13-Year-Olds Shouldn't Be On Social Media: Surgeon General

Vivek Murthy, speaking on CNN Newsroom, said, "Their relationships and the skewed and often distorted environment of social media often does a disservice to many of those children.” Meanwhile, USA Today reports on expectations of surging teen and child diabetes rates.

Axios: Surgeon General Vivek Murthy: 13 Is Too Young For Social Media

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said on “CNN Newsroom” on Saturday he believes 13-year-olds are too young to join social media and that being on those platforms does a "disservice" to children. Scientists have warned of a connection between heavy social media use and mental health issues in children, saying that the negatives outweigh the positives. (Ravipati, 1/29)

In other health and wellness news —

USA Today: Diabetes In American Children, Teens To Surge By 2060: CDC Study

The statistics are concerning and should stir urgency in addressing the health of American young people, such as prioritizing efforts to bring down rates of obesity, a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes, experts say. Despite a known link between obesity and Type 2 diabetes, "it’s very unsettling that we have not made any progress to really decrease this risk of Type 2 diabetes in children," said Dr. Colleen Buggs-Saxton, a pediatric endocrinologist at Wayne State University. (Hassanein, 1/30)

CNN: Weight Loss Surgery Extends Lives, Study Finds

Weight loss surgery reduces the risk of premature death, especially from such obesity-related conditions as cancer, diabetes and heart disease, according to a new 40-year study of nearly 22,000 people who had bariatric surgery in Utah. (LaMotte, 1/28)

CNN: Sleep Disorders Are Associated With More Parental Stress

According to a new study, disrupted sleep in parents and disrupted sleep in their children are each correlated with increased stress in the parents. In fact, it didn’t matter whether the parent had a sleep disorder or the child did. Both equally affected the parent’s stress levels. (Chaudhary, 1/28)

Axios: Kids' Mental Health Is Parents' Top Concern

Kids' mental health is now parents' biggest concern, according to a new study from the Pew Research Center. Gone are the days of parents sitting up worrying about their kids getting into fights, or trouble with drugs and alcohol. Social media and the pandemic have ushered in a new dimension to parents' already challenging jobs. (Galvan, 1/29)

Houston Chronicle: Charcuterie Meats Recalled Due To Possible Listeria Contamination

Daniele International is warning consumers not to eat several of its meat products after discovering a possible outbreak of listeria. Listeria is a bacteria that can cause listeriosis, an infection that can cause fever and flu-like symptoms, and can lead to miscarriages or stillbirths in pregnant people, who are significantly more likely to get infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control. (Munce, 1/29)

Fox News: WHO Updates List Of Medicines Governments Should Stockpile In Case Of A Nuclear Emergency

The World Health Organization released an updated report on Friday detailing medications that governments should have on hand in the event of a radiological or nuclear emergency. Governments should have a national stockpile of personal protective equipment, but also a range of pharmaceuticals, including potassium iodide tablets, antiemetics, anti-diarrhoeal agents, decorporating agents, alkylating agents, and other medications, WHO said. (Best, 1/29)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.

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