Health Buzz: AMA Hears Talk of Public Plan and Other Health News

President Lobbies Doctors on Public Insurance Plan

This afternoon, President Obama will speak to members of the American Medical Association during its annual meeting to explain his plan for a government-run public insurance option for healthcare consumers, Reuters reports. As part of a broader effort to reform the nation's healthcare system, the public option would compete for consumers against private insurance plans. In a written statement released Thursday, AMA President Nancy Nielson said the AMA "opposes any public plan that forces physicians to participate." But she said that the AMA "is willing to consider" other variations of a public plan that are being discussed in Congress, Bloomberg reports.

Last week, U.S. News's Dr. Bernadine Healy listed 7 ways that your healthcare experience is likely to change with healthcare reform. For example, she wrote, you can expect to pay more in income, Social Security, and Medicare taxes. In May, Dr. Healy voiced concern about how the proposed healthcare policies would be implemented. She discussed privacy issues surrounding electronic medical records, comparative effectiveness studies, and the public health insurance option that would compete with private insurance plans.

Health Effects of Soft Drinks

On Friday, Venezuela's government banned the sale of Coca-Cola Zero, a calorie-free soda that, according to Coca-Cola Co., is sold in more than 50 countries around the world, the Guardian reports. Other media report the product was banned there because it contains an ingredient that is allegedly harmful to consumers. "This product must be taken off the market to safeguard Venezuelans' health," Health Minister Jesus Mantilla told the state news agency ABN. A spokesperson from Coca-Cola Co. said the product contains no harmful ingredients.

In April, U.S. News's Katherine Hobson reported on research into how soft drinks and energy drinks may contribute to obesity. One expert argued that there is a "direct causal link" between sugar-sweetened soft drinks and energy drinks and obesity. Even low-calorie sweeteners may lead to weight gain, he said.

Recently, two public-health experts floated the idea of a tax on sodas and energy drinks, Hobson reported. Hobson previously wrote about why it's important to read the nutrition label on Coca Cola's VitaminWater product. That popular beverage contains about 125 calories and 32.5 grams of sugar in each bottle.

How to Keep Kids From Smoking

Friday Congress passed legislation that will give the Food and Drug Administration power to regulate tobacco products, the New York Times reported. Under the new law, the FDA could ban some chemicals and flavors used in cigarettes, restrict cigarette advertising near schools and playgrounds, and charge cigarette makers additional fees to pay for FDA oversight required to enforce the new rules, among other regulations. Called the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, the law is an effort to discourage young people from smoking.

In April, U.S. News's Nancy Shute offered ways that parents and society can keep kids from smoking. One way is to make sure that merchants know they'll get in trouble if they sell cigarettes to minors, Shute wrote. Between 1997 and 2003, tougher enforcement of laws barring sales to minors led to a 20.8 percent decrease in the number of 10th graders who are daily smokers, according to one recent study. Parents have power over how well the ban on selling cigarettes to kids is enforced, said one expert, because much of the enforcement is done at the local level by police and local health departments. Increasing the price of cigarettes has also reduced daily smoking by 47 percent from 1997 to 2003, the study found.

The biggest predictor of whether a kid will smoke is whether Mom and Dad do, Shute wrote. Here are 12 reasons to really quit smoking and several secrets of successful quitters.

—Megan Johnson

Other Popular Articles From USNews.com

• 10 Cities Where Coronary Bypass Surgery Outpaces Angioplasty
• A Better Way to Screen for Heart Disease
• 10 Reasons Not to Skimp on Sleep
• What Makes Teens Abstain From Sex
• 7 Steps Newly Diagnosed Diabetics Should Take
• 6 Ways to Reduce Inflammation Without Taking a Statin
• Need Care? Scan the Rankings: Best Nursing Homes, Best Health Plans, and Best Hospitals.