Executive Branch News
NCHS Releases Data on Weight Misperception in Children, Sexual Orientation-Based Health Disparities
A recent National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) data brief looks at childrenās (8-15 years old) misperception of their weight status. When asked if they felt they were too thin, overweight, or about right, 30 percent of childrenās responses did not match their weight status. This misperception was more common among boys (32.2 percent) than girls (28 percent). Seventy-six percent of overweight children and 41.9 percent of obese children described themselves as āabout right.ā Nearly half (48.5 percent) of underweight children also described themselves as āabout right.ā More than 12 percent of healthy weight children (over 2 million) believed themselves…
Interagency Statistical Forum Publishes Special Report on Young Adults
The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics has published a report, Americaās Young Adults: Special Issue, 2014, that pulls data from nationally representative federal surveys on the demographics; education; economic circumstances; family formation; civic, social, and personal behavior; and health and safety of adults aged 18-24. A press release about the report notes: āAmerican young adults are more racially and ethnically diverse, more likely to graduate from high school, and attend college, and less likely to smoke than previous generationsā¦ However, the young adults have more student debt than generations past, earn less than their counterparts in the…
Nominations Sought for 2015 Vannevar Bush and Public Service Awards
The National Science Board (NSB), the policy-making body of the National Science Foundation (NSF) that also advises the President on science policy, has issued a solicitation of nominations for its 2015 honorary awards. The NSB honors outstanding research leaders annually through its Vannevar Bush Award and Public Service Award. Nominations for the 2015 awards are due by October 1, 2014.
FDA Seeks Comments on its Strategic Priorities, 2014-2018
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is charged with āprotecting the public health by ensuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices; ensuring the safety of foods, cosmetics, and radiation-emitting products; and regulating tobacco products.ā Every four years, the FDA updates its Strategic Priorities document, which outlines the agency’s strategic intentions and plans for the years ahead. The agency is currently seeking comments to help it refine its Strategic Priorities FY 2014-2018.