State of America's Obesity Epidemic
Also, Colorado Supreme Court Rules Trump Is Ineligible For Ballot
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Good morning,
Colorado’s top court ruled late Tuesday that former President Donald Trump is disqualified from the state’s primary ballot because he engaged in insurrection leading up to the Jan 6 storming of the US Capitol.
It is an explosive decision that creates legal uncertainty around next year’s election. The matter is now being appealed to the US Supreme Court.
The Colorado Supreme Court decision found that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment — which disqualifies those who engage in insurrection against the Constitution after taking an oath to support it — applies to Trump. The Trump campaign called the ruling unconstitutional and “un-American.”
It comes as several other states have been considering similar lawsuits trying to boot Trump from the ballot based on the 14th amendment.
Buckle up. We still have another 10 months until election day 2024-
Mosheh, Jill, & Lauren
🗞 AMERICAN HEALTH PLUMMETS AFTER PANDEMIC
A snapshot of Americans’ physical health shows a steady decline since the start of the pandemic. U.S. obesity and diabetes rates are at alarming levels: with 38.4% of adults classified as obese and 13.6% diagnosed with diabetes. According to new research from Gallup, part of the problem is that Americans’ eating habits have eroded substantially since 2019.
And nearly 20% of children (about 15 million) are considered obese, impacting new guidelines on how pediatricians should step-in to help kids manage their weight.
United States compared to other counties from 2019. Via: Commonwealth Fund
🍎 🥕 AMERICANS ARE NOT EATING THEIR FRUITS & VEGGIES
While America is not the most obese county in the world, it is the most obese high-income nation. And both eating and exercise habits influence the probability of being obese or being diagnosed with diabetes.
Here is a snapshot of adult Americans:
The percentage of adults who report eating healthy the prior day has dropped 5.0 points since 2019, from 51.7% to 46.7%.
Some of the biggest declines are those aged 30 to 44 (down 9.2 points).
Fruit and veggies consumption dropped: 42.0% of respondents had at least five servings of fruits and vegetables on at least four days in the prior week, down from 49.9% in 2019.
Exercise habits remained unchanged since before the pandemic.
High blood pressure was unchanged, but high cholesterol was up. Other more subjective measures — such as feeling active and productive every day, and feeling good about your own physical appearance — are all down significantly.
Obesity by state. Via: CDC
IMPACT ON KIDS
Many pediatricians say they are seeing children with obesity-related health problems that used to be associated more with adults, like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.
The increasing threat of obesity in children caused the American Academy of Pediatrics' treatment guidelines to add weight loss medications like semaglutide — approved under the brand Wegovy — or bariatric surgery for children as young as 12 or 13.
“We now have evidence that obesity therapy is effective. There is treatment, and now is the time to recognize that obesity is a chronic disease and should be addressed as we address other chronic diseases,” said Dr. Sandra Hassink, medical director of the AAP Institute for Healthy Childhood Weight and co-author of the new guidelines.
ON THE OTHER HAND: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force — a group of independent experts whose recommendations guide doctors’ decisions and influence insurance coverage — recently said that doctors should step in to help children better manage their weight.
But the task force’s draft recommendations do NOT include weight loss medications — which they are calling for more data on — nor surgery.
They recommend pediatricians refer kids 6+ with obesity to 26 hours of intensive behavioral interventions.
That includes: supervised physical activity, group and individual counseling on healthy eating, lessons on reading food labels, goal setting, and ways to monitor diet and physical activity.
The emphasis on intervention, as opposed to just screening for obesity, will be a shift in thinking for some providers.
BOTTOM LINE: Doctors and health professionals have started to take obesity in children more seriously, pushing for interventions as opposed to just screenings. One doctor tells CNN: “The feeling initially was that children would grow out of it, and that has been demonstrated to be false.”
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 Dozens of documents naming Jeffrey Epstein’s victims and associates to be made public in 2024 (CNN)
📌 New York governor signs law establishing reparations and racial justice commission (AP)
📌 Senate deal on border, Ukraine aid won't happen before end of year: Schumer (ABC NEWS)
📌 Americans less satisfied with almost every part of the health system (AXIOS)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 Ukraine military seeks extra 500,000 soldiers (BBC)
📌 Iceland volcano eruption, earthquakes weaken, but scientists warn of lurking danger (ABC NEWS)
📌 Gaza hospital director admits Hamas used medical complex as operational hub (TIMES OF ISRAEL)
📌 At least 100 elephants die in drought-stricken Zimbabwe park, a grim sign of El Nino and climate change (NBS NEWS)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 Drought-prone California OKs new rules for turning wastewater directly into drinking water (AP)
📌 Recalled applesauce pouches now linked to more than 200 lead poisoning cases in 33 states, CDC says (CBS NEWS)
📌 New COVID variant JN.1 is on the rise this holiday season: What symptoms to look out for (USA TODAY)
📌 Release of five wolves in the Colorado mountains begins first-of-its kind state reintroduction effort (DENVER POST)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 Celine Dion's sister gives update on stiff-person syndrome, saying singer "has no control of her muscles" (CBS NEWS)
📌 Madonna experienced a medically-induced coma for 48 hours during hospitalization (FOX NEWS)
📌 Jennifer Love Hewitt hits back at claims she's 'unrecognizable': 'Aging in Hollywood is really hard' (USA TODAY)
📌 She bought a colorful vase at Goodwill for $3.99. The rare piece sold at auction for $107,000 (AP)
🗓 ON THIS DAY: DECEMBER 20
1860: Following Abraham Lincoln's election as president, South Carolina became the first U.S. state to secede from the Union.
1946: Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life, a drama starring Jimmy Stewart, premiered.
1957: While spending the Christmas holidays at Graceland, his newly purchased Tennessee mansion, rock-and-roll star Elvis Presley receives his draft notice for the U.S. Army.
1991: ‘Father of the Bride’ starring Steve Martin and Diane Keaton premieres in theaters.
2019: Trump signs the National Defense Authorization Act, which established the Space Force, the newest branch of the U.S. military.