As scientists learn more about the human genome, important and challenging questions continue to arise. If you carry a gene mutation linked to cancer, can you do anything to prevent or delay the onset of the disease? Could genetic information be used against you by insurers or employers? What are the latest options for couples who have a family history of a genetic disorder like Tay-Sachs and worry that they may pass it on to their children? Is new genetic knowledge also leading to new treatments? Difficult ethical issues are also surfacing. Why do babies in some states receive screening for certain genetic disorders while infants in other states don’t? Will genetic testing and treatment be available only to those who can afford it? Will human cloning and selective reproduction become commonplace?
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) recently held a symposium on Hollywood, Health & Society and its work in Hollywood on behalf of NCI. Held at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, the symposium included presentations by HH&S staff on outreach and evaluation activities as well as panel discussions with colleagues from NCI, other NIH institutes and the Telemundo network. Representatives from NIH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality attended, and others tuned in via webcast.
Hollywood, Health & Society held a panel presentation titled "What's in/on the Air: A Multi-method Evaluation of TV's Effect on Environmental Health" at the American Public Health Association's 132nd Annual Meeting and Exposition. TV has an impact not only for commercial entities but also for health promotion. The panelists in this session described the ways in which TV-mediated health messages are understood by the public and the implications for health promotion activities. Read the conference abstracts
In 2004, the Sentinel for Health Awards program expanded to include primetime dramas and comedies. The NBC drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit received first place in primetime drama for "Choice," a storyline on fetal alcohol syndrome, and the CBS soap opera The Young & The Restless took first place in daytime drama for a storyline about a teen with chlamydia, "Lily and Kevin: The Danger Within." The Lifetime drama Strong Medicine took first place for primetime minor storyline with "Heartbeats and Deadbeats," a storyline about HIV/AIDS in the elderly. The UPN show One on One took first place in primetime comedy for a storyline about alcoholism, "No More Wire Hangers." The awards were presented at a ceremony held at the Writers Guild of America, West.
Every week the latest study tells you about a new threat to your health and a new way to prevent it from killing you. It can be confusing when the studies switch back and forth. Once meat was bad, but now it's good; carbs were out, but now they're in. Can you really prevent diseases like cancer and diabetes through diet and exercise? To what degree do any diets—or stop-smoking programs—truly add years to your life? What about fast foods? Are they paving the way toward obesity and early onset of heart disease and diabetes for our kids? What's wrong with a little pleasure?
Hollywood, Health & Society Director Vicki Beck gave a talk on "TV as the Health Educator: What Patients Are Learning from Daytime and Prime Time Dramas" at the AAMC Spring Conference in Los Angeles. As the leading voice of the academic medical community, the AAMC represents the interests of the nation's medical schools and teaching hospitals before Congress and federal agencies on a wide range of issues, including support for medical research, student loan programs, education funding and care for veterans. To find out more, visit the website for the Association of American Medical Colleges.
The Norman Lear Center hosted a free screening of Scene Smoking: Cigarettes, Cinema and the Myth of Cool, an award-winning documentary in which Hollywood insiders and health professionals speak out about artists' rights, social responsibility and the First Amendment with regard to tobacco depiction. This 60-minute documentary includes interviews with Sean Penn, Ted Danson, Michael Crichton and Christy Turlington.
Hollywood, Health & Society hosted a panel on multicultural audiences and health messages in TV storylines at the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting in San Francisco, November 15-19, 2003. The theme of the 131st Annual Meeting was Behavior, Lifestyle, and Social Determinants of Health. Among the topics were an analysis of health content in popular TV shows and Spanish-language TV viewers and health information.
The Fourth Sentinel for Health Award went to The Young and the Restless (CBS) for the storyline, "Neil's Alcoholism," at the Writers Guild of America, West. The award was presented at a special ceremony held at the Writers Guild of America, West in Los Angeles.
