Latest news with #JAMAHealthForum
Economic Times
7 days ago
- Health
- Economic Times
Wharton psychologist and ex-Pentagon advisor unpacks the real mental health crisis among youth. Netizens ask, 'Are we sure it's just kids?'
— AdamMGrant (@AdamMGrant) The Red Flag Isn't Time; It's Compulsion Design or Disorder? A Heated Debate Online You Might Also Like: Wharton professor reveals the most underrated career skill, but research says it takes more than you to master it What This Means for the Future of Mental Health A Global Crisis Disguised as a Youth Problem? — KevinHenrikson (@KevinHenrikson) When it comes to youth mental health and technology, it turns out the culprit isn't just how long kids are on their phones—but why they can't put them down. Adam Grant , organizational psychologist at Wharton and former advisor to the Pentagon, recently stirred up the internet with a stark observation about screen use and emotional a post on X (formerly Twitter), Grant wrote, 'The biggest risk to young people's mental health is not screentime. It's addictive behavior,' referencing a new study published in JAMA Health Forum titled Addictive Screen Use Trajectories and Suicidal Behaviors, Suicidal Ideation, and Mental Health in US Youths. The study tracked youth behavior over four years and delivered an unsettling insight: children who struggled to control their use of social media, games, or phones were more likely to show signs of mental distress, including suicidal thoughts and whose work has shaped conversations on productivity, purpose, and emotional health, emphasized that it's not merely about counting screen hours. 'We should worry less about time than distress and compulsion,' he wrote. The study backs this up with numbers: around one-third of children showed increasing "addictive" use of phones and social media as they aged, with video games not far behind. These patterns weren't linked just to how long they were on devices—but to how much they felt unable to with high or increasing compulsive use were found to be more than twice as likely to attempt self-harm than those with lower levels of screen dependency. Moreover, they experienced higher levels of anxiety, sadness, and anger—conditions that alarmingly persisted over study triggered intense reactions online, with many users echoing a recurring theme: this isn't just a youth issue.'Would love to see this same lens applied to adult behavior,' one user commented. 'Feels like this is more like a global dilemma at this point.' Another chimed in: 'Screens are designed to be addictive. Isn't this like saying ultra-processed food isn't a risk—just the compulsive eating of it?'Indeed, many pointed fingers not only at behavior but also at big tech's intent—highlighting the built-in psychological hooks that keep users, regardless of age, scrolling long after they mean to JAMA study's findings go beyond parenting concerns—they shine a light on how addiction is being redefined in a digital world. It's not the hours on a device but the loss of control that signals a deeper emotional struggle. Grant, known for his work on languishing and emotional regulation, implies this is a teachable moment for both parents and policymakers.'It boils down to emotional regulation,' a user reflected in response. 'Noticing, understanding, and managing the feeling that makes you do what you do is crucial.'While the study focuses on adolescents, many agree the findings reflect a broader epidemic. From compulsive doomscrolling to late-night binge-watching, adults are hardly immune. As one commenter noted, 'Are we sure it's just kids struggling with control?'In Grant's words, it's not time, it's torment. And it may be time we all look up from our screens—not just to monitor our kids, but to check in with ourselves.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
As Fluoride Bans Spread, Who Will Be Hit the Hardest?
A recent study projected that if the entire country were to stop adding fluoride to the water supply, tooth decay would increase by about 7.5%, representing about 25 million more cavities. Credit - Linda Raymond—Getty Images Cavities and dental costs are at risk of skyrocketing as a growing number of states consider banning the use of fluoride in public water—and children from low-income households are likely most vulnerable. In March, Utah became the first state to prohibit adding fluoride to drinking water. A couple months later, Florida followed suit. Several other states are now considering similar bills. In a recent study published in JAMA Health Forum, researchers projected what would happen if the entire country were to stop adding fluoride to the water supply. The potential impact on both people's oral health and their dental bills was substantial: Tooth decay, the study found, would increase by about 7.5%—representing about 25 million more cavities—and the U.S. would face about $9.8 billion in additional costs over five years, including both what families would have to pay out-of-pocket for dental care and what the government would need to pay for public health insurance. And those impacts would disproportionately affect children on public insurance plans or without insurance, the researchers found. Fluoridated water is 'an amazing public health intervention that comes straight from the tap,' says the senior author of the study, Dr. Lisa Simon, an internal medicine physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital, who is also a general dentist. Read More: The Science Behind Fluoride in Drinking Water 'Fluoride works for everyone—it benefits adults, it benefits children,' Simon says. 'But the people who derive the most benefit from it are people who have a harder time accessing routine dental care.' 'Unfortunately, in our country, that is more likely to be children and families who are low-income, who rely on public insurance, or who otherwise face challenges in getting to a dentist,' she says. States' moves to ban the use of fluoride in public drinking water come as the Trump Administration—due in large part to the influence of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—has pushed back against the practice. Kennedy has long blasted water fluoridation, claiming it is linked to arthritis, bone cancer, IQ loss, and more, and signaled that HHS will stop recommending it. The Environmental Protection Agency has said that it is studying the potential health risks of fluoride, and the Food and Drug Administration said it is taking steps to remove prescription ingestible fluoride supplements for children from the market. Some research suggests that fluoride could be associated with lower IQ scores, but only at significantly high levels of exposure—the amount of fluoride that is added to public water, based on federal guidelines, is far lower. And the majority of public health experts, pediatricians, and dentists insist that water fluoridation is a long-standing practice that is both safe and effective at protecting oral health and fighting cavities and tooth decay. Read More: America's Dental Health Is in Trouble 'It's been touted to be one of the most successful or greatest public health initiatives, right up there with vaccinations,' says Dr. Tomitra Latimer, a pediatrician at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. U.S. localities started adding fluoride to public water in 1945, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has credited the public health initiative for the 'dramatic decline in cavities' in the country in the years since. According to the CDC, drinking fluoridated water reduces cavities by roughly 25% in both children and adults. Tooth decay, though preventable, is one of the most common childhood diseases. And children of color, children who come from low-income households, children on public insurance plans that limit which providers they can see, and children who live in rural areas and have to travel long distances to access care—all of them are at greater risk of developing cavities, according to Latimer. Children with autism also tend to have a heightened risk of developing cavities because they may struggle with brushing their teeth regularly, she says. While there are alternative sources of fluoride that people can purchase, the cost may be out of reach for many families, Latimer says. That's why, she says, fluoridated water is so critical: It's an easily accessible tool that can help protect the oral health of children who are most vulnerable to cavities. And for generations, it's flowed straight from the tap. Contact us at letters@
Time Magazine
06-06-2025
- Health
- Time Magazine
As Fluoride Bans Spread, Who Will Be Hit the Hardest?
Cavities and dental costs are at risk of skyrocketing as a growing number of states consider banning the use of fluoride in public water —and children from low-income households are likely most vulnerable. In March, Utah became the first state to prohibit adding fluoride to drinking water. A couple months later, Florida followed suit. Several other states are now considering similar bills. In a recent study published in JAMA Health Forum, researchers projected what would happen if the entire country were to stop adding fluoride to the water supply. The potential impact on both people's oral health and their dental bills was substantial: Tooth decay, the study found, would increase by about 7.5%—representing about 25 million more cavities—and the U.S. would face about $9.8 billion in additional costs over five years, including both what families would have to pay out-of-pocket for dental care and what the government would need to pay for public health insurance. And those impacts would disproportionately affect children on public insurance plans or without insurance, the researchers found. Fluoridated water is 'an amazing public health intervention that comes straight from the tap,' says the senior author of the study, Dr. Lisa Simon, an internal medicine physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital, who is also a general dentist. 'Fluoride works for everyone—it benefits adults, it benefits children,' Simon says. 'But the people who derive the most benefit from it are people who have a harder time accessing routine dental care.' 'Unfortunately, in our country, that is more likely to be children and families who are low-income, who rely on public insurance, or who otherwise face challenges in getting to a dentist,' she says. States' moves to ban the use of fluoride in public drinking water come as the Trump Administration—due in large part to the influence of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—has pushed back against the practice. Kennedy has long blasted water fluoridation, claiming it is linked to arthritis, bone cancer, IQ loss, and more, and signaled that HHS will stop recommending it. The Environmental Protection Agency has said that it is studying the potential health risks of fluoride, and the Food and Drug Administration said it is taking steps to remove prescription ingestible fluoride supplements for children from the market. Some research suggests that fluoride could be associated with lower IQ scores, but only at significantly high levels of exposure—the amount of fluoride that is added to public water, based on federal guidelines, is far lower. And the majority of public health experts, pediatricians, and dentists insist that water fluoridation is a long-standing practice that is both safe and effective at protecting oral health and fighting cavities and tooth decay. 'It's been touted to be one of the most successful or greatest public health initiatives, right up there with vaccinations,' says Dr. Tomitra Latimer, a pediatrician at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. U.S. localities started adding fluoride to public water in 1945, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has credited the public health initiative for the 'dramatic decline in cavities' in the country in the years since. According to the CDC, drinking fluoridated water reduces cavities by roughly 25% in both children and adults. Tooth decay, though preventable, is one of the most common childhood diseases. And children of color, children who come from low-income households, children on public insurance plans that limit which providers they can see, and children who live in rural areas and have to travel long distances to access care—all of them are at greater risk of developing cavities, according to Latimer. Children with autism also tend to have a heightened risk of developing cavities because they may struggle with brushing their teeth regularly, she says. While there are alternative sources of fluoride that people can purchase, the cost may be out of reach for many families, Latimer says. That's why, she says, fluoridated water is so critical: It's an easily accessible tool that can help protect the oral health of children who are most vulnerable to cavities. And for generations, it's flowed straight from the tap.
CBS News
02-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Removing fluoride from water could result in 25 million cavities and cost $9.8 billion, study estimates
New research suggests that removing fluoride from public water would increase dental care costs and tooth decay for children across the United States. The study, published Friday in the JAMA Health Forum, used a nationally representative sample of 8,484 children aged 0 to 19 from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to estimate projected outcomes of stopping water fluoridation in the U.S. — something some states, including Utah and Florida, have already begun doing. Researchers found removing fluoride was associated with an increase in tooth decay of 7.5 percentage points, or 25.4 million cases, and cost approximately $9.8 billion over 5 years. These effects would disproportionately affect publicly insured and uninsured children, who are already at the highest risk of unmet dental needs, the authors added. Fluoride is a mineral that helps strengthen teeth and reduce cavities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It does this by repairing and preventing damage to teeth caused by bacteria in the mouth that produce acid, which in turn dissolves minerals in a tooth's surface and can even lead to tooth loss. Tooth decay by itself can be painful and costly to treat but left untreated can cause further problems, including infections and abscesses or even sepsis, according to the World Health Organization. Some research has also linked poor oral health to other complications, such as cardiovascular disease due to inflammation and infection. The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water was long considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century, but Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has brought it into question, claiming fluoride is linked to a slew of health problems. Dental experts have told CBS News they largely disagree. "Seventy years of research, thousands of studies and the experience of more than 210 million Americans tell us that water fluoridation is effective in preventing cavities and is safe for children and adults," according to the American Dental Association. Fluoride can come from a number of sources, including most toothpaste brands, but researchers say drinking water is the main source for Americans. Plus, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced earlier this year that it is starting the process of removing ingestible fluoride prescription drug products for kids from the market.
CBS News
02-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Removing fluoride from water could result in 25 million cavities and $9.8 billion, study estimates
New research suggests that removing fluoride from public water would increase dental care costs and tooth decay for children across the United States. The study, published Friday in the JAMA Health Forum, used a nationally representative sample of 8,484 children aged 0 to 19 from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to estimate projected outcomes of stopping water fluoridation in the U.S. — something some states, including Utah and Florida, have already begun doing. Researchers found removing fluoride was associated with an increase in tooth decay of 7.5 percentage points, or 25.4 million cases, and cost approximately $9.8 billion over 5 years. These effects would disproportionately affect publicly insured and uninsured children, who are already at the highest risk of unmet dental needs, the authors added. Fluoride is a mineral that helps strengthen teeth and reduce cavities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It does this by repairing and preventing damage to teeth caused by bacteria in the mouth that produce acid, which in turn dissolves minerals in a tooth's surface and can even lead to tooth loss. Tooth decay by itself can be painful and costly to treat but left untreated can cause further problems, including infections and abscesses or even sepsis, according to the World Health Organization. Some research has also linked poor oral health to other complications, such as cardiovascular disease due to inflammation and infection. The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water was long considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century, but Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has brought it into question, claiming fluoride is linked to a slew of health problems. Dental experts have told CBS News they largely disagree. "Seventy years of research, thousands of studies and the experience of more than 210 million Americans tell us that water fluoridation is effective in preventing cavities and is safe for children and adults," according to the American Dental Association. Fluoride can come from a number of sources, including most toothpaste brands, but researchers say drinking water is the main source for Americans. Plus, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced earlier this year that it is starting the process of removing ingestible fluoride prescription drug products for kids from the market.
