Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CMS Calls On Hospitals To Swap Out Junk Food For Wholesome Options
Bloomberg: RFK Jr. Takes His Eat-Real-Food Campaign To Hospital Trays
US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is asking hospitals to use his revamped food pyramid to redo their food menus offered to patients, regulators announced on Monday. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services sent a memo to hospitals asking them to limit ultra-processed food options for patients, though there’s no formal definition for exactly what that means. Instead the agency wants hospitals to transition to serving whole grains, eliminate sugary drinks and ensure meals have less than 10 grams of added sugar. (Cohrs Zhang, 3/30)
The Wall Street Journal: New Heart Association Diet Advice Contradicts Government Recommendations
New nutrition guidance from the American Heart Association advises getting protein from plants rather than meat, choosing low-fat or fat-free dairy and using olive, soybean and canola oils instead of beef tallow and butter. The recommendations, released Tuesday by the association, contrast with dietary guidelines that the Trump administration introduced earlier this year. (Petersen and McKay, 3/31)
More MAHA updates —
The Hill: Most Say Donald Trump Administration Has Not Done Enough To 'Make America Healthy Again': Survey
Most Americans say the Trump administration has not done enough to “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA), according to a Monday poll. In the Politico poll, 52 percent of respondents said the administration “has not done enough to Make America Healthy Again,” while 26 percent said the opposite. Twenty-two percent of respondents said they were unsure if the administration has done enough in alignment with MAHA. (Suter, 3/30)
The Washington Post: White House Reaffirms Backing Means As Surgeon General After Trump Remarks
The Trump administration threw its support behind Casey Means for surgeon general a day after President Donald Trump injected uncertainty into her nomination, which has been stalled in the Senate. The president Sunday night on Air Force One said he didn’t know how she was doing in the confirmation process, noting that he was more focused on Iran. But he added, “We have a lot of great candidates for” surgeon general. (Weber and Roubein, 3/30)
The New York Times: Why Some Teenage Girls Are Trading Medicine for MAHA
The newest evangelists of the Make America Healthy Again lifestyle aren’t muscled bros crushing reps or wellness moms posting about vaccine schedules — they’re high-school- and college-aged young women. In another, not-too-distant era, they might have channeled their energy into writing “Twilight” fan fiction or playing beer pong. In this era, they’re making “pizza crust” from ground meat, perfecting their supplement regimens and posting Instagram reels about the supposed dangers of Tylenol and seed oils. (Kraft, 3/27)
