More proof that calories are what really count when it comes to losing weight. Reduced-calorie diets result in clinically meaningful weight loss regardless of which macronutrients they emphasize. From the NEJM.

Low blood levels of vitamin D may be associated with an increased risk for dementia, a British study has found. From the NYT.

New research suggests that play and down time may be as important to a child’s academic experience as reading, science and math, and that regular recess, fitness or nature time can influence behavior, concentration and even grades. From the NYT Well blog.

Health researchers typically focus on improving the quality of foods served in school cafeterias. But what about improving a child’s whole dining experience? Turning the school lunch into a real sit-down meal, rather than a minutes-long eating frenzy, is just one way to begin improving the health and eating habits of the nation’s children… From [...]

Lonely people have less activity in a part of the brain that normally lights up in association with reward, scientists have found. It’s not clear if social isolation diminishes the brain-reward response, however, or if people with less activity in that part of the brain tend toward loneliness. From Live Science.