ACSH Science Dispatch

The blockbuster weight-loss drug Ozempic has ignited a ferocious debate over the ethics and efficacy of treating obesity with medication.

Oddly, this intense ideological battle has glossed over perhaps the most important question we should answer: how does the drug impact individual patients? Our Director of Medicine Dr. Chuck Dinerstein is working to correct that oversight by documenting his experience with Ozempic.

Most health scares you see in the headlines are generated by low-grade epidemiology research that correlates food or chemicals exposures with negative health outcomes. A recent review employing a new analytical tool highlighted some of the critical problems in this research by looking at studies reporting health risks linked to red meat consumption. Let's take a look at their findings.

A recent study, predictably followed by alarmist headlines, suggested that the sweetener xylitol may increase the risk of cardiovascular complications and blood clots. As usual, there is much more to the story—including the fact that xylitol is perfectly safe for most people to consume as a sweetener.

Mental health medications are a blessing to many people. But they sometimes come with undesirable side effects, including significant weight gain. A recent study suggests that a high-fat, low-carb ketogenic diet could help some patients manage their weight while taking psychiatric drugs. Let's take a closer look at the results.

Our children face a wide range of health and safety risks these days: choking, fentanyl poisoning and school shootings, just to name a few.

But put aside such paltry concerns because Consumer Reports (CR) has identified the real threat to your kids: Lunchables. These safe, affordable prepackaged meals may actually expose your children to potentially harmful levels of lead, the activist group claims. As usual, CR is pushing a baseless health scare to raise money.

Holden Thorpe, editor of the once-prestigious academic journal 'Science,' has made many strange claims in recent years, including the assertion that anybody involved in or adjacent to science (a journalist, policy wonk and perhaps even an activist) is actually a scientist. ACSH's Dr. Henry Miller calls shenanigans.

The Supreme Court is poised to decide a case that could seriously restrict the authority of federal regulatory agencies.

Some legal observers say the decision will put power-hungry bureaucrats in their place, though others maintain the decision could force judges and members of Congress to make scientific determinations they aren't qualified to make. Let's talk to a legal scholar to make sense of the "Chevron deference."

Recent research suggested that our lungs contain tiny (micro- and nano-sized) plastic particles, courtesy of our widespread use plastic consumer products. Let's take a deeper look at the study to determine how serious of a health risk we're up against. As always, the media didn't tell you the whole story.

There's yet another adulterant showing up in illicit fentanyl in cities across North America: medetomidine—a drug used for sedation, analgesia, and muscle relaxation, typically in veterinary settings. How dangerous is the drug, and what can be done to stop its recreational use? Let's take a look.

Which is more dangerous, sunscreen or the sun itself? Should we just wear sun-protective clothing instead? As summer approaches, let's examine the latest research and separate sun facts from myths before heading to the beach.