Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Fish Oil Pills Remain Popular, Despite Little Proven Value
The Washington Post: Fish Oil Pills: A $1.2 Billion Industry Built, So Far, On Empty Promises
For anyone wondering about whether to take a fish oil pill to improve your health, the Web site of the National Institutes of Health has some advice. Yes. And no. One page on the Web site endorses taking fish oil supplements, saying they are likely effective for heart disease ... But another page suggests that, in fact, the fish oil pills seem useless ... Few issues better reflect the American confusion over diet. People in the United States spend about $1.2 billion annually for fish oil pills and related supplements even though the vast majority of research published recently in major journals provides no evidence of a health benefit. (Whoriskey, 7/8)
The New York Times: Doctors’ Notes For Pregnant Employees Can Backfire, Experts Warn
Women who seek accommodations from their employers during pregnancy are sometimes fired or forced into unpaid leave for a surprising reason: Their doctor’s note was not carefully worded, experts warned on Wednesday. ... In roughly 70 percent of pregnancy-related cases investigated by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over the last decade, a female employee was fired. Doctors’ notes often play a pivotal role in employment conflicts, Dr. Jackson and her colleagues said. (Saint Louis, 7/8)
