Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Untenable Situation' For 2030: Study Finds Half Of U.S. Adults Will Be Obese, One-Quarter Severely Obese
The Associated Press: Study Estimates That Half Of US Adults Will Be Obese By 2030
There's no way to sugarcoat this news: Nearly half of American adults will be obese within a decade and one-quarter will be severely so, a new report predicts. It corrects for a weakness in previous estimates that may have made the problem seem not as big as it really is. Those estimates often relied on national health surveys and people tend to understate their weight in those. (12/18)
CNN: US Obesity Rate: Half Of America Will Be Obese Within 10 Years, Study Says, Unless We Work Together
"Given how notoriously difficult obesity is to treat once it's established, you can see that we're in an untenable situation," said Aviva Must, chair of Tufts University's Public Health and Community Medicine, who was not involved in the study. "The societal cost is high," she said, "both in terms of obesity-related health consequences and healthcare expenditures which could bring us to our knees." (LaMotte, 12/18)
The New York Times: The More Processed Foods You Eat, The Higher Your Diabetes Risk
Eating ultraprocessed foods may increase your risk for Type 2 diabetes. Ultraprocessed foods — including chips, instant noodles, breakfast cereals, chicken nuggets and other industrially processed ready-to-eat or microwaveable fare — are designed for tastiness and long shelf-life. They typically contain emulsifiers, thickening agents, food coloring and other additives of no nutritive value. In previous studies, they have been linked to an increased risk for cancer, depression and cardiovascular disease. (Bakalar, 12/18)
CNN: 12 Small Resolutions To Clean Up Your Diet In 2020
The New Year is right around the corner, and if you are looking to makeover your diet there are some simple suggestions to help you eat healthier in 2020. I'm not talking about a major food overhaul, but month-by-month "mini-resolutions" that will give you a complete nutritional upgrade by next December. (Drayer, 12/19)
