Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
Each week, KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to enjoy. Today's selections are on the presidential fitness test, Amtrak, 7Up, nurdles, and more.
The Washington Post:
Kids Hated The Presidential Fitness Test. Researchers Aren’t Fans, Either.
The once-nationwide fitness test for young people etched itself into people’s memories, according to experts in exercise testing, physiology and behavior. (Reynolds, 8/10)
The New York Times:
Disabled Amtrak Riders See Progress, But Still ‘Feel Like Freight’
Passengers are facing blocked wheelchair space, getting stuck in doors and suffering other indignities 35 years after the Americans With Disabilities Act became law. (Castro-Root, 8/14)
The Washington Post:
How Lithium Went From 7Up To Treatment For Mental Illness — And Maybe Alzheimer’s
The original formulation of the soft drink 7Up contained lithium; the drink was marketed under the name Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda. The lithium was removed in 1948 after the Food and Drug Administration banned the use of lithium citrate in soft drinks. (Johnson, 8/9)
The New York Times:
Treating Chronic Pain Is Hard. An Experimental Approach Shows Promise.
A guitarist in a death metal band was one of several people who found that personalized deep brain stimulation eased their pain and helped them reduce pain medication. (Belluck, 8/14)
The Wall Street Journal:
Meet The Parents Raising ‘Carnivore Babies,’ Swapping Puréed Fruit For Rib-Eye
When Dariya Quenneville’s infant daughter was ready for solid food, she skipped the mushed up avocado and banana. On the menu instead? Raw egg yolk and puréed chicken liver. (Petersen, 8/12)
The Guardian:
Buoyant, The Size Of A Lentil And Almost Impossible To Recover: How Nurdles Are Polluting The Oceans
Nurdles, a colloquial term for the plastic pellets, are the raw material used for nearly all plastic products. Lentil-sized, at between 1-5mm, they can be devastating to wildlife, especially fish, shrimps and seabirds that mistake them for food. They also act as “toxic sponges,” attracting so-called forever chemicals such as PCBs and PFAs in seawater on to their surfaces, and also carry harmful bacteria such as E coli. (McVeigh and Shaii, 8/12)
Capital & Main:
Tracking The Chaos Of Trump 2.0
Erin Kissane a group of about 80 volunteers launched “Unbreaking” in May, a digital project focused on “mapping the damage done [by the Trump administration] and its human costs.” The website monitors a growing number of issues, including the defunding of food safety programs and Medicaid. (Pratt, 8/11)
