Courtenay Harris Bond
Courtenay Harris Bond is the staff writer covering health for PhillyVoice. She enjoys writing about behavioral health, maternal health and inequities in the healthcare system, as well as human rights and criminal justice. A veteran daily newspaper reporter, Courtenay has also written for national outlets, including KFF Health News, Undark Magazine and Filter. She was a 2018 Rosalynn Carter Fellow for Mental Health Journalism and has master's degrees from Columbia Journalism School and the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education.
December 24, 2024
Healthy Eating
FDA upgrades its definition of 'healthy' food for first time in 3 decades
The Food and Drug Administration has revised its definition of what foods can be labeled as 'healthy' by manufacturers. The changes – the first in 30 years – require foods contain certain amounts of food from essential food groups like fruits, vegetables and whole grains while also limiting saturated fats, added sugars and sodium.December 23, 2024
Mental Health
Holiday gatherings can be stressful; here are 5 easy hacks to stay calm
Here are five easy exercises to reduce anxiety and calm yourself at the holidays. They include diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, mantras, simple stretches and a countdown exercise.December 19, 2024
Adult Health
Sleep apnea may be linked to brain changes that cause Alzheimer's disease
Sleep apnea may cause brain changes that are linked to Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, new research shows. Researchers found people with lower nighttime blood oxygen levels had more evidence of damage to small blood vessels in the brain, a contributing risk factor to Alzheimer's.December 18, 2024
Volunteering
Abington teen starts 'little library' to help children of people experiencing homelessness and addiction
Amelia Fletcher reads books to children of people experiencing homelessness and addiction in Kensington every Saturday as part of her volunteering efforts with The Everywhere Project, a harm reduction group. She started a 'little library' this fall after observing children waiting in line with adults for food, clothing and harm reduction supplies.December 17, 2024
Addiction
Fewer teens are using alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana than before the pandemic
The percentage of teens who use alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana has dropped significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic, the latest Monitoring the Future study shows. The percentage of teens who use e-cigarettes also continues to fall, but the use of nicotine pouches is increasing.December 13, 2024
Addiction
The drop in overdose deaths may be the result of more veterinary tranquilizers – and less fentanyl – in street drugs
Bags of dope in Philadelphia contain a lower percentage of fentanyl and a.higher percentage of animal tranquilizers in recent months. This shift has lead to more intense sedation and withdrawal, and also may account for a decline in drug overdose deaths, people close to the local drug scene say.December 11, 2024
Prevention
Self-testing option for cervical cancer screening endorsed by U.S. health panel
Women 30 and older should be given an option to self-test for cervical cancer, draft recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force say. In July, the FDA approved two tests that allow people to self-collect cervical samples for HPV, an infection responsible for most cervical cancer cases. Women 21 to 29 should still get a Pap smear every three years.December 11, 2024
Health News
Bucks County man with diabetes sues 11 major companies for marketing 'addictive,' ultra-processed foods to kids
Bryce Martinez, an 18-year-old Bucks County man diagnosed with diabetes and fatty liver disease at age 16, is suing 11 major food companies, including Coca-Cola, Kraft Heinz and General Mills, claiming they intentionally developed 'addictive' ultra-processed foods and used predatory marketing tactics to target children.December 11, 2024
Healthy Eating
'Sell by,' 'best by' and 'use by' dates can be confusing; here's how to make sense of them
Federal regulations do not require product dating labels except for infant formula, and state regulations vary widely, creating confusion about what 'sell by,' 'best by' and 'use by' dates mean. Most are not indicators of whether food is safe to eat. Rather, they are used for store inventory purposes or to determine when products taste the best.December 10, 2024
Healthy Eating
Some added sugar sources, like soda, increase risk of heart disease more than others, study finds
Drinking sugary beverages, including soda and fruit drinks with added sugar, puts people at higher risk for heart disease than eating some baked goods, according to a new study that compared the effects of three categories of sugar consumption. Previous research has found links between soda and obesity, diabetes and heart disease.Just In
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