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Smartphones and tablets are replacing face-to-face interactions, and families are suffering because of it, a new study says.

A sad and disturbing study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania shows that opioids appear to dull people’s natural parenting instincts. [1]
In recent months, numerous stories have been in the news concerning children who were left alone with parents or caregivers who had overdosed on prescription opioids or heroin.

It sounds like a bad joke, but it’s the sad truth: Coca-Cola and Pepsi, the nation’s 2 top soda makers, recently gave money to several prominent public health groups – including some run by the government. [1]
Source: Medical Daily
The sadder truth: Those groups were more than happy to accept the funds.

People who have a high body mass index (BMI), excess weight circumference, and Type 2 diabetes have a greater risk of developing liver cancer, a large new study finds. [1]
One expert in the United Kingdom (U.K.) is even calling for a shift in attitude so that obesity is seen as a red flag for having an increased risk of liver cancer.

New images of the Great Barrier Reef show that rising water temperatures have severely damaged the world’s largest reef system, which stretches for over 1,400 miles off the coast of Australia. [1]
How bad is it? Hmm. It depends on who you ask.
One scientist who visited the reef said that “if it was a person, it would be on life support.”

U.K. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has ordered restaurants, pubs, and cafes to make their food and drink healthier by cutting sugar content, and to shrink the size of desserts. [1]
It’s all part of Britain’s plan to combat obesity.
Hunt met with more than 100 major food chains, including McDonald’s, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Starbucks, and Pizza Express, and warned them that each restaurant’s performance would be monitored and that a public campaign would name any violators. 
Hunt said:

Japanese car maker Toyota plans to sell a “companion robot” next year for about $400 in the hopes it will serve as a friend to lonely people. [1]
At just 4 inches tall, the robot – Kirobo Mini – speaks in a high-pitched baby voice, and will hit the market in Japan in 2017. [2]

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced on October 4th, 2016 that plans to reduce opioid manufacturing by 25% next year are underway, citing a shrinking market and the epidemic of abuse as primary reasons.
The official change, or Final Order, has been published in the Federal Register. And, as The Verge reports:

Antidepressants are supposed to ease symptoms of depression, but yet another study shows the drugs may actually increase suicidal feelings in users. According to Danish researchers, the new study wrecks “potentially lethal misconceptions” about the safety of antidepressants. [1]
Click for larger version.

Superbugs kill tens of thousands of Americans each year, but it’s often not reflected on death certificates. This lack of transparency makes it difficult for health officials to accurately track the spread of antibiotic resistance. [1]