Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Sharp Lines Drawn Over Hospitals' Decision To Not Sell Sugary Beverages
Stat: Hospitals Are Refusing To Sell Sugary Drinks, Drawing Grumbles
With obesity rising, more hospitals across the country are dropping sugary drinks from cafeterias and vending machines — and angering employees and visitors in the process.“ It’s ridiculous,” said Terry Vincent, a surgical technologist eating lunch one recent afternoon in a hospital cafeteria at the University of California, San Francisco, which stopped selling sugar-sweetened drinks on its campuses one year ago. Many visitors spend long, stressful hours at the hospital sitting vigil with loved ones, he pointed out, adding: “Give ‘em a Coke!”Officials at UCSF say the policy is popular among staff, and is helping to trim their waistlines, but many workers on their lunch break begged to differ. (Bailey, 10/24)
In other news on nutrition —
The Hill: Salt Guidelines Draw Heavy Backlash
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is picking a food fight with an effort to reduce the amount of salt in the American diet. The agency says a typical American eats about 3,400 milligrams of sodium each day, most of which is already in the food before it is purchased at a store or restaurant, giving consumers little control over the salt they consume. The FDA wants to change that and is drafting voluntary guidelines that encourage food manufacturers to limit the sodium content in all of their products. (Devaney, 10/21)
