(Seth Casteel/LittleFriendsPhoto.com) When the weather turns warmer, families start to spend time outside in and around pools, lakes and oceans. Although the summer season is all about fun in the sun, water safety — particularly for children and babies — is no laughing matter. Photographer — best known for his whimsical work featuring and — recently turned to a new subject to help spread this message: babies. He snapped babies playing and swimming in water to help raise awareness for...

An extreme heat wave has killed more than 2,300 people in India in recent weeks, now clocking in as the fifth-deadliest on record. Day after day of sweltering near-120-degree days have wreaked havoc, demonstrating the awesome power of extreme heat. Dehydration and heat stroke have been the biggest threats to human life, the Associated Press reported. Stateside, heat poses a problem, too. As many as 688 individuals die every year as a direct result of heat, U.S. Centers for Disease...

In mid-January, climbers Kevin Jorgeson and Tommy Caldwell summited Yosemite National Park's El Capitan , meteorologist for The Weather ChannelChris Dole wrote at the time. The climbers completed their odyssey right in the middle of the climatological wet season for the Golden State, but no precipitation fell. "During this entire 30-year period, only a single winter (1982-1983) had no precipitation during this time," Dolce wrote. "This means that on average, the chances of making this climb with no precipitation from...

No matter where your summer vacation takes you, there's going to be a favorite local cuisine. Some are seasonal summer treats, like the Iowa State Fair corn dog or fresh berry pie from the Pacific Northwest. Other perennial local favorites are year-round must-eats, such as a Chicago-style pizza slice or a New York pastrami sandwich. Splurging on local treats can be a fun, healthful way to spend part of your vacation, said Anita Mirchandani, R.D., as long as you balance...

Peaches Peaches are temperature-sensitive and are best kept at room temperature until fully ripe or soft, StillTasty says. Summer is here, and there’s nothing better than enjoying a juicy peach or piece of honeydew while the hot sun beats down and cicadas chirp. But, you take a bite, and something isn’t right. Why? Summer produce stored in the refrigerator can because the majority of it is temperature-sensitive, the New York Times reported. (MORE: ) Some of the fruits that suffer...

Warm weather ushers in the beginning of tick-borne illness season, a serious concern both now and in the future, as climate change is predicted to spur an increase in disease rates. Most recently, researchers announced the discovery of Borrelia miyamotoi disease in the Northeastern United States, found in deer ticks, the same species that carries Lyme disease. The first recognized cases of the disease are from 2013 — 97 documented patients in total, though it’s possible many more contracted the...

Colorado Springs, Colorado — the leanest city in the U.S. — is known for the climate and the landscapes that bolster physical fitness. Ample daily sunshine, opportunities to hike and walk, plus access to safe parks and healthy food all make a difference for local residents. These factors add up: Colorado Springs and Santa Clara, California, are the only two U.S. metro areas with obesity rates less than 20 percent, according to the latest. On the flip side of Colorado's...

"As American as apple pie" might be the saying, but most in the States know American food goes far beyond this famous dessert — and those particular golden arches. In every season and in every climate, U.S. states produce an incredible bounty of foods, some originally native to North America, such as Maine's famous blueberries or the South's pecans, and some imported to be grown here, like the avocado or the orange. To celebrate the healthiest foods from every state,...

Improved air quality — both in heavily polluted and relatively clean places — could save millions of lives per year, researchers report in a new paper. A team of environmental engineering and public health researchers designed a model to quantify how changes in outdoor air pollution levels would affect related deaths from causes including heart attack, stroke, lung disease, lung cancer and respiratory infections. The results, they say, are dramatic. “We're a bit surprised at how much it matters to...

Climate change's impact on human health is happening today and will cause a “potentially catastrophic risk to human health” in the future, an international coalition of 47 scientists declare in new report from The Lancet. “A lot of the health impacts [of climate change] have been underestimated so far, and ... these impacts have the potential to reverse some of the [medical and scientific] gains that we've found in the last half century,” Nick Watts, the report's co-author and the...

Cremini Burgers with Goat Cheese, (Betterwithbutter.com) Summertime eats mean backyard parties, dinners fresh off the grill and all the fresh in-season produce you can handle — all great news for your health. First of all, a diet rich in fruit and vegetables — which is that much easier in the summer — can help you control your weight and prevent a host of diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some forms of cancer. Plus, in-season produce is less...

How happy does your environment make you? Countries with year-round warm climates, plenty of green space and ample sunshine are some of the happiest places on Earth, according to the newly released Gallup-Healthways Well-Being report. "The natural environment and year-round outdoor weather can both be helpful characteristics [for well-being]," Dan Witters, research director at the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, told weather.com, in regards to the organization's last year. The top warm-weather countries ranked particularly high for physical well-being, perhaps hinting at...