Ought to social media include warning labels? Plus a WHO warning on faux Ozempic and different well being tales you will have missed this week

Whats up, well being and wellness readers. My identify is Kaitlin, your information to the information you will have missed and the way it may have an effect on your life.

Right here’s what our workforce regarded into this week:

• It’s possible you’ll love brownies and pizza, however your mind has different favorites, experiences Maxine Yeung. Right here’s a listing of the best food for brain health.

• Scary however true: drowning doesn’t all the time appear to be drowning. Priscilla Blossom shares professional water tips to make sure that you’re having the most secure summer time on the seaside or pool.

• June Squibb is a film star at 94. She shared some tips on aging well with Kerry Justich.

• What will we find out about loneliness? Erin Donnelly spoke with expert Sam Carr to debunk some myths — like the idea that loneliness is a “illness to be cured.”

📱 Ought to social media include warning labels?

In an op-ed for the New York Times, U.S. Surgeon Basic Dr. Vivek H. Murthy called for a warning label to be positioned on social media websites. “The psychological well being disaster amongst younger folks is an emergency — and social media has emerged as an necessary contributor,” Murthy wrote. He pointed to research that exhibits youngsters who use social media for greater than three hours a day usually tend to present indicators of psychological well being points. He desires Congress to put warning labels much like these for cigarettes on social media to carry firms accountable.

What it means for you: This is only one extra instance of how folks in authorities are bringing consideration to the potential psychological well being ramifications of social media use amongst youngsters. This consists of the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act, which goals to implement stricter measures to stop minors from accessing dangerous content material.

Whereas there may be analysis pointing to the risks of social media in youth, different commentators argue that it is probably not the villain within the story. Some recommend that the connection between mental health issues and social media could have extra to do with youth who’re already coping with these struggles in search of out neighborhood. Plus, with so many various components contributing to the decline in youth psychological well being (like fears associated to the pandemic, mass shootings and local weather change) some argue that it’s tough to evaluate the particular unfavorable affect of social media. Some imagine that maligning social media additionally ignores its optimistic parts, corresponding to serving to young members of the LGBTQ+ community connect after they can’t in individual.

🥵 Excessive warmth and humidity trigger main well being considerations

Extreme heat is taking over the United States, with 100 million folks beneath a warmth advisory as a consequence of what the Nationwide Climate Service known as a “dangerous and long” warmth wave. On Friday, Phoenix was the hottest place in the United States, hitting 117 levels. Along with the excessive temperatures, there’s additionally an extreme amount of humidity in lots of the affected areas.

What it means for you: Excessive warmth is a significant drawback. Final 12 months set the report for the deadliest year for heat-related deaths within the U.S., with greater than 2,300 such deaths recorded. But it’s additionally the humidity that’s a difficulty, as a result of “wet-bulb” temperatures above 95°F will stop the human physique from cooling down by sweating. On-line calculators, which mix the relative humidity and air temperature, may help you estimate in the event you’re within the hazard zone.

Throughout instances of utmost warmth and humidity, it’s necessary to comply with pointers in an effort to maintain your self cool.

• Drink loads of water to maintain your physique cool and hydrated. Replenish with electrolytes as wanted.

• Keep away from direct daylight by staying indoors, and search shade when exterior.

• Put on light-weight, loose-fitting garments to assist maintain your physique cool.

• Spend time in air-conditioned places (attempt a free place like a library!) or use followers to assist decrease your physique’s temperature.

⚠️ World Well being Group points warning on faux Ozempic

The World Well being Group (WHO) warned the general public about elevated experiences of fake versions of the diabetes medication Ozempic, which is the model identify for semaglutide. Counterfeit variations of the drug, which is understood for its weight reduction impact, have been reportedly detected in Brazil and the UK in October 2023 and within the U.S. in December 2023. The WHO warned that these counterfeit medication may hurt people and will embody undisclosed further energetic components like insulin, which may trigger blood glucose points.

What it means for you: As the recognition of semaglutide medication rises, so does the potential for falsified variations of the medication — particularly as insurance coverage firms choose not to cover these medication or stick steep worth tags on them.

This information additionally comes after Novo Nordisk sued medical spas for promoting compounded semaglutide, which the pharmaceutical firm stated led to “shopper confusion and deception in addition to potential security considerations.” It’s necessary to notice that these compounding pharmacies usually are not associated to the faux variations of the medication at present in the marketplace however in addition they warrant some warning.

Whereas compounded variations of semaglutide usually are not technically accredited by the Meals and Drug Administration, compounding pharmacies can legally produce variations of branded medication on the FDA’s scarcity record, like semaglutide, as a consequence of excessive demand. Nevertheless, the FDA doesn’t evaluation these compounded medication, placing them in a grey space.

As all the time, it’s necessary to speak to your physician if you’re hoping to get began on one of many drugs — and to by no means buy remedy that requires a prescription, like Ozempic, from unlicensed retailers.