The University of Minnesota says nearly half of overweight adolescents already play organized sports. Researchers behind the study say junk food is the culprit.

An annual study by United Health Foundation praises Minnesota's low rate of deaths due to cardiovascular disease but says there's work to be done on the high rate of binge drinking.

A Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows a dramatic drop over the past 20 years in the number of students in North Dakota and Minnesota drinking alcoholic beverages. However, some data suggests the use of marijuana is on the rise among teens.

A Minnesota doctor who uncovered a significant spike in the number of young athletes suffering concussions is getting a five-year federal grant to figure out why the trend is happening. Dr. Leslie Seymour will also review state laws that aim to raise awareness about concussions to see whether they make any difference.

Scientists focused on a chemical found in drinking water in Ohio and West Virginia, but they also say it exists in smaller amounts in Washington County. But a health official in Minnesota cautions that studies so far on perfluorooctanoic acid, of PFOA, have been inconsistent and the latest research doesn't necessarily mean there is an increased risk of cancer here.