to promote data collection and availability, measure progress and evaluate results, and support efforts to increase bicycling and walking. This year, partners from across various sectors worked together to build a website out of the Bicycling and Walking in the United States: 2016 Benchmarking Report to bring a comprehensive exploration of the intersections between transportation, health, economics, equity, government funding and advocacy efforts online.

The legal battle over New York City’s rules requiring menu warning labels for foods with high levels of sodium has ended after the restaurant industry failed to appeal to the state’s highest court.

Drinking at least one artificially sweetened beverage daily was associated with almost three times the risk of developing stroke or dementia compared to those who drank artificially-sweetened beverages less than once a week, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s journal Stroke.

Most restaurants in the U.S. have ingredient lists available for its patrons, but many of them do not take other steps that could reduce the risk of food allergic reactions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).