Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
The New York Times: ’Shrooms Lead The Pack In Psychedelic Medicine, But Rollout Is Bumpy
In the billion-dollar race to commercialize psychedelic medicine, psilocybin, a naturally occurring hallucinogen better known as magic mushrooms, or “shrooms,” has decisively pulled ahead of the pack. The Food and Drug Administration in November said it would move up its review of a psilocybin treatment for severe depression by nine to 12 months, according to the applicant, Compass Pathways. It hopes to receive the agency’s approval for the therapy before the end of the year. The news is among the first concrete signs that the Trump administration is recognizing psychedelic medicine as a potential therapy tool. (Jacobs, 1/13)
NPR: Young Men Want To Get Big. For Some, It's Becoming An Obsession
The gym is constantly on Dashiell Frederickson's mind. The 16-year-old works out religiously every day, sometimes for up to three hours a day. "The gym is all I can think about during the day," Frederickson said. "I wake up, I'm thinking about the gym. I'm brushing my teeth, I'm thinking about the gym … and once I'm finally at the gym, I'm kind of set and I'm happy." (Ruprecht, 1/14)
San Francisco Chronicle: How Stanford Gymnast Overcame Eating Disorder, Being The ‘Sickest One’
“I was constantly told, when you hit puberty, you’re gonna gain a bunch of weight, and we want to do everything we possibly can to combat that,” Levi Jung-Ruivivar said of what she had heard from coaches growing up. “It’s gonna affect your gymnastics.” What began as tracking meals on MyFitnessPal escalated into restrictive diets: no-carb, paleo, pescatarian. (Ingemi, 1/15)
The 19th: The Truth About HIV Phobia In Gay Dating
In his room, 19-year-old Cody Nester toggles between Grindr profiles on his phone. As he senses chemistry with a match, he knows he has to flag something that could be a deal breaker. “Did you see on my profile that I’m HIV positive?” he writes. (Donndelinger, 1/13)
CNN: Autistic Barbie: Advocates Celebrate Release Of ‘Magical’ First-Ever Barbie On The Spectrum
Five-year-old Mikko’s eyes lit up with glee when she noticed something familiar about her Barbie: The doll held a fidget spinner and wore oversize headphones, just like hers. (Howard, 1/12)
