'Severe obesity' is on the rise, a warning about fluoride in U.S. drinking water and the latest data on suicide rates: Here's what happened in health this week
Happy Saturday! As the days get shorter, keep wearing sunscreen (yes, even on overcast days) — and try adding some fall color to your home and wardrobe for a mental health boost. Here’s what else you might have missed in health and wellness news this week.
What our team has been interested in: These were some of our favorite topics:
A protein powerhouse that you also fit in your pocket? Eggcellent. Rachel Grumman Bender shares why eggs are the perfect on-the-go snack.
Cavities can (sometimes, maybe!) be reversed. Kerry Justich explains how to do it.
Free at-home COVID tests are back! Natalie Rahhal shows us how to stock up, plus the latest COVID info.
Craving a lazy Saturday, but also want to get your daily steps in? Kaitlin Reilly makes us feel good about “lazy exercise.”
The leaves may be changing, but warning labels on alcohol have not; in fact, it’s been 35 years since they’ve been updated. I took a look at why they’re due for an upgrade and what they should look like.
What researchers have been studying: Here are some interesting new studies that have come out:
New commentary published on Tuesday is urging us to rethink our bottled water habit — for the sake of our individual and collective health. Natalie Rahhal dives into better ways to stay hydrated.
The latest Yahoo News/YouGov survey found that over a quarter of Americans are stressed out by friends and family with different political views. Here’s how to talk to people you disagree with.
For the first time ever, a 25-year-old woman’s type 1 diabetes was reversed less than three months after receiving a stem cell transplant, the journal Nature reported on Thursday. The ongoing trial in China could mean new treatments for the half a billion people affected by the disease worldwide.
What happened in celebrity health: Celebrities make headlines for more than just fashion and films; they can call our attention to some important health topics too. Here’s what to know this week:
The beloved sitcom Friends turned 30 this past Sunday. Kaitlin Reilly shares the top lessons about friendship that we can take away from these fictional pals.
NFL star Brett Favre announced that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Here’s what to know about symptoms and risk factors.
Kelsey Weekman spoke with the cast of the new film A Different Man to learn more about neurofibromatosis and what it’s like to live and work in the entertainment world with a facial difference.
The Great British Baking Show is back. Erin Donnelly shares why the sweet series makes us feel so good.
And finally, these were some of the biggest headline-makers in health and wellness this week.
Fluoride in drinking water needs more regulating, federal judge says
A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to further regulate fluoride in drinking water because high levels could pose a risk to the intellectual development of children, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday.
“Simply put, the risk to health at exposure levels in United States drinking water is sufficiently high to trigger regulatory response by the EPA” under federal law, U.S. District Judge Edward Chen wrote. Chen ordered the EPA to take steps to lower the possible risk but didn’t specify what those steps should be.
In August, a federal report found that high levels of fluoride in drinking water (i.e., at twice the currently recommended limit) is linked to lower IQ in children.
An EPA spokesperson told the Associated Press that the agency is reviewing the decision.
Obesity is staying steady, but 'severe obesity' is on the rise
For the first time in a decade, obesity rates in the U.S., though high, have held steady and haven’t increased, according to 2021–2023 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But the number of people with “severe obesity” has risen, particularly among women.
About 40% of U.S. adults are obese (defined as a BMI of greater than or equal to 30), and nearly 1 in 10 of the approximately 6,000 people surveyed reported having “severe obesity” (defined as a BMI of greater than or equal to 40), with women nearly twice as likely to report being severely obese.
A report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) earlier this year revealed that 1 in 8 people worldwide are now living with obesity. The condition can also lead to a higher risk of a host of other diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease and certain cancers.
New data shows spikes in suicide rates and reveals firearms as leading means
Suicide rates are still at record highs in the U.S., according to new data released on Thursday by the CDC. For both males and females, firearms were the leading means of suicide.
After peaking in 2018, suicide rates declined through 2020 before rising again after the COVID pandemic and into 2022. Suicide was the 11th-leading cause of death for all ages, the third-leading cause for people ages 15–19, and the second-leading cause of death for people ages 10–14 and 20–34.
Since this data was collected, new resources like the 988 suicide and crisis prevention lifeline have been deployed, though Katherine Keyes, a Columbia University public health professor, told the Associated Press that the effect on suicide rates remains to be seen.
If you are in crisis, please call, text or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.
