Is your teenager skipping breakfast? Why is that happening and what can you do? As per the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which surveyed adolescent health and well-being found that 1 in 4 students in high school ate breakfast, which means 3 in 4 high school students are not eating their breakfast. This data is as per the 2023 survey.

What Did The Study Intend?

The report describes a 10-year long trend and also recent changes among the two years. The study delved deeper into adolescents' dietary, physical activity and sleep behaviors. The study is also based on a national youth risk behavior survey of a representative sample of students from grade nine to 12.

What Did The Study Find?

The study found that while high school students drank slightly less soda and sports drinks and consumed more water, other healthy eating habits declined. In 2023, only 27% of students ate breakfast every day in the past week. The numbers were even lower for female students, with just 22% eating breakfast daily, compared to 32% of male students. Boys were also more likely to eat fruits and vegetables daily and drink water at least three times a day. Poor mental health and lack of physical activity have also been linked to skipping breakfast.

The other findings included a survey across 10-year period, where a decrease in the percentage of students eating fruits from 65% to 55%, eating vegetables, from 61% to 58%, and having breakfast daily from 38% to 27% was noted.

However, there was a positive trend among this, which was in children drinking plain water at least three times a day, which increased from 49% to 54% from when the survey began in 2015.. There were fewer students who also said that they drank soda in 2023 than in 2013. On an average, in 2013, around 22% students avoided soda, whereas in 2023, 31% students avoided it.

The report also emphasized that a healthy diet, along with daily physical activity and sufficient sleep further contributes to a healthy lifestyle. “The 10-year trends from 2013 to 2023 also show a decline in healthy dietary, physical activity, and sleep behaviors,” the survey reported.

Why Do High School Students Skip Breakfast?

While there is no one straightforward answer to it, psychologists and those who study children, believe that for many high school going kids, it is the easiest time to skip a meal. This is because they are caught between rushing to school, or not just that hungry in the morning. So for them, to sit down to have a breakfast may seem hassle and something they would have to take time out from their busy schedule. They at this age also prioritize their extra-curricular activities.

There has also been a shift in their circadian rhythm, and most teens cannot fall asleep before 11 pm, or even at midnight. Which means they wake up tired and struggle to do things right in the morning, which is why they choose to skip breakfast or give extra minutes to any other activities.

There is of course another, more popular reason, to lose weight. While experts and studies, like the one published in the Journal of Nutrition that found skipping breakfast leads to higher levels of hunger hormones, the students still feel the need to do this. However, it could lead to a slow metabolism, prompt the body to conserve energy and burn fewer calories, weight gain and deprive yo off the essential nutrients like calcium, iron, and vitamin D.

Without a morning breakfast, your blood sugar might drop too, which can increase irritability and stress, along with including the risk of depression in teenage.

The UK's human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program, initiated in 2018, has achieved a remarkable milestone: no women aged 20 to 24 died from cervical cancer in England between 2020 and 2024, according to a study published in the journal The Lancet.

England introduced the HPV vaccine for girls in 2008 and expanded the program to boys in 2019. By 2024, vaccine coverage among women aged 20-24 had reached nearly 90 per cent.

Researchers found that there were no cervical cancer deaths in this age group during the five-year period, compared with an estimated 23 deaths that would have been expected based on historical trends.

The study also estimated that HPV vaccination has prevented approximately 200 cervical cancer deaths among young women in England since the program began.

"It's amazing news that no women aged between 20 and 24 died from cervical cancer in the whole of England between 2020 and 2024," said Peter Sasieni, Professor of Cancer Epidemiology at Queen Mary University of London.

"That remarkable fact is thanks to nearly 90% of Gen Z women having received the HPV vaccine through the school vaccination and catch-up programs," he added.

This marks the first time that zero cervical cancer deaths have been recorded in this age group and provides compelling evidence of the vaccine's life-saving impact.

Children Vaccinated At 12-13 Had Near-Zero Risk

Read More: HPV Vaccine Can Help Curb Rising Head And Neck Cancers, Says Top US Doctor

The study found that girls vaccinated at ages 12-13 had an almost zero risk of dying from cervical cancer before the age of 30, highlighting the success of the school-based vaccination program.

While several countries have reported declines in cervical cancer rates following HPV vaccination campaigns, evidence linking vaccination programs directly to reductions in cervical cancer deaths has been limited.

"This is the first national-level evidence, albeit observational, linking high HPV vaccination coverage to a major reduction in cervical cancer deaths," the researchers noted.

How The Study Was Conducted

Researchers analyzed HPV vaccination rates and cervical cancer mortality data among women in England between 2001 and 2024.

In addition to recording zero cervical cancer deaths among women aged 20-24 between 2020 and 2024, the study found an 80 per cent reduction in cervical cancer deaths in the same age group between 2015 and 2019.

The findings underscore the importance of achieving high vaccination coverage against a disease that remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among younger women worldwide.

"We estimate that since its introduction, HPV vaccination has prevented nearly 200 young women from dying from cervical cancer in England," said Sasieni.

"But that's just the tip of the iceberg. As vaccinated generations grow older, we'll see many more lives saved from cervical cancer. It is incredible to think that a single jab can almost eliminate a particular type of cancer."

What Is HPV? How A vaccine helps?

Also read: Affordable India-Made HPV Test Offers Hope For Early Cervical Cancer Detection

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common viral infection worldwide, with more than 200 known types. While some types lead to benign skin warts, others are responsible for severe health threats, such as cervical, throat, anal, and penile cancers. The HPV vaccine provides strong protection against the most lethal strains, avoiding long-term health complications.

The HPV vaccine helps the immune system recognize and fight off high-risk strains of the virus before they cause harm. It protects against:

• Genital warts
• Cervical cancer
• Vaginal, vulvar, anal, and penile cancers
• Mouth, throat, head, and neck cancers linked to HPV.

Have you been popping omega-3 pills hoping to improve your memory or keep your brain sharp as you age? New research suggests they may not deliver the cognitive benefits many people expect.

A clinical trial, published in the journal eBioMedicine, found that omega-3 supplements did not improve memory, cognition, or brain health in older adults at risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Omega-3 fish oil and algae-based supplements have long been promoted as a way to protect against dementia and Alzheimer's disease. However, the new randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial — considered the gold standard in medical research — found no evidence that these supplements slowed cognitive decline or protected the brain.

The study was led by researchers at the University of Southern California and included 365 adults aged 55 to 80 who rarely consumed fish, a natural source of omega-3 fatty acids.

"We all wish there was a silver bullet for preventing Alzheimer's, but our findings showed that fish oil supplements do not appear to protect brain health," said Hussein Naji Yassine, director of the USC Center for Personalized Brain Health and lead investigator of the study.

"While omega-3s play an important role in forming brain cell connections needed for cognition, our results do not support fish oil supplements as a preventive measure against Alzheimer's," he added.

How The Study Was Conducted?

Also read: Kim Kardashian Says She Takes 35 Supplements Daily, Suffers From 'Pill Fatigue'

Researchers recruited 365 adults who were considered at elevated risk for Alzheimer's disease. Nearly half (47 per cent) carried the APOE4 gene, the strongest known genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's.

Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a daily omega-3 supplement or a placebo.

The supplement contained 2,000 mg of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid essential for brain function.

The researchers first examined whether DHA from the supplements could reach the brain. By measuring DHA levels in cerebrospinal fluid — the liquid surrounding the brain and spinal cord — they found a 17 per cent increase after six months, confirming that the nutrient successfully reached its target.

The team then assessed memory and cognitive performance at the beginning of the study and again two years later.

Despite higher DHA levels in the brain, participants who received the supplements performed no better on memory and cognitive tests than those taking the placebo. Brain scans also revealed no difference in shrinkage of the hippocampus, a memory-related brain region that commonly deteriorates with aging and Alzheimer's disease.

What Works Instead? A Healthy Lifestyle

The researchers emphasized that maintaining overall health remains the most effective strategy for preserving brain function and reducing Alzheimer's risk.

"Staying healthy throughout life remains the most powerful tool we have for reducing Alzheimer's risk, including regular exercise, quality sleep, and a balanced diet," said Yassine.

He compared brain health to maintaining a vehicle.

"Living a healthy lifestyle is the brain's equivalent of getting regular car maintenance and high-quality oil changes. The brain is more likely to lose function if health issues elsewhere in the body go unaddressed, just as an engine eventually fails without proper maintenance."

Read More: Sickle Cell Disease: Why India Must Add Curative Treatment to Meet Its 2047 Elimination Goal

What's Next?

Yassine and his colleagues are now investigating why omega-3 supplements can successfully reach the brain yet fail to produce measurable cognitive benefits.

The team is also exploring new therapies that could help the brain make better use of omega-3 fatty acids and potentially preserve cognitive function as people age.

A parliamentary committee in Canada has recommended that the country's assisted dying laws continue to exclude people whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness.

According to the committee's report, Canada's assisted dying framework should "indefinitely exclude" individuals whose only medical condition is a mental illness.

Canada first passed its assisted dying legislation, known as Bill C-14, in 2016, marking a significant development in healthcare and personal autonomy.

Officially known as Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID), the law initially applied only to adults who were terminally ill. However, eligibility for MAID has remained one of the country's most contentious healthcare issues over the past decade, with plans to expand access delayed twice.

Committee Recommends Permanent Exclusion

The 98-page report by the joint House and Senate committee on Medical Assistance in Dying contains a single recommendation: that Canada "indefinitely exclude persons whose sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness from eligibility for medical assistance in dying", according to the BBC.

The report noted a "divergence of perspectives" on the issue and highlighted concerns raised during testimony about the "pressing need for increased and more equitable access to adequate mental health services".

However, some committee members disagreed with the findings and published a dissenting report, arguing that the process was "fundamentally flawed", "biased", and favored testimony from those opposed to expanding MAID. Canada's government must respond to the report by July 11.

Also read: Noelia Castillo: 25-year-old Spanish Woman Dies By Euthanasia After Long Legal Battle

What Does Canada's MAID Law Say?

When MAID was introduced in 2016, it was available only to adults who were terminally ill.

The eligibility criteria were strict. Individuals had to be suffering from a "serious and incurable illness", be in an "advanced state of irreversible decline", experience "intolerable suffering", and have a natural death that was "reasonably foreseeable".

This legal pathway became known as Track 1. Modelled on end-of-life care, it primarily served people with terminal cancer or other severe illnesses who wanted greater control over the dying process. Track 1 remains a relatively swift procedure, with some patients receiving MAID within a day of applying.

Expansion Beyond Terminal Illness

Read More: Passive Euthanasia: Harish Rana’s Case May Reshape End-of-life Protocols, Say Experts

However, many Canadians living with severe non-terminal conditions argued that they were excluded from the law. These included people with degenerative diseases, chronic pain, or spinal injuries who experienced significant suffering but were not nearing death. Many requested MAID but were routinely denied.

In 2019, the country introduced Bill C-7 in 2021, creating Track 2 and extending MAID eligibility to people with serious, incurable conditions causing enduring suffering even when death was not foreseeable.

Track 2 includes additional safeguards, including a 90-day assessment period, evaluation by two independent clinicians, and consultation with specialists when necessary.

Ongoing Debate Over Mental Illness Eligibility

Despite its stricter safeguards and ethical complexities, Track 2 MAID has steadily gained use. In 2023, there were 622 deaths under Track 2 compared with 14,721 under Track 1.

Supporters view Track 2 as a compassionate option for people living with severe, non-terminal suffering, while critics argue it risks exposing vulnerable populations to premature death.

In 2023, Canada first delayed eligibility for MAID for people whose sole condition was a mental illness by one year, citing concerns that the healthcare system was not ready for the expansion. The government later delayed implementation again until March 17, 2027.

Along with the second delay, the government recommended that a parliamentary committee undertake a comprehensive review of the proposal.

MAID Accounts For About 5% of Deaths in Canada

According to the latest available figures from 2024, MAID accounts for around 5 per cent of all deaths in Canada. About 96 per cent of MAID cases involved people whose deaths were reasonably foreseeable, most of them terminal cancer patients.

The remaining 4 per cent involved patients whose deaths were not imminent but who had a "grievous and irremediable medical condition".