Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Intermittent Fasting Not Linked To Long-Term Weight Loss, Study Shows
NBC News: Intermittent Fasting Wasn't Associated With Weight Loss Over 6 Years, A New Study Found
When it comes to losing weight, how much food you eat likely matters more than the timing of your meals, according to a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association. (Bendix, 1/18)
The Mercury News: Vitamin D Study: People With Higher BMI Experience Less Benefits, 'Diminished Outcomes'
Vitamin D might be metabolized differently in people with a higher body mass index, according to a new study from Boston researchers who found that the vitamin’s benefits may depend on someone’s body weight. Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital concluded that people with an elevated BMI had a “blunted response” to vitamin D supplementation — which the scientists said explains differences in outcomes, such as cancer, diabetes, and autoimmune disease. (Sobey, 1/18)
USA Today: AAP Childhood Obesity Guidelines On Surgery, Treatment Draw Scrutiny
Faith Anne Heeren vividly remembers the day she first became aware of her weight. It was first grade. Nurses came to her North Carolina private school to practice taking vitals, which included weighing in front of the entire class. (Rodriguez, 1/19)
ABC News: With Growing Popularity Of New Weight Loss Drugs, Doctors Emphasize Potential Risks
The FDA, in 2014, later approved a GLP-1 RA for chronic weight management. Additional drugs in the class have since been approved for weight loss. Of the nearly 35 million Americans with type 2 diabetes, more than one in 10 were estimated to be taking these drugs in 2019, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. (Rosen, 1/19)
In other health and wellness news —
AP: Flavored Cannabis Marketing Is Criticized For Targeting Kids
For decades, health advocates have chided the tobacco industry for marketing harmful nicotine products to children, resulting in more cities and states, like New York, outlawing flavored tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. Now as cannabis shops proliferate across the country, the same concerns are growing over the packaging and marketing of flavored cannabis that critics say could entice children to partake of products labeled “mad mango,” “loud lemon” and “peach dream.” (Calvan, 1/19)
Fox News: If You Retire Early, You Could Be Harming Your Health: New Study
As they grow older, many Americans begin to think about the best time to retire. Yet a new study throws some warning signs around that decision — as retiring early could actually worsen people's health. A recent paper published in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization suggests that early retirement may accelerate cognitive decline in late adulthood. (Sudhakar, 1/18)
Bloomberg: Power Conservation May Lead To Higher Mortality Risk, Study Says
Energy conservation policies may lead to higher mortality rates and other public health consequences, a new study shows. Researchers estimated that about 7,710 people died prematurely in Japan each year during energy savings campaigns in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima disaster, as the government sought to avert widespread power shortages. Most of the excess deaths occurred during the hot summer months as elderly residents avoided energy-intensive air conditioning. (Oda, 1/19)
Stat: Leaders Need To Pay Attention To How Climate Change, Health, And Security Intersect
As CEOs and world leaders gather for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week, they might be surprised to see less snow out of the window than usual on the country’s luminous peaks. Record-breaking temperatures in the Alps are just one sign of the effect climate change is having on planet Earth. (Kerry, 1/18)
The New York Times: Canada’s New Guidelines For Alcohol Say ‘No Amount’ Is Healthy
Canadian health officials have overhauled their guidelines for alcohol consumption, warning that no amount is healthy and recommending that people reduce drinking as much as possible. The new guidelines, issued Tuesday, represent a major shift from the previous ones introduced in 2011, which recommended that women consume no more than 10 drinks per week and that men limit themselves to 15. (Levenson, 1/18)
KHN: Readers And Tweeters Diagnose Greed And Chronic Pain Within US Health Care System
KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories. (1/19)
AP: Lesion Removed From Jill Biden's Eyelid Was Non-Cancerous
A lesion removed by surgeons last week from first lady Jill Biden’s left eyelid was a non-cancerous growth, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, physician to President Joe Biden, said Wednesday. O’Connor said in a memo released by the White House that a biopsy showed that the legion was seborrheic keratosis, a “very common, totally harmless, non-cancerous growth.” (1/19)
Stat: Benefits Of Gender-Affirming Hormones For Teens Persist, Study Finds
Trans and nonbinary teenagers who receive gender-affirming hormones experience less depression and anxiety and more satisfaction with life than before the treatment, according to a new study published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. (Gaffney, 1/18)
Stat: Is Social Media Bad For Teens' Developing Brains?
Today’s teens and tweens have never known a world without social media. There are still a lot of open questions about how sites like TikTok and Instagram may shape their development — and stories focusing on the potential negative impacts of social media tend to dominate the news. But a recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics is the latest in a growing body of research that suggests the relationship that young people have with social media is too complicated to be categorized as simply good or bad. (Fitzgerald, 1/19)
