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Forbes
6 hours ago
- Health
- Forbes
Cannabis And Psychedelics Seen As Effective For Eating Disorders, Study Finds
Anorexia Nervosa - Common Medical Marijuana Conditions for Qualifying Patients - use of the whole, ... More unprocessed marijuana plant or its basic extracts to treat symptoms of illness and other conditions. A new study has found that cannabis and psychedelics are perceived to be the most effective drugs that help alleviate eating disorder symptoms. A group of researchers from the University of Sydney has conducted a survey on over 6,000 people suffering from eight eating disorders, such as bulimia, anorexia, and binge-eating disorder, and found that most of them rely on cannabis and psychedelics to help alleviate their symptoms. Published on JAMA Network Open-Psychiatry this week, the study tried to understand which prescription and nonprescription drugs are used by people with eating disorders, and how they are associated with symptoms. To do so, participants, diagnosed with eating disorders and mainly from English-speaking countries, completed an online survey on recent prescribed and nonprescribed drug use, as well as perceived benefits and harms. Initially, 7,648 respondents were recruited; 6,612 completed demographics, and 5,123 finished the survey. The findings of the survey showed that overall, the best-rated drugs for eating disorder symptoms among respondents were psilocybin, cannabis, and lysergic acid diethylamide. For example, for respondents with anorexia, cannabis received the highest rating. When asked to identify their drug of choice for self-medicating eating disorder symptoms, the most popular drug among respondents was cannabis, but when normalized by number of users, fluoxetine, an antidepressant, ranked highest. Among 6,136 respondents, prescription psychotropics were rated highest for mental health. Psilocybin, LSD, and cannabis also received strong ratings. 'A striking outcome was the favorable self-reported ratings of psychedelics and cannabis for alleviating ED symptoms, eclipsing the ratings of commonly prescribed psychotropics,' the study reads. Can Cannabis Help Alleviate Eating Disorder Symptoms? The study also highlighted that daily cannabis users reported perceived benefits for their eating disorder symptoms. Researchers said that 'there is scant research around the use of cannabinoids in individuals with eating disorders apart from small trials supporting the efficacy of dronabinol, which is synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol, in those with anorexia nervosa.' They also added that cannabis may benefit people with restrictive and food-aversive eating disorders, like anorexia nervosa and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, 'by increasing the hedonic value of food.' This is in line with previous studies on the effects of cannabis on appetite. A study published last year showed that mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH), a region in the brain that regulates various physiological processes, controls increased appetite following cannabis use. In contrast, cannabis received poor ratings from people with bulimia and binge-eating disorder, likely because its appetite-stimulating effects can trigger or worsen binge-and-purge behaviors, thereby intensifying the symptoms of the eating disorder. Psilocybin and LSD were consistently rated highly across all diagnostic groups for their ability to improve eating disorder symptoms, enhance overall mental health, and be well tolerated. However, the study has several limitations. The survey primarily included participants from high-income, English-speaking countries with internet access. It may have also attracted people with eating disorders who are more inclined toward new ways to treat their eating disorder symptoms or have positive attitudes or prior positive experiences with drugs. Furthermore, diagnoses were based on self-report rather than formal clinical assessment, and comorbid conditions were not evaluated. Additionally, recall bias may have influenced participants' reports of drug use and symptoms. Therefore, because some findings are based on small sample sizes within specific diagnostic related to eating disorders and drug-use groups, the researchers highlighted that this study's results 'should be interpreted as exploratory rather than definitive.'
Fox News
19 hours ago
- Health
- Fox News
Higher cancer rates linked to WWII radioactive waste in Midwestern creek
NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! A Missouri creek has allegedly led to a higher risk of cancer in neighboring residents. Coldwater Creek, a Missouri River tributary north of St. Louis, has been a known radioactive waste site since the 1980s. Researchers have now confirmed that exposure to the creek, which is said to be polluted with nuclear waste from the development of the first atomic bomb, has led to an increased incidence of cancer for people who were children in the area between the 1940s and 1960s. MAN'S DEADLY BRAIN CANCER TUMOR DISAPPEARS AFTER EXPERIMENTAL DRUG TRIAL A study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, which was published in JAMA Network, analyzed the data of 4,209 participants who lived near Coldwater Creek. The data was originally gathered for a previous study on childhood radiation exposure. Participants who lived in the Greater St. Louis area between 1958 and 1972 shared their cancer diagnoses, which allowed researchers to calculate risk based on their proximity to the creek. The researchers found an elevated risk of cancer in a long-term follow-up, with those who lived closest to the creek reporting a higher incidence of most cancers. "The waste from these entities could have huge impacts on people's health, even at lower levels of exposure." In total, 24% of study participants reported having cancer. Of those, 30% lived less than one kilometer away from the creek, 28% lived between one and five kilometers away, 25% lived between five and 20 kilometers away, and 24% lived more than 20 kilometers away. Corresponding author Marc Weisskopf, professor of environmental epidemiology and physiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, commented on these findings in a press release. CHILDREN EXPOSED TO HIGHER FLUORIDE LEVELS FOUND TO HAVE LOWER IQS, STUDY REVEALS "Our research indicates that the communities around North St. Louis appear to have had excess cancer from exposure to the contaminated Coldwater Creek," he said. "These findings may have broader implications — as countries think about increasing nuclear power and developing more nuclear weapons, the waste from these entities could have huge impacts on people's health, even at these lower levels of exposure." This study accompanies Congress' passing of an expanded version of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), as part of President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill. The act will allow Americans, including Coldwater Creek residents, to receive compensation for medical bills associated with radiation exposure, the researchers noted. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER Local agencies have become increasingly concerned about cancer prevalence in the area, prompting the push for further research beyond the U.S. government's acknowledgment of the pollution four decades ago. The contamination originally occurred due to the Manhattan Project and Mallinckrodt Chemical Works, which processed and refined uranium in St. Louis, according to the study. The radioactive material was moved out of the major U.S. city and into the more rural area near Coldwater Creek, where it was stored in uncovered drums on the ground and exposed to the elements, allowing contaminants to leach into the nearby creek. The researchers noted that communities downstream from Coldwater Creek had potentially been exposed to the ionizing radiation during recreational activities, such as playing in the creek, and residential activities, like breathing in dust suspended from the soil when gardening. For more Health articles, visit The study did have some limitations, the researchers acknowledged, including its small sample size and reliance on self-reported cancer outcomes. The potential carcinogenic impact of creek exposure warrants further research to confirm the findings, the team concluded. Co-author Michael Leung, PhD, post-doctoral research fellow at Harvard's Department of Environmental Health, reflected on the findings in an interview with Fox News Digital. "Our study found that children in the 1940s to 1960s who lived near Coldwater Creek, which was contaminated by radioactive waste from the development of the first atomic bomb, had a 44% higher risk of cancer compared to those living further than 20 kilometers away," he confirmed. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "Our findings coincide with Congress passing an expanded version of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, and gives further credence to the health concerns of St. Louis area-residents about the contaminated creek," Leung went on. "We hope these findings will support public health measures for affected communities, as well as ongoing efforts to remediate the creek."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Weight loss drugs may lower risk of dementia, stroke: Study
Some popular weight loss drugs may lower the risk of dementia and stroke for patients with Type 2 diabetes and obesity, new research published in JAMA Network suggests. Patients taking semaglutide or tirzepatide medications — active ingredients in weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy — showed a lower risk of developing certain diseases compared to those taking other, similar medications. Those include neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia and Alzheimer's, and cerebrovascular disease, which manifests in strokes, brain aneurysms and more. Researchers analyzed the health developments over seven years in 60,000 adults aged 40 or older diagnosed with both Type 2 diabetes and obesity, as recorded by the TriNetX U.S. network. The patients were all users of semaglutide, tirzepatide or other GLP-1 anti-diabetes drugs from December 2017 through June 2024. The effects were most prominent among women, patients older than 60 and those with a body mass index of 30 to 40. Researchers acknowledged more clinical trials are needed to corroborate their initial findings, but they maintained the data 'represents one of the most recent clinical database–driven analyses to investigate the neuroprotective and cerebrovascular associations of newer GLP-1RAs' for some patients. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Health
- Newsweek
'Extremely Severe' Obesity on the Rise in US Children—Study
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Extremely severe obesity among American children has increased more than threefold over the past 15 years, with new research published on the JAMA Network, highlighting disturbing trends in prevalence and related health complications. Researchers analyzed national health data from 2008 to 2023, uncovering a surge in the most severe obesity categories for U.S. children aged 2 to 18 years old. Newsweek has reached out to the authors of the study via email Sunday during non-working hours for further comment. Why It Matters The study comes as the nation faces persistent challenges combating childhood obesity, signaling what authors have called a "public health emergency" with wide-ranging medical and economic consequences for future generations. "The findings underscore the urgent need for public health interventions against pediatric obesity in the U.S.," authors Eliane Munte, Xinlian Zhang, Amit Khurana, and Phillipp Hartmann wrote in the study. The sharp upswing in extremely severe obesity among children raises the risk of developing serious medical conditions—including type 2 diabetes, steatotic liver disease, also known as fatty liver disease (MASLD), metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of April 2024, approximately 1 in 5 children—14.7 million—are already classified as obese, with the burden disproportionately affecting racial minorities and lower-income families. Untreated, these complications can persist into adulthood, multiplying risks for chronic disease and shortened life expectancy. What To Know The study evaluated data from 25,847 children and teens, drawing from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2008 and 2023. Obesity was categorized using percentiles based on age and sex, and researchers identified a 253 percent relative increase in extremely severe obesity. Adolescents aged 16 to 18 and non-Hispanic Black children were especially affected. According to the CDC, the prevalence of obesity in U.S. children and teens aged 2-19 years increased from 19.46 percent in 2008 to 22.52 percent in 2023. Several factors have fueled the rise in pediatric obesity, including decreased physical activity, increased screen time, and greater access to high-calorie, low-nutrient foods. Researchers noted that these issues intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, with children experiencing a nearly doubled rate of annual weight gain between 2019 and 2021 compared to prior years. "The monthly rate of BMI increase nearly times faster after the virus appeared," Dr. Alyson Goodman of the CDC said in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) in 2021, highlighting the influence of pandemic-era disruptions. Economic and social disparities also contribute significantly to who is most affected. The CDC reported higher obesity rates among children in families below 130 percent of the federal poverty level around 25 percent, compared with those in wealthier households at 11.5 percent. Unequal access to healthy foods, safe recreational spaces, and adequate medical care also play roles, the CDC said in 2024. The JAMA study found significantly higher odds of children developing MASLD (a fatty liver disease), diabetes or prediabetes, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and early signs of heart disease. Left unchecked, these conditions can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer, and major cardiovascular events later in life. In 2024, the CDC estimated the annual medical cost of childhood obesity at $1.3 billion, underscoring the seriousness of the crisis. A beam scale is seen in New York on April 3, 2018. A beam scale is seen in New York on April 3, 2018. AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File What People Are Saying The authors of the study wrote in the conclusion: "The findings of this study with over 25,800 participants provide robust evidence supporting extremely severe obesity specifically as a public health emergency. The association with metabolic and cardiovascular complications necessitates urgent public health action, such as early prevention, targeted education, and the mobilization of resources." What Happens Next? The authors called for "urgent public health interventions" and proposed a multi-layered approach, including preventive education, improved access to nutritious foods, and equitable health care.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Weight loss drugs may lower risk of dementia, stroke: Study
Some popular weight loss drugs may lower the risk of dementia and stroke for patients with Type 2 diabetes and obesity, new research published in JAMA Network suggests. Patients taking semaglutide or tirzepatide medications — active ingredients in weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy — showed a lower risk of developing certain diseases compared to those taking other, similar medications. Those include neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia and Alzheimer's, and cerebrovascular disease, which manifests in strokes, brain aneurysms and more. Researchers analyzed the health developments over seven years in 60,000 adults aged 40 or older diagnosed with both Type 2 diabetes and obesity, as recorded by the TriNetX U.S. network. The patients were all users of semaglutide, tirzepatide or other GLP-1 anti-diabetes drugs from December 2017 through June 2024. The effects were most prominent among women, patients older than 60 and those with a body mass index of 30 to 40. Researchers acknowledged more clinical trials are needed to corroborate their initial findings, but they maintained the data 'represents one of the most recent clinical database–driven analyses to investigate the neuroprotective and cerebrovascular associations of newer GLP-1RAs' for some patients. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
