A comprehensive new study of global food supplies confirms and thoroughly documents for the first time what experts have long suspected: over the last five decades, human diets around the world have grown ever more similar – by a global average of 36 percent – and the trend shows no signs of slowing, with major consequences for human nutrition and global food security.

By Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Bears in Yosemite National Park in California have adopted the wildlife version of a health food diet after increased safety measures largely blocked them from scavenging for food in campgrounds over the last 15 years, a study showed on Tuesday. An estimated 350 to 400 black bears roam Yosemite, one of the most popular U.S. tourist destinations. Interactions between the park’s bears and people reached a record level in 1998 as the animals raided campgrounds and broke into cars in search of groceries and leftovers, according to Yosemite spokesman Scott Gediman. After recording 1,584 human-bear interactions that year, the park east of San Francisco adopted a policy in 1999 that included placing bear-resistant food storage containers at campgrounds and cracking down more forcefully on people leaving out items like chips or bread, Gediman said.

By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent OSLO (Reuters) – Increasing similarity in diets worldwide is a threat to health and food security with many people forsaking traditional crops such as cassava, sorghum or millet, an international study showed on Monday. “More people are consuming more calories, protein and fat, and they rely increasingly on a shortlist of major food crops … along with meat and dairy products,” Colin Khoury, leader of the study at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture in Colombia, said in a statement. Such diets have been linked to risks of heart disease, cancers and diabetes, the study said. Reliance on a narrower group of food crops also raises vulnerability to pests and diseases that might gain because of climate change.

By Piya Sinha-Roy LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Jared Leto, the former teen heartthrob who left Hollywood to become a rock star, won the best supporting actor Oscar on Sunday in his return to movies as an HIV positive transgender woman in “Dallas Buyers Club.” Leto, 42, won over both critics and audiences with his portrayal of Rayon in the 1980s era AIDS drama, and was seen as favorite for the supporting actor Oscar. He beat out Bradley Cooper, Barkhad Abdi, Jonah Hill and Michael Fassbender. But it was Leto’s return to film in “Dallas Buyers Club” that piqued the interest of audiences, especially as the actor documented a weight loss of 30 to 40 lbs (13-18 kg) to transform himself into HIV-positive character Rayon.

By Kathleen Raven NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Complicated elbow fractures could be added to a growing list of heightened health risks for obese children, according to a recent analysis. Obese kids were nine times more likely to suffer an elbow fracture with multiple fracture lines in the same arm, or with the bone exposed through the skin, compared to normal-weight children, researchers found. Obese kids were also more likely to have fallen on their outstretched hand. “As a public health message, this study validates the efforts of medical organizations to raise awareness about childhood obesity,” Dr. Michelle Caird told Reuters Health.

CHICAGO (AP) — Government research links indoor tanning by teenagers with other risks including binge drinking, unhealthy dieting and sexual activity.

Figures show that obesity rates for preschoolers have fallen dramatically over the last 10 years. According to Medical News Today, CDC statistics show a 43 percent drop in obesity among youngsters 2 to 5 years old. Overall U.S. obesity rates remained at the same level, and they actually went up significantly in women at least 60. The CDC says that unlike the specific role BMI measurements play in determining an adult’s weight status, a child’s weight category is the result of considering age- and sex-specific BMI percentiles.

A few diet tweaks can help you quickly reduce your sugar intake, knock down your disease risk, and protect your ticker. Bonus: you’ll probably drop some pounds in the process. Put these five simple sugar-reduction steps into action today.