George Doyle/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Obesity is a disease, according to the American Medical Association.

The nation’s largest physician organization made the designation on Tuesday in an effort to get more doctors to recognize the health risks associated with obesity and so that insurance companies will be more inclined to help the one in three Americans who are severely overweight.

Insurers might make it easier for obese patients to obtain drugs and surgery if the condition is considered a disease despite the AMA having no legal authority.

The group made the decision even as its own Council on Science and Public Health determined that obesity shouldn’t be recognized as a disease because critics maintain that body mass index, the measure used to define obesity, can often be wrong.

For instance, people who aren't regarded as obese by body mass index can still have unhealthy levels of body fat and metabolic problems while those defined as obese might be free of health issues.

Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Paul Warner/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Singer and breast cancer survivor Melissa Etheridge is standing by her comments that actress Angelia Jolie was "fearful" and not "brave" for undergoing a double mastectomy to avoid breast cancer.

"I don't have any opinion of what she 'should have' done.  All are free to choose.  I only objected to the term 'brave' describing it," Etheridge said in a statement to ABC News.

Last week, Etheridge told the Washington Blade that Jolie "made the most fearful choice you can make when confronting anything with cancer."

"My belief is that cancer comes from inside you and so much of it has to do with the environment of your body," Etheridge told the newspaper.

Etheridge, who was diagnosed with the same high risk BRCA gene mutation as Jolie, goes on in the interview to say that Jolie's choice is "... way down the line on the spectrum of what you can do" and that those faced with the same set of facts should "really consider the advancements we've made in things like nutrition and stress levels."

Andrea Geduld, the director of the Breast Health Resource Center at Mt. Sinai Hospital said she believed that Etheridge's comments were out of line.

"Is she saying it's better to confront cancer?  We don't have clear prevention strategies for this type of cancer, we only have risk reducing strategies including mastectomy, oophorectomy and high risk surveillance," Geduld said.

She said she finds Etheridge's criticism of Jolie puzzling, given that Jolie's choice to have a double mastectomy couldn't have been an easy one and didn't appear to be a stunt or political act.

"A lot of people make this same decision to reduce the fear and anxiety that comes with having the high risk of cancer hanging over their heads," Geduld said.  "We wouldn't criticize someone for wearing a seatbelt to reduce the risk of dying in an accident, so I'm not sure why we would criticize someone for having a mastectomy when we know it cuts their risk of getting cancer."

Women who test positive for a BRCA gene mutation and who have a strong family history of cancer have an 85 percent of getting breast cancer and a 40 percent of getting ovarian cancer at some point in their lives.  Having a mastectomy and ovaries removed reduces the chances of developing the disease to around 5 percent.

Experts also caution that some of Etheridge's statements aren't accurate.

"We do know that diet and nutrition play an important role in cancer prevention and survival but they appear to be more helpful for people with non-genetic cancers rather than people who are at high risk for genetic cancers," said Dr. Julie Silver, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School who specializes in cancer rehabilitation and is a breast cancer survivor herself.

Silver said there is literally no scientific evidence that diet, exercise or stress reduction would help a woman fitting Jolie's genetic profile avoid the disease.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Photodisc/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Something as old as mankind itself is helping to keep preterm babies alive — the lullaby.

Research finds that music has become an important new ally for babies who are born too soon and struggle to breathe and eat.

The neonatal intensive care unit in a hospital is filled with technology that helps keep the hospital's tiniest, most fragile patients alive. At New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell – and others across the country – the relentless beeping of monitors fades when the music takes over. The effect on preemies is dramatic and physical.

Studies conducted by Dr. Jeffery Perlman, chief of newborn medicine at New York-Presbyterian, Komansky Center for Children's Health, find that gentle music therapy not only slows down the heart rate of preemies but also helps them feed and sleep better. This helps them gain weight and speeds their recovery.

A study published in May in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, under the aegis of the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City, found that the type of music matters. Therapeutically designed "live" music -- and parent-preferred lullabies sung in person -- can influence cardiac and respiratory function. They also found that the melodies improved feeding behaviors and may increase prolonged periods of quiet-alert states among premature babies.

Another study published in February 2011 in the Arts in Psychotherapy by Jayne M. Standley of the National Institute for Infant and Child Medical Music Therapy at Florida State University suggests that babies who receive this kind of therapy leave the hospital sooner.

"When they hear something that is very soothing, they adapt to it," Perlman said.

For these tiny babies, music is medicine.

A pair of twins, Jessica and Joshua, were born three months premature. Their dad has been trained by a professional music therapist at the Komansky Center, and now sings to the babies in their NICU cribs in his native Turkish. And he says he has proof that it's working.

"I watched their heart rate," their father said. "You can really watch it go down, 165, 160, 155, 152. It's an amazing feeling."

Jessica Fernald's daughter Hazel was born eight weeks early. "You know babies like lullabies," Fernald said. "But you don't realize how important it is in their healing."

At Komansky, Rebecca Loveszy is the music therapist who sings to preemies such as Jadion, born with a heart defect.

The effects of the music therapy appear to last – lullabies echoing inside the intensive care unit often become the children's favorite songs and soothe them even after they leave the hospital.

Rachel Fitzsimons' son William – now a year old – spent 12 weeks in intensive care, and has taken a liking to the tune he listened to during his time there.

"I would sing 'Rock-a-Bye-Baby,'" said Fitzsimons. "It's the one he still responds to the most."

In an intensive care unit bristling with technology, this new field reminds us that medicine doesn't always come from a new drug or surgery – sometimes it's as simple as parents connecting to their children with an age-old source of comfort: a gentle tune.

Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Ingram Publishing/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- The tiny airline that drew international attention for its pay-what-you-weigh policy is making accommodations for passengers of a larger size, introducing XL Class.

Samoa Air chief executive Chris Langton told Australia News Network’s Pacific Beat radio program the company has modified one of the rows in the aircraft and added a ramp for easier access for passengers who weigh more than 130 kilograms, or about 285 pounds.

“Once you’re up around that sort of [weight] … a traditional seat on any airline is going to be uncomfortable,” he said. The row has been extended 12 to 14 inches and will debut this week.

Langton said he expects more airlines to make modifications based on the size and weight of passengers.

“That’s where the XL has come in — we do it with shirts and clothing and other things where we have different standard sizes,” he said.

Samoa Air did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

Samoa Air introduced the idea of a pay-by-weight fare system in April.

“You are the master of your Air’fair’, you decide how much (or little) your ticket will cost,” the website read at the time.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

ABC News(NEW YORK) -- It’s the documentary that audiences and film critics are eating up.

In a covert six-month mission to expose the inside world of school lunches, 11-year-old Zachary Maxwell made Yuck: A 4th Grader’s Documentary About School Lunch when he was a fourth-grader at a New York City public school.

Armed with hidden cameras, the precocious filmmaker went undercover to document dozens of lunches he was served at school.

During Zachary’s investigation, he compared descriptions of lunch items on the school-provided menu with secretly recorded video of what he was actually being served.

“It sounded like it was coming from the finest restaurant, but what we were actually getting served, it wasn’t too good,” Zachary told ABC News.

His 19-minute movie has already been featured at film festivals this year, and will be shown in the Manhattan Film Festival June 21, something the now fifth-grader is quite proud of.

“I think it’s a lot cooler than just watching it on a little TV screen,” Zachary said on ABC’s Good Morning America  in response to how it feels having his documentary become so successful. “And also watching with an audience on a big screen is really cool. Because when they laugh when they’re supposed to laugh, it’s the best feeling ever.”

The New York City Department of Education visited Zachary’s school after his film began circulating and says officials, “Provide students with healthy and delicious school meals that are low in fat, sodium and calories and we currently have more than 1,000 salad bars in our schools to provide more healthful options to students.”

Zachary’s father, CJ Maxwell, who helped the budding filmmaker put this documentary together, says he couldn’t be prouder of his son, a student at Public School 130 in the Little Italy section of Manhattan.

“I think that he showed a lot of little spunk and spirit and we encouraged him to keep at it,” Maxwell  said.

Zachary admits while he was working on his undercover documentary, he was worried he’d get in trouble.

“Every day I was nervous I’d get in trouble, or worse, get suspended,” he said.

But that hasn’t stopped Zachary from continuing his behind-the-camera efforts. He’s now working on a personal project about his fifth-grade class, he says, “Because we’re all going to middle school our separate ways, so we have the memory of each other.”

After he gets to middle school, Zachary said, he also has future plans for a documentary about “adolescence, puberty, and what middle school girls think about guys with braces.”

“When I grow up,” he said, laughing, “I want to be a big-shot filmmaker.”

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- More Americans are kicking the smoking habit, a new government report finds.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says just 18 percent of U.S. adults called themselves smokers last year, a drop from the past decade.

"Back in 1997, 25 percent of adults smoked.  This year, in 2012, it's down to 18 percent; a pretty dramatic drop.  The exciting thing about that is that the rates for smoking had leveled off to about 20 percent.  And it held there through the mid-2000s," says ABC News' Chief Health and Medical Editor Dr. Richard Besser.

The decrease may be attributed to the growing number of smoking bans in restaurants, bars and parks, and the graphic ad campaign the CDC launched last year called "Tips from Former Smokers."

When broken down specifically, the figures show that men still smoke at a higher rate than women -- 20 percent versus 16 percent.

"If you break it down by race and ethnicity, there are differences as well," says Besser.  "Smoking among Hispanic adults is 12 percent.  Non-Hispanic white adults is at 20 and a-half percent.  And non-Hispanic blacks is at 18 percent."

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- At least nine million people a year in the U.S. suffer from a foodborne illness caused by a major pathogen, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"It's the worst during the warmer months, when there are more outdoor gatherings and people tend to leave food out and practice unsafe food handling techniques," said Scott Becker, the executive director of Association of Public Health Laboratories, a nonprofit organization that helps prevent and track foodborne illnesses.

There are ways to prevent getting sick from the foods you eat.  Read on to learn what you can do to protect you and your family from foodborne illnesses this summer.

EGGS

The Problem: The Food and Drug Administration reports that more than 140,000 Americans are infected each year with the salmonella bacteria from eating eggs.  Approximately 30 die.  Often the shell is contaminated by animal waste or some other environmental source.  Becker said that if the eggs aren't treated properly at the site where they are produced, the contamination is transferred to your kitchen.

Safety Tips: Becker advised consumers to avoid eating raw eggs and to cook all eggs thoroughly before eating.  It's also important to wash your hands with soap and warm water after handling either the shells or liquid parts of an egg, as well as all surfaces the egg has touched.

VEGGIES

The Problem: Leafy green vegetables are the number one source of food related illness, according to CDC statistics, and sprouts are another major culprit.  Vanessa Coffman, education manager for STOP Foodborne Illness, said vegetables are a major source of salmonella, E. coli and other bacterial infections because they are grown in fields, often directly in the soil, where they can be exposed to pollution, animal feces and countless other forms of contamination.  Also, since many vegetables are eaten raw, pathogens may survive even after a thorough washing.

Safety Tips: Coffman said the best way to protect yourself from dirty veggies is to wash them thoroughly and cook them whenever possible.  "Keep meat and vegetables separate from one another and use a separate cutting board for each," she advised.

FRUIT

The Problem: Last year, more than half a million cantaloupes were recalled by the FDA.  The agency said it was acting in "an abundance of caution" after it was discovered that some consumers had eaten fruit that had tested positive for salmonella.  Fruit of all kinds are generally high up on the agency's recall list.  Becker said that part of the problem is that one farm may send out contaminated produce all across the country, so outbreaks become widespread very quickly.  Consumers don't always wash fruit before eating and although cooking would render it safer to eat, most people eat it raw.

Safety Tips: Coffman said that even a fruit with an outer rind, such as a cantaloupe or an orange, should be washed before slicing to avoid dragging pathogens across the entire length of the fruit.  Even produce that comes with a "prewashed" sticker should be washed carefully anyway.

FISH

The Problem: As healthy a food as fish is, it's frequently pulled off grocery shelves due to safety concerns.  One common reason, said Coffman, is vibrio contamination, a pathogen related to the bacteria that cause cholera.  Vibrio is found in higher concentrations when water gets warmer, so outbreaks are more common in the summer months.  Fish can also be recalled due to high mercury concentrations.  Just last month, the Texas Department of State Health Services, warned against eating fish caught off the coast of the Lone Star State due to unusually high levels of mercury.  If consumed on a regular basis, mercury can cause harm to the central nervous system.

Safety Tips: Pregnant women, children and people with compromised immune systems should limit their consumption of fish suspected of high mercury levels and all raw fish, including what's found in sushi.  Coffman said that all fish and seafood should be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

MEAT

The Problem: In April of this year alone, nearly 500,000 pounds of adulterated meat was recalled by the United States Department of Agriculture.  The meat in question was thought to be contaminated with the listeria bacteria, a pathogen that kills one in five people it infects.  E. coli, salmonella and parasites are also routine meat and poultry contaminants, according to the USDA's own Inspector General reports, as are antibiotic resistant drugs and pesticides.

Safety Tips: Becker stressed how important it is to refrigerate meat to 40 degrees or below until right before cooking it. "That includes outdoor picnics and barbeques," he said.  "Bring a cooler and keep it chilled until ready for use." Coffman advised using separate cutting boards for meat and washing hands and surfaces with warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds after handling.  Proper cooking is also essential to kill as many bacteria as possible.  Burgers should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees; cuts of meat, poultry and all leftovers to 165 degrees.

NUTS AND SEEDS

The problem: This week, a Michigan company recalled its packaged sunflower seeds and all products containing the seeds that were distributed in nine states over a suspected listeria contamination.  More commonly, the culprit in nuts and seeds is salmonella.  If something goes amiss during the roasting process, the pathogen survives and infected nuts can find their way into grocery baskets.

Safety Tips: Whenever possible, eat roasted versus raw nuts.  The best way to protect yourself from accidentally consuming contaminated nuts, Becker advised, is to check for recall updates on the government's Food Safety website. You can also sign up for recall email alerts on the Stop Foodborne Illness website or Facebook page.

PET FOOD

The Problem: Dog food recalls for salmonella outbreaks are fairly common.  Ditto for cat food.  An animal that has eaten some bad food will usually experience diarrhea and dehydration.  Most will live through it, though youngsters, seniors and pets that are already ill may not. Contamination also poses a high a risk to owners who may be sickened after handling tainted food.

Safety Tips: Since your furry friend can't speak up to describe his symptoms, be sure to stay up to date on all recalls.  These are listed on the FDA website.  If you find your pet's food on the recall list, stop using it immediately.  Check with the company's website to learn about disposal methods and compensation.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Comstock/Thinkstock(DUBLIN) -- New research published in obstetrics and gynecology journal BJOG carries words of caution for the youngest and the oldest expectant moms.
 
Researchers at the University of Dublin studied almost 40,000 births among first-time mothers and found that babies born to teenagers have a higher risk of premature birth; babies born to women in their 40s have the highest risk of Cesarean sections and birth defects.
 
Additionally, the researchers found that Cesarean section delivery rates went up with age. About one in 10 first-time moms under age 18 delivered by Cesarean. But 54.4 percent of first-time mothers age 40 and older had C-sections.
 
The method of delivery had no effect on birth outcomes in first-time moms in their 20s and 30s, who make up about 75 percent of first-time births, despite the Cesarean rate being twice as high in older mothers. The study's authors say this suggests C-sections could be much reduced in that group without risking the mothers' health or that of their babies.
 
Today, one in three U.S. babies is delivered by Cesarean section, up 53 percent over the last 15 years. But the study authors say efforts to encourage more vaginal deliveries for women in their 20s and 30s could impact the figures dramatically.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio