Happy Tuesday, and welcome to Food Fix! I’m sending this from Claremont, Calif., where I just gave a talk on food and climate politics at my alma mater. It was a full circle moment to be speaking to students in the same buildings where I wrote my thesis on food policy many years ago. While I was there, I was struck by two things:
First, almost every single student who attended the talk indicated they were familiar with the concept of regenerative agriculture – this was striking to me because Claremont McKenna focuses largely on government and economics and has little to no focus on food or ag. It suggests to me that these concepts have truly hit the mainstream, even if they haven’t translated onto very many acres and are only starting to show up as marketing on food labels.
Second, Gen Z cares A LOT about climate change. I’ve read about this, of course, but seeing firsthand just how many students are plugged into these issues in a very substantive way blew me away. It’s not lost on these students that just this past week, they’ve weathered a 108 degree heat wave and were put under an evacuation warning for a fast-moving wildfire right over the hill. Some of the dorms don’t have AC, but they couldn’t open the windows because of the smoke.
Alright, let’s get to it –
Helena
***
Today, in Food Fix:
– Obesity rates are still alarmingly high, per latest CDC data
– Boar’s Head closure highlights how tough listeria can be
***
Obesity rates are still alarmingly high, per latest CDC data
In nearly half of states, more than one in three adults have obesity, according to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The 2023 data released by CDC doesn’t offer a comparison to recent years, but it does compare the figures to 2013 to offer context on just how much obesity rates have grown: “Before 2013, no state had an adult obesity prevalence at or above 35 percent. Currently, at least one in five adults (20 percent) in each U.S. state is living with obesity.”
Refresher: Obesity is currently defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. In recent years, there’s been a lot more debate about the BMI being an imperfect, if not problematic measure, but it’s still what the medical establishment uses. Obesity, a complex and difficult to treat disease, is associated with a higher risk of many serious ailments, including asthma, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. It’s also a major risk factor for serious complications from Covid-19.
CDC also noted the mental health toll of the disease: “The stigma and bias about a person’s weight can cause social and mental health consequences, such as anxiety and poor body image.” Not mentioned: There’s an incredible amount of stigma in the medical system against people who are overweight or have obesity, which also contributes to poorer health outcomes.
A word from CDC: “This new data highlight the need for obesity prevention and treatment options, which start with building healthier communities where people of all ages have safe places for physical activity, and where health care and healthy food options are accessible and affordable for all,” said Karen Hacker, director of CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
“Obesity prevention at young ages is critical because we know that children with obesity often become adults with obesity,” Hacker added.
State report card: The 23 states struggling with the highest obesity rates – 35 percent or higher – include: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Guam and Puerto Rico also had an obesity rate of at least 35 percent.
The latest numbers are based on self-reported height and weight data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. CDC also released a breakdown of how obesity disproportionately impacts different racial and ethnic groups (based on data from 2021-2023):
– Asian adults do not have an obesity prevalence at or above 35 percent in any state.
– White adults have an obesity prevalence at or above 35 percent in 16 states.
– American Indian or Alaska Native adults have an obesity prevalence at or above 35 percent in 30 states.
– Hispanic adults have an obesity prevalence at or above 35 percent in 34 states.
– Black adults have an obesity prevalence at or above 35 percent in 38 states.
A multifaceted problem: “Obesity is a complex disease,” said Ruth Petersen, director of CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. “There’s a common misconception that obesity is a result of lack of willpower and individual failings to eat well and exercise.
Peterson noted that there are many factors that contribute to obesity, including “genes, certain medications, poor sleep, gut microbiome, stress, access to affordable food, safe places to be active, and access to health care.”
“Understanding these factors helps us identify potential prevention and treatment strategies,” Peterson said.
The coming debate about children and GLP-1 meds: While we’re on the topic, STAT has an interesting piece this week about the debate over whether young children, ages 6 to 12, should be given GLP-1s.
“The first late-stage trial of a GLP-1 drug in young children with obesity showed the treatment helped lower body mass index,” write Elaine Chen and Elizabeth Cooney. “But the findings also raise questions about whether obesity medications, some of which are currently approved for teenagers, should also be given to children at such a young age.”
“The drugmakers behind GLP-1 medicines have been rapidly testing their treatments in a range of disease areas and populations,” they write. “[Novo Nordisk] has already asked regulators to expand Saxenda’s label to children as young as 6, contingent on the results of this trial, and the company is testing Wegovy, a stronger GLP-1, in that age group as well. Eli Lilly is also studying its obesity treatment Zepbound in children.”
Sidenote: I noticed that CDC specifically cited GLP-1s in the agency’s press release about the new state obesity data (which only included adults): “Obesity treatment can also include obesity medications, such as GLP-1s recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, combined with health behavior and lifestyle interventions.”
Food vs. medicine: CDC citing GLP-1s as a treatment reminded me of the simmering tension between behavior and lifestyle interventions, which generally haven’t proven to be very effective for weight loss, and this new class of medications, which have proven to be very effective but raise all sorts of other questions about cost, side effects, potential long term complications, etc. We’re only beginning to see this debate play out.
Last week, Tufts University’s Food is Medicine Institute held some briefings on Capitol Hill diving into how food is medicine concepts can be paired with GLP-1s. You can watch one of the briefings here.
***
Boar’s Head closure highlights how tough listeria can be
Boar’s Head Provisions announced on Friday that it will indefinitely close its Jarratt, Va., plant at the center of a listeria outbreak that has so far killed nine people and hospitalized at least 57 across 18 states – a somewhat unusual move in an outbreak.
The plant in Southern Virginia has been shuttered since late July, which has been devastating for the community because Boar’s Head is the largest private employer in the area.
The company said in a detailed statement Friday that it had completed a root cause analysis of the contamination.
“Our investigation has identified the root cause of the contamination as a specific production process that only existed at the Jarratt facility and was used only for liverwurst,” the company said. “With this discovery, we have decided to permanently discontinue liverwurst.”
I can’t imagine liverwurst is a particularly large line item on the company’s balance sheet, but the decision to close the entire plant is notable, especially given the expense of losing significant production capacity. It’s a reminder of how difficult a pathogen like Listeria monocytogenes can be, especially once this organism has taken hold in a plant like this. Listeria thrives in cool, wet conditions and can be extremely difficult to eradicate.
“It pains us to impact the livelihoods of hundreds of hard-working employees. We do not take lightly our responsibility as one of the area’s largest employers,” the company said in a statement. “But, under these circumstances, we feel that a plant closure is the most prudent course.”
“This is a dark moment in our company’s history, but we intend to use this as an opportunity to enhance food safety programs not just for our company, but for the entire industry,” the company added.
A who’s who of food safety: The company also announced it’s hired some big names in food safety to launch a “Boar’s Head Food Safety Council.” The founding council members are: David Acheson and Frank Yiannas, both alums of FDA; Mindy Brashears, who led USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service during the Trump administration; and Martin Wiedmann, a professor at Cornell University who is co-director of the New York State Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence.
***
What I’m reading
The U.S. can, and should, do more on H5N1 bird flu, a top WHO official says (STAT). “More work needs to be done by the agricultural sector to get to the bottom of — and put a stop to — transmission of H5N1 bird flu in dairy cattle in the United States, a senior World Health Organization official said over the weekend,” writes Helen Branswell. “Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s acting director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, said the world is watching how the U.S., with its advanced scientific expertise, is responding to this outbreak. Since the spread in cows was first confirmed in late March, 207 herds in 14 states have tested positive for H5N1. This is the first time the virus has been seen to spread in a mammalian species with which humans have frequent and close exposures. The outbreak raises concerns that a virus that is genetically coded to infect wild birds will adapt to be able to more easily infect mammals like humans.”
State bans on commercial food waste have been largely ineffective, study finds (NPR). “In the U.S., more than a third of the food supply goes uneaten. The waste happens at multiple levels in the production and supply chain and is a big contributor to climate change,” writes Clare Marie Schneider. “Food that ends up decomposing in landfills produces methane — a potent greenhouse gas. Some states have taken action to try to cut down on this food waste, but a new study finds that state bans on food waste in landfills have had little impact, with one exception.”
Toxic chemicals used in food preparation leach into human bodies, study finds (CNN). “More than 3,600 chemicals that leach into food during the manufacturing, processing, packaging and storage of the world’s food supply end up in the human body — and some are connected to serious health harms, a new study found,” writes Sandee LaMotte. “‘This is a staggering number and shows that food contact materials are a significant source of chemicals in humans,’ said Martin Wagner, a professor of biology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, in an email.”
Young people worldwide are drinking more sugary beverages (Washington Post). “Despite concern about sugary drinks and health, global consumption of the sweetened beverages by young people has increased by 23 percent, according to recent research,” writes Ian McMahan. “Researchers from four countries looked at data from global surveys of 1.4 million children and adolescents, ages 3 to 19, conducted from 1990 to 2018 and found that the rise in consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks occurred at the same time as an increase in obesity among young people. Globally, according to the research published last month in the British Medical Journal, from 1990 to 2018, intake of sugar-sweetened beverages increased by almost an eight-ounce serving per week, a 23 percent increase during that time period.”
***
Who’s who
John Newton has been hired as executive head of Terrain “a team of industry-leading ag economists and analysts.” Newton was most recently the Republican chief economist for the Senate Agriculture Committee.
***
Thanks for supporting food policy journalism
Your subscription makes Food Fix possible, so thank you! If someone forwarded you this email, go here to subscribe. Some friendly housekeeping reminders:
– You can manage your subscription at any time.
– If multiple people in your organization need to read this newsletter, it’s time to upgrade to a group account or add seats.
– Regular forwarding of the Tuesday subscribers-only newsletter is a violation of our terms of service. (Plus, it’s way easier to get it delivered directly to your inbox!)
And don’t miss out between editions: Follow Food Fix on X and LinkedIn.
See you again on Friday!
