Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Facebook Gets Sent Data From Some Suicide Hotline Websites: Investigation
The Markup and Stat: Suicide Hotlines, Promising Anonymity, Send User Data To Facebook
Websites for mental health crisis resources across the country — which promise anonymity for visitors, many of whom are at a desperate moment in their lives — have been quietly sending sensitive visitor data to Facebook, The Markup has found. Dozens of websites tied to the national mental health crisis 988 hotline, which launched last summer, transmit the data through a tool called the Meta Pixel, according to testing conducted by The Markup. That data often included signals to Facebook when visitors attempted to dial for mental health emergencies by tapping on dedicated call buttons on the websites. (Lecher and Keegan, 6/13)
In other health and wellness news —
The Washington Post: All Calories Are Not Created Equal When It Comes To Weight Loss
For years scientists have believed that when it comes to weight gain, all calories are created equal. But an intriguing new study, published in the journal Nature Communications, suggests that’s not true. The body appears to react differently to calories ingested from high-fiber whole foods vs. ultra-processed junk foods. The reason? Cheap processed foods are more quickly absorbed in your upper gastrointestinal tract, which means more calories for your body and fewer for your gut microbiome, which is located near the end of your digestive tract. (O'Connor, 6/13)
CIDRAP: Mpox Transmission Stays Low Globally, With Mixed Regional Patterns
Global mpox transmission continues at low levels, though two regions—Southeast Asia and Africa—reported increases in recent weeks, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest update on the outbreak. ... Over the past 3 weeks, the Americas reported the most cases, and in the most recent reporting week, increased cases were reported in the European and South East Asia regions. (Schnirring, 6/13)
Axios: Jet Lag: Tips To Protect Your Sleep While Traveling
While jetsetters brace for a summer of air travel mayhem, there’s another thing to prepare for: the literal headache of traveling across time zones. Jet lag is hard on sleep and could seriously affect your health. (Mallenbaum, 6/13)
