Susan Blumenthal, M.D.

Written in collaboration with Deepa Kannappan

Although an estimated 44 million adults and 13.7 million children in America have a diagnosable mental disorder each year, the issue of mental health remains surrounded by stigma and misunderstanding. This May marks the 63rd anniversary of Mental Health Month, but the...

Written in collaboration with Elena Hoffnagle

Last week, obesity took center stage in Washington, D.C. with the conference "The Weight of the Nation," sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that convened researchers, advocates and clinicians to tackle the epidemic facing our country today. Tonight, HBO will...

Written in collaboration with Jean Guo

There is finally a glimmer of hope in the fight against obesity, a critical public health and economic crisis burdening our nation. After several decades of steep upswings, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported that obesity rates in the U.S....

By Susan J. Blumenthal, M.D.
Written in Collaboration with Daranee Yongpradit

This year's theme for National Public Health Week (April 2-8), A Healthier America Begins Today: Join the Movement, focuses attention on five key issues for public health: 1) active living and healthy eating; 2) alcohol, tobacco and other...

By Susan Blumenthal, M.D, M.P.A.
Written in collaboration with Yoonhee Ha, M.Sc.

This Saturday, March 24 is World Tuberculosis Day, marking the 130th anniversary of Dr. Robert Koch's discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the microbe that causes tuberculosis. This year, the Stop TB Partnership, an international collaborative of...

By Susan Blumenthal, M.D.
Written in collaboration with Kirstin Krusell

Safe and sustainable drinking water is essential for the health and economic well-being of the world's population, and yet 99 percent of the world's water supply is unsafe or unavailable to drink. Despite the challenges this...

By Susan Blumenthal, M.D.
Written in collaboration with Sejal Patel

Food insecurity in America is a major public health concern that has increased significantly during the recent economic recession. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, is the federal government's largest food...

By Susan Blumenthal, M.D.
Written in Collaboration with Jean Guo

With 3.4 billion women worldwide, women's health is a global issue today. Yet, societal and environmental factors including poverty, discrimination, and violence are undermining the advancement of women's health. For example, more than two-thirds of the world's refugees...

By Susan Blumenthal, M.D. and Beth Hoffman

Today, Friday Feb. 3rd, National Wear Red Day, put on your favorite red sweater, dress or T-shirt and join in efforts to raise awareness about the No. 1 killer of women in America: heart disease.

While heart disease has long been considered...

By Susan Blumenthal, M.D. and Beth Hoffman

The holidays are a time for celebrating with family and friends. As we reflect on the things that we are most thankful for this holiday season, don't forget the importance of good health! While the holidays are brimming with joy and happiness...

Written in collaboration with Hayley Lofink, Ph.D, Vanessa Hoffman, M.P.H, Elena Hoffnagle, Shaya Afshar, Kirstin Krusell and Sejal Patel

Hunger and food insecurity are major public health problems in America that have escalated dramatically in response to the current economic recession. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly the...

Written in collaboration with Ashley Grosso, Ph.D.

On this World AIDS Day -- 30 years after the first cases of HIV were reported in the U.S. and with 34 million people currently infected worldwide -- there is finally a roadmap for ending the AIDS epidemic globally and achieving an AIDS-free...

By Susan Blumenthal, M.D., and Melissa Shive

Tomorrow on World AIDS Day, President Obama will speak about beginning to end the AIDS epidemic in America and worldwide. Last month, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the U.S. government's commitment to achieving an HIV-free generation by building upon the accomplishments of...

Written in collaboration with Kirstin Krusell

Since 1980, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has more than doubled worldwide. The statistics are staggering: in 2008, 1.5 billion adults were overweight and nearly 1 in 10 were obese. The health consequences are enormous -- obesity is a leading cause of global...

Written in collaboration with Katherine Warren and Laura Macherelli

Eleven years ago, leaders from 189 countries ratified the United Nations Millennium Declaration, a global commitment to reduce poverty, alleviate hunger and eradicate disease. Specifically targeted to the developing world, the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) created an ambitious blueprint for...

As we mourn the passing of Bernadine Healy, M.D., the world remembers a health hero, a visionary leader and a pioneer for women and women's health. Dr. Healy died Saturday as a result of complications from cancer. She was only 67.

I had the honor and privilege of...

Written in Collaboration with Alison Gocke

It sounds like a story right out of science fiction: A microscopic killer that shuts down the food supply, cripples a nation's exports, and leaves scores of people dead and thousands more ill. Such an event would seem unthinkable in the...

By Susan Blumenthal, M.D.
Written in collaboration with Melissa Shive

It was unusual 25 years ago for a world-famous movie star to fight for a health issue in the halls of the U.S. Congress. Yet, Elizabeth Taylor made history on May 8, 1986, when she entered the Dirksen Senate...

The consequences of Japan's massive earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster are reverberating across the globe including the United States. Japan has the 3rd largest economy in the world, contributing 8.7% of total global output and exporting $767.8 billion worth of goods in 2010 alone. While massive rebuilding efforts are progressing...

This post was co-written by Katherine Warren

Thanks to the triumph of public health and medical interventions, the average American woman today will live to be nearly 81 years old -- that's 33 years longer, on average, than they did a century ago. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there...