By Alice Bryk Silveira The alarming rise in diabetes and obesity rates in the United States has placed significant strain on health care systems and poses a serious public health threat. Americans’ overconsumption of ultra-processed foods high in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats is a concerning contributor. Globally, poor nutrition from such dietary habits plays…
By Jessica Samuels On October 8, 13 states and the District of Columbia sued TikTok, alleging that the social media company’s algorithm is designed to “promote excessive, compulsive, and addictive use” in children. While each state’s complaint was filed separately in state court, the cases are coordinated around the claim that TikTok’s design is deliberately…
By Spencer Andrews What makes a city livable? The answer, some say, is more “third places,” spaces distinct from one’s home (the first place) and one’s workplace (the second place). A third place, like a café, park, or library, fosters the sense of community and connection that makes a neighborhood great to live in. This…
The Petrie-Flom Center is welcoming four new affiliated researchers to the Global Health and Rights Project (GHRP).
Photo credit: Farrah Skeiky By Patty Skuster and Heidi Moseson Medication abortion did not begin with a clinical trial; it began at home as self-managed abortion, or abortion without supervision from a clinician. Decades before the 2000 U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of mifepristone for abortion, which is taken alongside misoprostol, feminists in Brazil…
By Zain Khalid October 10th marked the first anniversary of California’s Senate Bill 43 (SB 43), a major revision of the landmark Lanterman-Petris-Short Act of 1967, a de-institutionalization era law designed to “end the inappropriate, indefinite, and involuntary commitment of persons with mental health disorders.” The law loosened eligibility standards for civil commitment by expanding…
Photo credit: Martina Šalov By Jessica Morris The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) is the world’s largest alliance of national professional societies of obstetricians and gynecologists. FIGO supports comprehensive, equitable, and accessible sexual and reproductive health (SRH) for everyone, recognizing that these are fundamental human rights and essential components needed to achieve global health…
By Rebekah Ninan This past month, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a wave of artificial intelligence-related legislation into law. Much public debate has been focused on SB 1047, a proposal ultimately vetoed by Governor Newsom, which would have held AI companies liable for “catastrophic harms” from AI models. Comparatively little attention has been paid to…
By Rupa Palanki In May 2024, a bipartisan group of female senators introduced the Advancing Menopause Care and Mid-Life Women’s Health Act. The bill allocates $275 million over five years toward strengthening and expanding federal research, health care provider training, and public health education on menopause and mid-life women’s health issues. If enacted, it would…
By Jessica Samuels It’s been all the rage — celebrities and physicians tout GLP-1 inhibitors, like Ozempic and Wegovy, as miracle drugs for diabetes management and weight loss. But some still believe weight loss is a function of personal control and view these drugs as taking the “easy way out.” While the rise of weight…
