It’s commonly said that eating breakfast fuels the day. Now there’s another reason to start off with a morning meal.

A study by University of Minnesota School of Public Health researchers has found consuming breakfast daily, regardless of diet quality, is strongly associated with a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The latest study, led by researcher Andrew O. Odegaard, Ph.D., from the School of Public Health’s Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, appears today in the online version of journal Diabetes Care.

“Dietary guidelines have recently recommended that people eat something in the morning, but the relationship between breakfast intake frequency and metabolic risk, like type 2 diabetes, hasn’t been well studied until now,” said Odegaard.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the appointment of 15 nationally recognized experts to serve on the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.

Mary Story, Ph.D., R.D., Senior Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs and Professor, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health is among the newly appointed committee members.

In just a few months, concern around a new virus in the Middle East, a coronavirus known as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) – has escalated quickly, sparking fears among some public health experts that the virus may pose a substantial threat to the entire world.

Though the name Middle East Respiratory Syndrome may sound harmless – perhaps even bland – the virus represents a very serious potential health problem.

Go ahead Minneapolis-St. Paul, give yourselves a pat on the back. You deserve it. For the third year in a row the Twin Cities were ranked as the healthiest, fittest cities in the USA.

Yes, a “boo-yah” may be appropriate.

According to USA Today, Minneapolis-St. Paul “out-fit” the other top fit cities – Washington, D.C., Portland, San Francisco and Denver – in an analysis of the fitness levels of residents in the 50 most populated metropolitan areas in the USA.

Here’s a stat that might stun you: in 2008, philanthropic giving ensured 2.4 billion condoms were distributed worldwide.

The number is impressive, but now consider this: by 2015, some experts estimate that more than 18 billion condoms will be needed worldwide to meet global HIV prevention and family planning needs.

The takeaway? Despite the best efforts of many – access to condoms is still fairly limited in many parts of the world, and often in the places that need them most.

The benefits of the almighty condom are fairly well documented. If used properly, an effective condom can prevent unwanted pregnancies and stop the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

A new University of Minnesota study shows that the recession of 2007 to 2009 led to a decline in out-of-pocket spending for privately insured children with special health care needs. Using data from the nationally representative Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, researchers also found that children without such needs were not affected by the recession. However, all adults in those children’s families had significantly lower out-of-pocket spending during the recession. This finding suggests that parents may reduce their personal medical care during difficult economic times to meet their children’s health care needs.

The analysis, “Recession Led To A Decline In Out-Of-Pocket Spending For Children With Special Health Care Needs” appears in the June issue of Health Affairs, and was led by Pinar Karaca-Mandic, Ph.D., assistant professor in the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.