Like many other countries, Japan is experiencing an increasingly elderly population and a shortage of care workers. Of course machines have been used for decades in the care of the elderly. Everyone is familiar with hoists, electric beds, wheel chairs and so on, but with computer technology the potential range of activities increases massively.

An estimated one million illnesses can be attributed to Salmonella every year. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) recently announced its Salmonella Action Plan to help reduce the number of illnesses associated with FSIS-regulated products using new standards, strategies and innovation.

Hand pain has many causes, including injury and disease. Fortunately, many of those causes can be treated and the symptoms eased. Here are some of the most common conditions that cause hand pain:

Think fast food is especially unhealthy? When it comes to sodium, dine-in restaurant fare is even worse. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would like both types of eateries to reduce sodium in their menu items – and it has suggestions for how to do that.

Sitting for long periods increases heart failure risk in men, even for those who exercise regularly, according to new research published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Heart Failure.

The American Heart Association and the NFL have launched the NFL PLAY 60 app, which encourages kids to get active and healthy through an endless runner game. Funded by a grant from the NFL Foundation, the app encourages players to get their 60 minutes of daily recommended physical activity through an interactive running experience.

With the rising costs associated with healthcare, an aging workforce more likely to require treatment for chronic illness, and the simple fact that people in good physical condition tend to be injured less severely than those who are out of shape,  organizations are increasingly able to argue that what you do on your own time is indeed their business.

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of premature death in the United States and is responsible for approximately 443,000 deaths each year. Of those deaths, 49,400 are a result of secondhand smoke exposure. Here are some more facts and figures about tobacco use and reasons why continued efforts to prevent it are needed: