645: Food Messaging Investigated, Task Force Tackles Syphilis

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Wednesday, April 17, 2024. I'm Robert Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

SASHA CHAVKIN: 

Our investigation found that the food industry is capitalizing on the anti-diet movement.

JOHNSON: 

Sasha Chavkin is a senior reporter with The Examination, a nonprofit newsroom that worked with The Washington Post to investigate whether the food industry is misusing anti-diet messages.

CHAVKIN: 

General Mills, which makes Lucky Charms and Cinnamon Toast Crunch and other sugary cereals actually sponsored a study into food shaming, which is an important theme for the anti-diet movement, and then use their findings to argue against proposed federal regulations for front of package food labeling.

JOHNSON: 

Chavkin says some food producers have essentially weaponized anti-diet messaging to argue that an FDA proposal to require more prominent labels on food packaging will make food shaming even worse.

CHAVKIN: 

They're saying that the problem is not that we're marketing foods high in sugar or salt or fat. The problem is the people are out there making consumers feel bad about them. So, it's completely shifting accountability for some of the health risks related to obesity in our society.

JOHNSON: 

Chavkin wants public health leaders to pay attention to these campaigns and provide accurate messaging whenever possible.

CHAVKIN: 

When there's companies and influencers put out messages that obesity isn't bad for you or that, you know, diseases like diabetes and heart disease are actually caused by weight stigma and dieting rather than excess weight itself. I think it's important for public health officials to hold the line as to what nutrition science is currently telling us.

JOHNSON: 

You can read more about the investigation using the link in the show notes.

TIMOTHY HARRISON: 

Our goal is pretty simple. It is to better prevent and treat syphilis, as well as reduce those health inequities where we see that.

JOHNSON: 

Syphilis and congenital syphilis are the focus of a new federal task force working to bring together agencies and resources to tackle infection rates not seen since the 1950s. This is Dr. Timothy Harrison at the US Department of Health and Human Services.

HARRISON: 

We want to raise provider awareness and provide training on diagnostic and treatment guidelines for both primary and secondary syphilis, as well as for congenital syphilis. We want to push better diagnostics to detect active infection. We want to address treatment shortages that we've heard about across the country, and their related cost concerns.

JOHNSON: 

Harrison says The panel also wants to address testing and educate communities.

HARRISON: 

We're going to be coming out shortly with more public facing awareness efforts so that the general public is aware of what's going on so that providers including your primary care providers are aware of the syphilis crisis.

JOHNSON: 

This is STI Awareness Week, access related ASTHO resources and read more about the task force using the links in the show notes.

Also today, leadership is an important factor when thinking about workforce development. A new ASTHO blog article explains how leadership by example can benefit employees. You can read it now by clicking the link in the show notes.

Finally, this morning, stay connected to the latest public health news and resources. When you sign up for ASTHO's Public Health Weekly email newsletter, we have the link in the show notes.

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That will do it for today. We're back tomorrow morning with more ASTHO news and information. I'm Robert Johnson. You're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great day.