Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
What Is It About Processed Foods That Makes Them So Hard To Quit? Researchers Look For Answers Beyond 'They Taste Good'
The Associated Press: What's So Bad About Processed Foods? Scientists Offer Clues
Chips, soda and frozen pizzas tend to be full of salt, sugar and fat, but now scientists are trying to understand if there's something else about such processed foods that might be bad for us. Already, the spread of cheap, packaged foods has been linked to rising obesity rates around the world. Yet advice to limit processed foods can seem unhelpful, given how convenient they are and the growing array of products that fall into the category. (Choi, 6/14)
Stat: Medical Schools Are Starting To Diversify. But They’re Learning Hard Lessons Along The Way
As medical students graduate this spring, American medical schools are celebrating the achievements of the nation’s newest doctors. They are also celebrating something else: an increase in the number of students from underrepresented populations. From 2017 to 2018, the number of black students enrolled in U.S. medical schools rose by 4.6%, while the number of medical students identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native increased by 6.3%, according to data released by the Association of American Medical Colleges. It’s the latest evidence of a steady increase in the enrollment of nonwhite students over the past several years. (Samuel, 6/17)
The New York Times: For The Third Time, W.H.O. Declines To Declare The Ebola Outbreak An Emergency
For the third time, the World Health Organization declined on Friday to declare the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a public health emergency, though the outbreak spread this week into neighboring Uganda and ranks as the second deadliest in history. An expert panel advising the W.H.O. advised against it because the risk of the disease spreading beyond the region remained low and declaring an emergency could have backfired. (McNeil, 6/14)
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Mental Health Day Off? Company Culture Is Changing: Top Workplaces 2019
Companies are becoming more attuned to the mental health needs of their employees, thanks to an evolving understanding of the importance of mental health issues throughout the United States, said Sonya Weiland, a human resources consultant in Strongsville. Most companies don’t officially offer days off specifically for mental health care, but many support the practice unofficially, she said. (Glaser, 6/16)
Bloomberg: India's Lupin Recalls 18,000 Antibiotic Drug Bottles In The U.S.
Indian drug maker Lupin Ltd. is recalling more than 18,000 bottles of an antibiotic drug used to treat bacterial infections from the U.S. market. Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc, the U.S. unit of the Indian company, is recalling the drug due to a “complaint received of metal piece identified in the product bottle prior to the reconstitution,” according to information on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or USFDA, website. (Sircar, 6/16)
The Wall Street Journal: Does Your Kid Spend Too Much Time Online? Here’s When To Worry.
Twitch. Fortnite. Netflix. Many parents worry that their kids spend too much time on social media, videogames and other digital technology. Some are concerned enough to ask doctors for help. Parents may have reason to worry, says pediatrician Michael Rich, director of Boston Children’s Hospital’s Center on Media and Child Health and the Clinic for Interactive Media and Internet Disorders, which focuses on issues associated with digital technology. (Reddy, 6/17)
WBUR: Pregnant, Locked Up, And Alone
With female incarceration rates rising in the United States, prisons and jails across the country are contending with new challenges, including caring for pregnant women. Sometimes, those inmates are being housed alone — in medical units and other types of isolation — for days or weeks at a time. (McCammon, 6/16)
The Washington Post: Confused Or Worried About Antibiotics? This Harvard Infectious Disease Expert Has Some Answers
Should you use antibiotics? What’s antibiotic resistance? Can the medication really interfere with the gut and other systems of the body? If you have questions about antibiotics, you’re not alone — and Mary E. Wilson, a Harvard University professor and infectious disease expert, probably answers those question in “Antibiotics: What Everyone Needs to Know.” (Blakemore, 6/15)
The Washington Post: Potent Pot, Vulnerable Teens Trigger Concerns In First States To Legalize Marijuana
The first two states to legalize recreational marijuana are starting to grapple with teenagers’ growing use of highly potent pot, even as both boost the industry and reap huge tax windfalls from its sales. Though the legal purchase age is 21 in Colorado and Washington, parents, educators and physicians say youths are easily getting hold of edibles infused with tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the psychoactive component that causes a high, and concentrates such as “shatter,” a brittle, honey-colored substance that is heated and then inhaled through a special device. (Oldham, 6/16)
