The latest…from poor air quality affecting outdoor activity to foods and our quest for sleep. This interesting article about readability has implications for reading info on phones/screens: fonts change your reading speed (increase it by 35% on a screen in a recent study) but also change how you’re perceived; ‘bad’ fonts can make it hard to recognize words; when you read small text on a phone the difference in height between capital and lowercase letters is important. Note: in the article you can change the font style and perform different reading experiments with different different fonts (https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/interactive/2023/best-font-you-test-types-styles/). Link to Readability Matters tool which allows you to change many characteristics of text to see differences (https://readabilitymatters.org/readabilitysandbox/).

Physical activity…

This summer share a new message: outdoor exercise and wildfires (https://www.healthline.com/health-news/how-to-tell-if-the-air-is-safe-enough-to-exercise-outside). An online tool to map air quality in the U.S. (https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/28/weather/map-track-the-air-quality-across-the-us/index.html). How does your city rate with regard to access to parks? Trust for the Public Land’s 2023 ParkScore ratings (https://www.tpl.org/parkscore); webinar about the ParkScore (https://www.tpl.org/event/park-bench-chat-2023-parkscore-index-release-how-parks-are-delivering-on-community-health).

Obesity/diabetes…

Different countries’ trajectory of obesity rates (1975 – 2015) and more (https://www.statnews.com/2023/06/08/bmi-slowdown-severe-obesity-global-rates/). The AMA says BMI as a metric has done harm  (https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/ama-use-bmi-alone-imperfect-clinical-measure); one response (https://www.foodpolitics.com/2023/06/american-medical-association-resolves-to-remove-bmi-as-standard-medical-measure/). Weight loss drugs: manufacturer hires lobbying firm to push for Medicare coverage (https://www.politico.com/news/2023/06/16/ozempic-lobbying-medicare-coverage-00102482); new experimental obesity drug results mid-trial (https://www.statnews.com/2023/06/26/eli-lilly-retatrutide-new-weight-loss-drug/); how much are Americans willing to pay for weight loss drugs? (https://www.statnews.com/pharmalot/2023/06/26/obesity-drugs-weight-loss-ozempic-wegovy-cost/). Do Asian Americans need different diabetes screening guidelines? (https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/06/08/1180880736/asian-americans-are-at-high-risk-for-diabetes-heres-what-can-help).

Food…

Plant-based & dairy-based nutrition profiles compared (https://www.healio.com/news/primary-care/20230622/qa-almond-oat-yogurt-have-more-nutrient-density-than-dairy-yogurt); (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2023.1195045/full). Kraft’s plant-based cheese slices on shelves (https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/news/heinz-kraft-vegan-cheese-slices/). Consumer Reports finds some heavy metals baby foods have declined but some still contain heavy metals ((https://goodmorningamerica.com/family/story/new-report-finds-heavy-metals-baby-food-decline-100402423). Costco’s mango smoothie has no added sugar and a low price point! Yet some don’t like the color or texture

(https://www.supermarketguru.com/the-lempert-report/costcos-mango-smoothie/). Muscle Milk protein powder moves beyond the gym to an ingredient in coffee, baked goods, ice cream  (https://www.fooddive.com/news/pepsicos-muscle-milk-bulking-up-beyond-the-gym/653753/). Food-as-medicine: Uber Health to deliver groceries to patients of provider networks (https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/uber-health-grocery-otc-item-delivery/652737/); Fresh Connect expands prepaid food prescription grocery network

(https://www.grocerydive.com/news/fresh-connects-prepaid-food-prescription-network-10000-grocery-stores/652901/); Feed by Farmbox: free produce for 6 months for those affected by SNAP decreased allotments in 32 states for limited time (https://www.axios.com/2023/06/06/new-fund-for-food-insecure-americans). Cost of food: Dollar Tree’s next price point move is to $3, $4, $5 (https://www.winsightgrocerybusiness.com/retailers/dollar-tree-branching-out-125-big-big-way; May fruit/veggie prices increased only 0.6% (https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/13/business/grocery-prices-may/index.html). SNAP: DoorDash adds SNAP to its app (https://www.grocerydive.com/news/doordash-snap-online-payments-biggest-app-update/654093/); with Alaska SNAP recipients now able to order groceries online, SNAP grocery e-commerce is nationwide (https://www.grocerydive.com/news/USDA-snap-online-ordering-alaska-nationwide/652633/); online SNAP goes from 35,000 in 2020 to almost 4 million in 2022; SNAP good for independent grocers (https://www.supermarketnews.com/online-retail/how-independent-grocers-can-leverage-snap-boost-revenue-and-loyalty). Food deserts: 2021 report found the USDA food desert map doesn’t include non-profit grocery stores, farmers markets and local gardens (https://www.brookings.edu/research/beyond-food-deserts-america-needs-a-new-approach-to-mapping-food-insecurity/); how do non-profit grocery stores work? (https://thetakeout.com/how-nonprofit-grocery-stores-work-1850438125); (https://www.axios.com/2023/05/02/nonprofit-grocery-stores-rehab-americas-food-deserts). FSIS plans to ask for more  documentation for claims on meat/poultry about how animals are raised/no antibiotics  (https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/antimicrobial-stewardship/usda-says-it-will-review-strengthen-antibiotic-use-claims-meat-labels). FDA testing FOP nutrition labels (https://www.statnews.com/2023/06/20/fda-nutrition-labels/); submit comments by July 17th about the collection of information (https://www.regulations.gov/document/FDA-2023-N-0155-0030). USDA approves first cell-cultivated chicken (https://www.fooddive.com/news/usda-cell-cultivated-chicken-label-upside-foods-eat-just/652975/); neither company has kosher/halal certification (https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/27/business/lab-grown-meat-kosher-halal/index.html). Can’t sleep? Food companies take note with night-time snacks and sleep-inducing ingredients (https://www.fooddive.com/news/eating-your-way-to-sleep-cpgs-are-keeping-a-close-eye-on-sleep-inducing-fo/652845/).

My review of ‘indulgence’ for breakfast…

It’s not yogurt – it’s cultured crème fraiche – but it’s in the yogurt aisle (https://www.foodandwine.com/haagen-dazs-cultured-creme-yogurt-7547914). Talk about shrinkinflation…I paid $1.79 for 4 oz. (compared to $1 on sale for a 5.3 oz. ‘regular’ yogurt). For such a small serving it’s high in calories, sugars (total and added) and low in protein. I tried one flavor and my response: meh. Hard pass.