Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Highly Processed Foods May Kill You Sooner: Study
NBC News: Highly Processed Foods Are Linked To Early Death, Study Finds
A study published Monday in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine estimated that in 2019, the deaths of around 57,000 Brazilian people between the ages of 30 and 69 were attributable to the consumption of ultra-processed food. That amounts to more than 10% of annual premature deaths in Brazil among that age group. (Bendix, 11/7)
Fox News: Non-Stick Pans Could Release Millions Of Microplastic Particles In Possible 'Health Concern,' Study Says
Non-stick pots could be releasing millions of tiny plastic particles as users are cooking or washing. (Musto, 11/5)
NPR: National Park Service Asks Visitors Stop Licking Toxic Toads
The toad, also known as the Colorado river toad, is about seven inches in size and carries a weak, low-pitched ribbit sound. But the creature is far from harmless. Sonoran desert toads secrete a potent toxin that can make people sick if they touch it or get the poison in their mouth, according to the National Park Service. (Kim, 11/6)
NBC News: FDA Advises Parents Not To Use Infant Head Shaping Pillows
Parents should not use infant head shaping pillows to change a baby’s head shape or symmetry, the Food and Drug Administration advised on Thursday. (Lenthang, 11/4)
In monkeypox updates —
CIDRAP: Household Contact, Sex Among Risk Factors In Monkeypox Cases In Kids, Teens
In a study today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, researchers detail 83 confirmed monkeypox cases among US children and teens, noting household contact in younger kids and sex in teens as the major risk factors.... Among the teens, 89% were boys, and 66% were presumed to contract the virus during MSM sexual contact. Only 16 girls were confirmed to have contracted the virus. (Soucheray, 11/4)
And the pope demands an end to female genital mutilation —
AP: Pope Calls Female Genital Mutilation A Crime That Must Stop
Pope Francis called female genital mutilation a “crime” on Sunday and said the fight for women’s rights, equality and opportunity must continue for the good of society. “How is it that today in the world we cannot stop the tragedy of infibulation of young girls?” he asked, referring to the ritual cutting of a girls’ external genitalia. “This is terrible that today there is a practice that humanity isn’t able to stop. It’s a crime. It’s a criminal act!” (Winfield, 11/6)
