Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Obesity Is Becoming More Common Across The Nation: CDC
Obesity is becoming more common in a growing number of states, according to new data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2022, 22 states had at least 35% of adults with obesity, up from 19 states in 2021. Ten years ago, CDC said, no state had an adult obesity prevalence at or above 35%. (McPhillips, 9/21)
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the prevalence of obesity is rising all across the nation. The CDC data found that 22 states had a prevalence, or “proportion of adults with a body mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 30,” of obesity over 35 percent in 2022. In comparison, 17 states had a prevalence of obesity over 35 percent in 2021. (Suter, 9/21)
Women and nonbinary people are more likely than men to say they have experienced discrimination from a medical provider or been denied medical services, and the disparity is particularly acute when it comes to weight-based discrimination, according to a new 19th News/SurveyMonkey poll. (Luthra, 9/21)
On other public health matters —
The World Health Organization (WHO) has just published its first report on the global impact of hypertension and how people can win the race against this "silent killer" that often presents without symptoms. "This important report from WHO shows how high blood pressure is common and growing in prevalence, but is under-detected and under-treated globally," Dr. Deepak L. Bhatt, director of Mount Sinai Heart at the Icahn School of Medicine in New York City, told Fox News Digital. (Sudhakar, 9/21)
The U.S. environmental regulator said Thursday soil sampling for lead in two Pennsylvania towns near telecommunications cables indicate "no threats to the health of people nearby that would warrant" an immediate government response, despite some findings of the pollutant. The Environmental Protection Agency testing was prompted by an investigation by the Wall Street Journal of lead covered telecommunications cables across the United States. EPA sampled soil for lead near telecommunications cables in the Pennsylvania towns of Coal Center and California. (Shepardson, 9/21)
Nearly half (46%) of parents in the U.S. have given melatonin to a child under the age of 13, and almost one-third (30%) of parents have given the supplement to a teen over the age of 13 to help him or her fall asleep, according to a recent survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). Providing melatonin to children might seem like a natural solution — but a 2022 AASM health advisory warns against using it for children because melatonin is not regulated by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). (Rudy, 9/22)
The fastest and most accessible tool to improve your family’s mental health is not only effective but free: Start talking. Learning how to talk about your own mental health with your child is one of the surefire ways to improve overall family comfort and mental health, according to a new report by the Harvard Graduate School of Education. (Icard, 9/21)
