A study released from USC, UCLA and the University of Pennsylvania reports that Latinos born and raised in the US may be unhealthier than recent immigrants, with higher rates of diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholestrol. The culprits include fast food, smoking, and lack of excercise , researchers found.

"One possible explanation is that people who immigrate are healthy to begin with and they may also have come here with better health habits," said Eileen Crimmins, a professor of gerontology at USC who led the study. "The generation born here has adopted American traits such as smoking and eating at fast food restaurants that were not as accessible in more traditional parts of Mexico."

Reuters reports that a popular Asian fruit that is chewed for a quick buzz is receiving more scrutiny in Taiwan, which is launching a campaign to warn users that the betel nut can cause cancer. A World Health Organization study four years ago found that chewing the nuts can cause oral cancer and that the rate of these malignant mouth tumors was highest in Asia where the betel nut is a widely used stimulant.

Nearly 90 percent of U.S. born newborns are getting tested for 29 rare genetic disorders.
As of June 1, 40 states, including California, required testing for more than 20 of those disorders, including sickle cell anemia and cystic fibrosis to lesser known diseases such as the metabolic disorder LCHAD.
The March of Dimes provides a nifty map here.

Germophobes take heart: There's an automatic tissue paper dispenser being marketed by Kimberly-Clark Professional, that will encourage 20 percent less toilet paper use in public places. Americans typically use twice as much toilet paper as Europeans — as much as an arm's length each pull, according to Reuters. The new technology lets you place your hand under the dispenser, and viola...you get five sheets of paper, according to Kimberly-Clark. The question is, is that enough for us Americans?
For a sneak peak of the product, go to http://www.kimberly-clark.com