Nation In Brief
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* Kim Krisberg

## Meeting target on added sugar possible

It would only take a modest decrease in Americans’ added-sugar consumption to meet Healthy People 2030 targets, the nation’s health objectives for the current decade, new research says.

![Figure1](http://www.thenationshealth.org/https://www.thenationshealth.org/content/nathealth/53/5/7/F1.medium.gif)

[Figure1](http://www.thenationshealth.org/content/53/5/7/F1)

Americans could easily meet Healthy People 2030’s target of added-sugar reductions.

Photo courtesy Drazen Zigic, iStockphoto

In an article published in March in the *American Journal of Preventive Medicine*, researchers estimated reductions needed to achieve a population average of 11.5% of calories from added sugar by 2030. Reducing added-sugar intake is one of Healthy People 2030’s Leading Health Indicators, which means the objective has been singled out for its especially impactful health benefits. Added sugars can contribute to number of chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes.

To meet Healthy People 2030 goals, added sugar intake would only have to decline by an average of almost 14 calories per day for the general population, researchers found. Such consumption would have to decrease by 22 calories a day among people exceeding current dietary guidelines, by more than 56 calories for people who consume large amounts of added sugar, and by about 14 calories per day for people who get between 10% and 15% of daily calories from added sugars.

Public health leaders are calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to set voluntary targets for food and drink manufacturers for reducing added sugars. In April, the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene filed a regulatory petition urging FDA to take a number of steps, including developing voluntary targets, as it previously did to help reduce sodium consumption.

## LGBTQ+ youth facing mental health crisis

Bullying of LGBTQ+ youth is leading to a nationwide mental health disaster, with transgender youth facing an especially acute crisis, finds a federal report.

![Figure2](http://www.thenationshealth.org/https://www.thenationshealth.org/content/nathealth/53/5/7/F2.medium.gif)

[Figure2](http://www.thenationshealth.org/content/53/5/7/F2)

A new federal report offers a roadmap for supporting and affirming LGBTQ+ youth through evidence-based strategies.

Photo by Rawpixel, courtesy iStockphoto

The new report, released in March by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, builds on previous findings that it is “normal and healthy” for children to have their sexual orientations or gender identities affirmed and supported. However, so-called “conversion therapy” is never appropriate for young people, it said.

The report provides a roadmap for supporting and affirming LGBTQ+ youth. Evidence-based, affirming care for LGBTQ+ youth includes providing accurate information, identifying sources of stress, and protecting them from the effects of stigma and discrimination, according to the report.

“The increased risks to LGBTQI+ youth are not a function of their identity, but are related to the stress of stigma and discrimination,” said SAMHSA Administrator Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, PhD, in a news release. “By helping to raise awareness of and address these inequities, we can help LGBTQI+ youth achieve optimal health and well-being.”

For more on “Moving Beyond Change Efforts: Evidence and Action to Support and Affirm LGBTQI+ Youth,” visit [www.samhsa.gov](https://www.samhsa.gov).

## EPA proposes water rules for tribal lands

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing new water protections for American Indian and Alaskan Native tribes.

The proposal, which was announced in May, would create baseline water quality standards for bodies of water located on reservations that do not currently benefit from the federal Clean Water Act. The standards would cover more than 250 tribes, over 500,000 people, 76,000 miles of rivers and streams, and 1.9 million acres of lakes, reservoirs and other open waters.

If adopted, the new protections would remain in place until tribes can adopt their own Clean Water Act standards.

“We endorse EPA’s proposed rule that discharges the federal government’s trust responsibility to tribes by filling longstanding regulatory gaps in Indian country, using standards that support the unique traditional and cultural uses indigenous peoples make of aquatic ecosystems,” said Ken Norton, chair of the National Tribal Water Council, in an EPA news release.

For more information, visit [www.epa.gov](https://www.epa.gov).

## FDA approves first RSV vaccine for US

Federal health officials have approved the first vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus for use in the U.S.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine, known as Arexvy, in May for people ages 60 and older. In an ongoing clinical study of the new vaccine, researchers found it lowered the risk of developing RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease by more than 82% and reduced the risk of developing a severe case of disease by 94%.

RSV causes up to 120,000 hospitalizations and 10,000 deaths among U.S. adults 60 and older each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Older adults, in particular those with underlying health conditions, such as heart or lung disease or weakened immune systems, are at high risk for severe disease caused by RSV,” said Peter Marks, MD, PhD, director of FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, in a news release. “Today’s approval of the first RSV vaccine is an important public health achievement to prevent a disease which can be life-threatening.”

For more information, visit [www.fda.gov](https://www.fda.gov).

## AmeriCorps funded for second round

Public Health AmeriCorps is getting a second round of grants, totaling more than $90 million.

In April, AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced more than 100 grant awards, which will allow Public Health AmeriCorps programs to expand and recruit members to serve in health departments, agencies and organizations in nearly every U.S. state and territory.

“This funding will support more than 4,000 AmeriCorps members who will add capacity to our strained public health systems and reduce barriers to care, while we also create career pathways for future public health leaders from all backgrounds,” said Michael Smith, CEO of AmeriCorps, in a news release.

Americans ages 17 and older can serve in Public Health AmeriCorps.

For more information, visit [americorps.gov/publichealth](https://americorps.gov/publichealth).

## Report: Kids harmed by climate change

Children are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change, according to a new report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

![Figure3](http://www.thenationshealth.org/https://www.thenationshealth.org/content/nathealth/53/5/7/F3.medium.gif)

[Figure3](http://www.thenationshealth.org/content/53/5/7/F3)

Children’s health is especially vulnerable to climate change, with cases of asthma expected to rise sharply, a study says.

Photo by Goodbye Picture Company, courtesy iStockphoto

Released in April, the peer-reviewed report quantifies projected health outcomes associated with climate change — such as extreme heat, poor air quality, flooding and infectious diseases — as well as their inequitable distributions. Among its findings: Climate change is expected to increase cases of childhood asthma and drive up asthma-related emergency department visits between 17% and 30% each year.

The report also found that if no climate adaptation actions are taken, up to 2 million U.S. children may lose their homes due to flooding and sea level rise.

“Understanding health risks to children is critical for developing effective and equitable strategies that will protect our current and future generations,” said EPA Administrator Michael Regan in a news release.

For more information on “Climate Change and Children’s Health and Well-being in the United States,” visit [www.epa.gov](https://www.epa.gov).

*   Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association