It seems that most Americans have enough vitamin D in their blood.

More than 2/3 of the U.S. population had sufficient vitamin D, as defined by the 2010 Institute of Medicine's report (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25OHD] between 50 and 125 nmol/L). About 25% were at risk of inadequacy (30-49 nmol/L). Interestingly, the National Center for Health Statistics found that many non-white groups have better skeletal status than white persons even though they had lower 25OHD values.

PositiveTip: Adequate exposure to sunlight and/or dietary sources of vitamin D are important to bone health.

One in four US female adolescents have at least one sexually transmitted infection.

A nationally representative survey of the prevalence of the five most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) revealed that 24% of US teenage women between the ages of 14 and 19 years old are infected with at least one STI. Additionally, half of all female adolescents in the study reported sexual experience. Prevalence of STI in those reporting only one sexual partner was 20% and those who reported 3 or more sexual partners had a 53% prevalence rate. 

PositiveTip: It is vital for parents to begin appropriate principle-based sex education for their girls long before they become teens.

More than 10% of the US population gets insufficient sleep every night!

Chronic sleep insufficiency is under-recognized. Almost one-third of the US population reports sleeping less than 7 hours per night. This inspite of the numerous physical and mental problems associated with not enough sleep--as well as injury, loss of productivity and early mortality. A new CDC telephone survey of more than 400,000 Americans living in all states reports just over 10% of adults got insufficient sleep on each of the preceding 30 days. This was most prevalent in ages 24-34. People unemployed or unable to work were at the greatest risk. West Virginia had the highest incidence and North Dakota the lowest.

PositiveTip: Get sufficient sleep (7-8 hrs per night) regularly. It improves health, performance, and clear thinking.

Americans are doing better at controlling cardiovascular disease, but not diabetes.

Analysis of Americans between 40 and 85 years of age reveals that between 1999 and 2006 the prevalence of hypertension, coronary heart disease and stroke remained stable, but diabetes rose 2%. Significant improvements were found in control of blood pressure, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, and total cholesterol. However, gaps between white and nonwhite patients did not change, although they were smaller after age 65 when universal Medicare insurance begins.