How saturated fats won — and lost — on the new food pyramid

Plus: A new study offers an explanation for why overdose deaths have dropped

January 9, 2026 Check out STAT+

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By Jonathan Wosen Morning Rounds Writer and Reporter

Greetings from sunny San Diego, where winter is an abstract concept. This is Jonathan Wosen, West Coast biotech & life sciences reporter, filling in for Rose. If this week has been any indication, strap yourselves in, because 2026 is going to be jam-packed with news. Today's lineup features a stark estimate of how Medicaid eligibility restrictions might lead to more cancer deaths, a look at how doctors are struggling to play catch-up as direct-to-consumer medical testing grows, and an apparent contradiction in the new food pyramid.

CANCER Medicaid restrictions could lead to a million missed cancer screenings, study finds ASHRAF SHAZLY/AFP via Getty Images Public health experts have lamented that the One Big Beautiful Bill, which cuts $1 trillion from Medicaid, will have dire consequences for low-income Americans and those with disabilities. A new study puts hard numbers to one of those expected impacts: missed cancer screenings. A research team estimated the impact of two of the bill's new Medicaid eligibility restrictions: work requirements and re-verification every six months, set to take effect at the start of 2027. Scientists estimated that reduced coverage would lead to nearly 1.2 million missed colorectal, breast, or lung cancer screenings and 155 preventable deaths within two years. The findings were published this week in JAMA Oncology. Adrian Diaz, a surgical oncologist at the University of Chicago and one of the paper's authors, told STAT's Angus Chen that the results underscore a contradiction of the U.S. health care system: capable of delivering innovative and lifesaving treatments, but riddled with barriers that prevent many patients from accessing basic preventive services. Read more from Angus.  vaccines Experts to conduct independent review of HPV vaccine Federal officials made waves this week when they slashed the number of recommended childhood vaccinations from 17 to 11, a decision top officials made without following the usual process for such changes. Health department officials also recommended a single dose of the vaccine against human papillomavirus, or HPV, as opposed to two. While some studies have found that a single dose of the vaccine, which prevents cervical and other cancers, is as effective as two shots, the U.S. does not currently have a licensed single-shot HPV vaccine. An independent group of experts announced Thursday that it plans to conduct its own review of scientific evidence related to the vaccine. In its announcement, the University of Minnesota's Vaccine Integrity Project noted that health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine critic, has in the past inaccurately called the HPV vaccine "the most dangerous vaccine ever invented." The group plans to share more about the review's scope and methods in the coming weeks. "Any consideration of changes to HPV vaccine recommendations must be grounded in high-quality evidence," said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. "Our goal is to ensure that policymakers, clinicians, and the public have an accurate understanding of what the data actually show."  patients How the DTC boom lets patients run tests without doctors As direct-to-consumer medical testing proliferates, there's a fast-growing subset of Americans desperate for immediate insights into their health who are ordering their own lab and genetic screening panels online. These tests can go for hundreds of dollars a pop and aren't always advised by medical screening standards or insurance guidelines for the people who buy them. But when patients want to contextualize the results, their doctors are often in the dark. "Doctors are going to have to get used to this and navigate this," said Darren Sidaway, who has long taken his care into his own hands by ordering tests screening for nontraditional biomarkers and adjusting his habits based on early, related research. Experts say it's too early to issue concrete policy on how clinicians should handle DTC test results. Read the story from former STAT reporter Mohana Ravindranath, and keep an eye out for more. The piece is part of a series from Mohana on the growing trend of patients ordering their own lab tests and MRIs, and how that's impacting health care.

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nutrition Confused by the new food pyramid? So are experts JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images New guidelines released this week by the Trump administration call on Americans to eat a diet rich in protein and dairy, with images of ribeye steak, cheese, and milk near the top of a revamped food pyramid. These same guidelines also advise keeping saturated fats, abundant in red meat and dairy products, to no more than 10% of your daily calories to reduce the risk of heart disease. Confused? So are nutrition experts. "It's almost laughable that they kept the 10% limit for saturated fat while really pushing red meat and dairy," said Caitlin Dow, senior nutrition scientist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "Good luck trying to circle that square." For more on this apparent contradiction and the muddled messaging around saturated fat, read this incisive piece by STAT's Sarah Todd, Elizabeth Cooney, and Isabella Cueto.  drugs Shift in fentanyl supply drove reduced drug deaths, study finds For decades, U.S. overdose deaths rose steadily, but that all changed in 2023. Since then, fatal overdoses have dropped by at least a third. In a new study, scientists argue one key reason is likely a decrease in fentanyl potency. Researchers gathered overdose mortality figures, data from the Drug Enforcement Administration, and even sifted through posts about drug use on the website Reddit. The study's authors found a surge in online mentions of a fentanyl "drought," along with other related terms, as well as a dip in fentanyl seizures by law enforcement. The researchers hypothesize that one factor may be Chinese government crackdowns on the trafficking of chemicals used to make fentanyl. But they warned the dip in supply might be temporary, and more potent forms of the powerful opioid could appear in the future. Read more from STAT's Lev Facher. ACA House passes Affordable Care Act subsidy extension Premiums for millions of Americans skyrocketed after Affordable Care Act enhanced subsidies expired at the end of 2025, and lawmakers have been scrambling for a solution. After an end-run around Republican leadership, members of the House of Representatives voted on Thursday to extend ACA subsidies for another three years, my colleague John Wilkerson writes. The bill, which passed with a 230 to 196 vote, underscores how health care affordability has become a major issue for Republican lawmakers worried about voter backlash. The ball is now in the Senate's court, which could release a compromise bill as early as next week. But some Republican senators have said any bill must include income limits, no zero-dollar premiums, and additional abortion restrictions, stipulations that could be non-starters for Democrats.

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What we're reading When it comes to vaccine schedules, the U.S. is now the outlier, STAT The Trump administration says some approved childhood vaccines need better studies. Scientists disagree, Science Will mpox go global again? Research shows it's evolving in curious ways, Nature As guidelines shift, a curious debate over seed oils persists, Undark  Key scientist from Baby KJ team launches startup to scale personalized CRISPR medicines, STAT

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Thanks for reading! More next time,

jonathan.wosen@statnews.com

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