6 Things You Need To Know Today (July 17, 2018)

Traditionally, obesity has been considered a health risk, but new research published in Clinical Obesity has found that obesity alone does not increase the risk of death. In fact, 1 in 20 obese individuals have metabolically healthy obesity with no other metabolic risk factors. Metabolically healthy obese individuals have the same mortality risk as healthy individuals with normal BMI. This study could have major implications for how doctors think about and treat obesity in the future. (Science Daily)

The global co-working company with 250,000 members is banning meat from company events and refusing to reimburse any meaty purchases in an effort to cut down its environmental impact. WeWork expects the new policy will save 16.7 billion gallons of water, 445.1 million pounds of CO2 emissions, and over 15 million animals by 2023. (mindbodygreen)

In a small town in Mexico, clean water is hard to come by, so the residents drink Coca-Cola—up to a half gallon a day of the sugary beverage. As a result, the diabetes rate in the town has grown by 30 percent in the last three years, and it's expected to keep rising, unless systemic changes are made. (NYTimes)

Get your e-shopping cart ready, Prime Day is here. Prime Day, Amazon’s "Black Friday in July," is a 36-hour bonanza of sales exclusive to Prime members. Some of the best wellness discounts include 30 percent off vitamins, steeply discounted Vitamix blenders, and even in-store discounts at Whole Foods Markets. Don't forget to check out these green beauty steals as well.

More research has uncovered the connection between high blood pressure and dementia. High blood pressure levels can strain tiny blood vessels that keep your brain cells alive and healthy, says Dr. Walter Koroshetz of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. He started the Institute’s public health campaign Mind Your Risks to illuminate the blood pressure connection to dementia and stroke. Lifestyle practices like diet, exercise, and prescribed medication can help to control your blood pressure. (NPR)

Based on new guidelines issued by the United States Preventive Services Task Force, all women 65 and older should get a bone density screening—called a DEXA scan—to measure bone loss and risk of osteoporosis. But the guidelines didn’t have a recommendation for men. In general, more than half of women and men aged 50-plus have low bone density, so a minor fall could be debilitating or even fatal. And since the test is quick, noninvasive, and covered by Medicare, health experts are urging men to keep their bone health top of mind. (NYT)