Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
The Addiction To Eating: 'My Whole Life, I Was Constantly Thinking About Food'
The Boston Globe: When Calories Consume You
As with substance abuse, the science on how best to treat eating disorders can be murky. Talk therapy and peer support groups have long been thought of as effective options. But unlike with alcoholism or narcotics addiction, there is no consensus that addictive overeating is a true medical condition. That can often leave those who struggle with it especially isolated. (Kasulis, 7/8)
Meanwhile, a new study shows that using cartoon characters can actually persuade children to eat their vegetables —
Wyoming Public Radio: Want Kids To Eat More Veggies? Market Them With Cartoons
Be it SpongeBob SquarePants or Tony the Tiger, food companies have long used cartoon characters to market their products to children. But that tactic can also sway younger kids to eat fresh vegetables, according to a new study. Sammy Spinach, Oliver Onion, Colby Carrot, Suzy Sweet Pea and a slew of cartoon vegetable characters with superpowers were developed as puppets by a nonprofit organization called Super Sprowtz. (Chatterjee, 7/7)
