A food legislation face-off: Grocers vs. the FDA

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In the last decade, Americans have been sickened by salmonella from cucumbers, listeria from cheese, and E. coli from romaine lettuce. New Food and Drug Administration rules, set to begin in 2026, would require any business that touches certain foods often tied to illnesses, like leafy greens and certain cheeses, to maintain a slew of data about their handling and processing.

But last month, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House introduced the "Food Traceability Enhancement Act" targeting the FDA's new rules. The lobby representing food retailers has applauded the bill, claiming it enhances food safety. But food policy experts say the bill does the opposite by carving grocers, restaurants, and food warehouses out of major portions of the FDA's rules, which are meant to help regulators quickly track down the cause of a foodborne outbreak. Some say that the industry has had a decade to prepare for the new tracking requirements, while others say they are prohibitively expensive.

Read more from STAT's Nick Florko on the proposed legislation and what experts, advocates, and lobbyists are saying about it.

research

Childhood pressure to lose weight has lingering effects in adulthood

Women and queer people are at higher risk of experiencing internalized weight stigma than others, according to a new study published last night in The Lancet Regional Health Europe. That risk isn't created in a vacuum: Those who reported facing pressure from family and the media to lose weight at age 13 and who experienced bullying reported higher internalized weight stigma years later at the age of 31.

Researchers in the U.K. analyzed longitudinal data from over 4,000 people born in 1991 or 1992. Those who have higher BMIs do report more experiences of discrimination and internalized weight stigma, but the study shows that people across the weight spectrum can be affected.

Other research has shown similar problems worldwide. Earlier this year, a study found that nearly 1 in 10 teens globally have used laxatives and other risky weight loss products. Social media can create a "self-perpetuating cycle of risk" of disordered eating, another study found last year. And as American medical groups, researchers, and clinicians debate how to best approach questions of weight for children, this study shows that any negative effects of weight stigma can linger into adulthood.

access

The broken promise of affordable insulin

Mariam Zuhaib / AP

In February 2022, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer stood alongside constituents in Buffalo, N.Y. and promised to hold a vote to cap costs for insulin at $35 per month for people with all types of insurance. Following those remarks, he promised again to hold a vote to cap insulin costs the next month. He repeated the call over that summer. He continued to call for a vote in March 2023. He said the legislation was a "high priority" last July. And most recently, he called for a vote in a letter to senators on April 5.

Some people have stopped believing him. "It just feels really really gross to be used as a political prop for campaigning and then have nothing be done to actually substantively help us," patient advocate Laura Marston told STAT's Rachel Cohrs Zhang.

Why hasn't a vote been put on the Senate calendar? Read more from Rachel on Schumer's oft-repeated promise, the progress that has been made on insulin affordability, and what can realistically happen as this election year continues.

first opinion

Autism doesn't discriminate. Autism research shouldn't either

Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the prevalence of autism is evening out across racial and ethnic groups. Many believe that the shift is due to more accurate diagnoses after decades of overlooking children who weren't white. Among 8-year-olds in particular, autism was more commonly identified among Black, Hispanic and Asian American/Pacific Islander children than among their white counterparts for the first time ever.

But research shows that families of color face social and systemic barriers as they navigate the complex world of autism diagnosis and access to services. In a First Opinion, researcher and Boston Children's Hospital pediatrics chief Wendy Chung explains the bias and racism that exist in the field, and how to combat it. Read more.

research

Childhood trauma could impair muscle function later in life, study suggests

Traumatic childhood experiences could impair muscle function as people age, according to a new study published yesterday in Science Advances.

Researchers examined skeletal muscle tissue samples from over 800 participants over the age of 70 to measure two important parts of muscular function: the production of adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, a compound that provides energy to fuel cell function, and oxidative phosphorylation, a process that helps produce ATP. The authors also had participants fill out questionnaires about family drug and alcohol use, physical abuse, and more.

People who reported more adverse childhood events had worse production of ATP than people who experienced fewer or none. This negative correlation remained even after controlling for factors like age, gender, body mass index, and physical activity. The study authors believe these results provide preliminary evidence for how trauma can affect the body. However, they add that more research is needed, as this paper relied on participants' memories.

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