Healing Stories Network

The Reading Room

Honest, first-person companions to the conditions, treatments, and choices explored across our library.

December 23, 2025 GLP-1 Medications by the Numbers

How fast GLP-1 medications went mainstream, in data: how many people use them, what for, the awareness gap, and the scale of th...

December 19, 2025 Obesity Rates by the Numbers

Obesity in numbers: how prevalence has tripled since 1975, where it stands worldwide and in the US, and why it is tracked so cl...

Diabetes and prediabetes by the numbers, including the large share of people who have them without knowing.

December 11, 2025 Mental Health Statistics, Explained

Mental health in data: how common anxiety, depression and other conditions are worldwide, and how the picture has shifted.

The world's leading cause of death in numbers: the scale of cardiovascular disease and how much of it is preventable.

December 3, 2025 Cancer by the Numbers

Cancer in data: the global scale of the disease, and the quieter good-news story of how much survival has improved since the 19...

November 29, 2025 Sleep Deprivation by the Numbers

Sleep in numbers: how many people fall short of recommended sleep, and why the shortfall matters for health.

The loneliness epidemic in data: how widespread loneliness is, and the serious health risks linked to social isolation.

November 21, 2025 Physical Inactivity by the Numbers

Physical inactivity in numbers: how many adults fall short of recommended activity, and why it is a leading preventable risk.

November 17, 2025 Smoking and Vaping by the Numbers

Smoking and vaping in data: the dramatic decline of smoking over sixty years, and the rise of vaping in its place.

November 13, 2025 Alcohol and the Sober-Curious Shift

Alcohol in data: the global death toll, how many adults drink, and the cultural shift toward drinking less.

High blood pressure in data: how over a billion adults are affected, how many are unaware, and how few have it controlled.