Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Disordered Eating Has A Genetic Component; Basic Steps Make Covid Mostly Non-Fatal
The New York Times: Are Eating Disorders Inherited?
Food usually brings people together. It’s how we celebrate and connect. And yet I’ve spent decades of my life avoiding and restricting it according to rigid rules of my own design. I find food terrifying and had long been afraid of passing that fear along to a future daughter. While plenty of men suffer from eating disorders, patients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are overwhelmingly female. (Jillian Weinberger, 7/31)
The Boston Globe: With A Few Basic Steps, Most Of Us Can Finally Ignore COVID
Like so many others, we are living with COVID. The virus isn’t going anywhere, but how safely we live with it has changed dramatically. Most Americans have resumed the full range of their pre-pandemic activities — concerts, parties, summer camps, and family events. But with the virus still circulating, many who have gone back to pre-pandemic life still worry if they are safe. (Ashish Jha, 7/31)
The New York Times: The Research Scandal At Stanford Is More Common Than You Think
Dr. Tessier-Lavigne made the announcement after a university investigation found that as a neuroscientist and biotechnology executive, he had fostered an environment that led to “unusual frequency of manipulation of research data and/or substandard scientific practices” across labs at multiple institutions. Stanford opened the investigation in response to reporting I published last autumn in The Stanford Daily, taking a closer look at scientific papers he published from 1999 to 2012. (Theo Baker, 7/30)
CNN: Doctor: What I Didn’t Know Until I Got Skin Cancer
As a practicing physician, my life revolves around caring for my patients, helping them stay healthy, educating them about diseases and picking up on the signs of health concerns that need to be addressed. A few weeks ago, however, it became painfully obvious that I had missed the signs of my own major health issue. To my surprise, I was diagnosed with skin cancer on my scalp. The diagnosis of basal cell cancer, and the fact that I ignored it for so long, have really made me pause to reflect on my own health habits and some common misconceptions about skin cancer. (Susannah Hills, 7/29)
Stat: My Superpower Is Killing Ticks
Sometimes people call me “the tick guy,” but I’m a mammal guy by training. Although I respect ticks, I don’t fear them, especially after developing an immunity that kills them when they try to bite me. (Richard S. Ostfeld, 7/31)
