Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Fast Carbs' In Potato Chips, Cookies Might Be Stress Busters But Health Expert Says To Back Off
The New York Times: How ‘Fast Carbs’ May Undermine Your Health
In recent weeks, foods of all kinds have flown off the shelves at grocery stores as Americans stocked up to weather the coronavirus pandemic. But sales of “comfort foods” like potato chips, pretzels, pancake mix and cookies have seen a particularly dramatic surge. That may not be surprising: They are cheap, satisfying and shelf stable. Unfortunately, for the many millions of people now sheltered at home, avoiding the urge to make frequent trips to the kitchen throughout the day to snack on these foods can be tricky. (O'Connor, 4/14)
CNN: C-Section Babies May Be At Higher Risk Of Obesity And Diabetes In Later Life, Study Suggests
Being born by cesarean section may have long-term health consequences, increasing your risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes as an adult, a study of more than 30,000 US women suggests. The research, published Monday in the journal JAMA Network Open, found that those women born by cesarean delivery were 11% more likely to be obese as adults and had a 46% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than women born by vaginal delivery. (Hunt, 4/13)
CNN: Rate Of New US Hep C Infections Rises Three-Fold In Past Decade, CDC Now Says All Adults Should Be Screened At Least Once
The annual rate of newly reported hepatitis C infections in the United States has increased threefold, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A new CDC report finds that the annual rate rose from a rate of 0.3 cases per 100,000 people in 2009 to a rate of 1.2 per 100,000 people in 2018. That report also makes new recommendations for all adults to get screened for hepatitis C at least once in their lifetimes. (Howard, 4/10)
