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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Does Rice-Zempic Do Anything? What Doctors Want You to Know
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."You're probably aware that quick-fix weight loss hacks generally aren't recommended by healthcare professionals and, if you're concerned about your weight, it's always a good idea to check in with a doctor for guidance. But lately, people on TikTok are claiming rice water, a.k.a. 'rice-zempic,' has helped them lose weight. So, it's fair to wonder what this is about. While medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro have exploded in popularity, they can be pricey and aren't always accessible. That's opened the door for unproven strategies that claim to be as good as these injectables for helping people lose weight. Enter rice water for weight loss. Here's the backstory, plus what doctors and a dietitian really think about it. Meet the experts: Kunal Shah, M.D., is an assistant professor in the division of endocrinology at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center. Mir Ali, M.D., is a bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center; Scott Keatley, R.D., is co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy; Darin Detwiler, author of the book Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions and a professor at Northeastern University There are variations on Rice-zempic, but it usually includes a similar recipe that features three ingredients: unwashed rice, warm or hot water, and lime juice. People say that they let the rice steep in water overnight, remove the rice, add the lime juice, and drink the leftover starchy solution. Some note they'll drink it about a half an hour before eating, and then follow their usual diet. There are a few potential risks to keep in mind with rice water, including some food safety concerns. 'Drinking unwashed, uncooked rice water poses clear microbiological and chemical safety risks,' says Darin Detwiler, author of the book Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions and a professor at Northeastern University. Raw rice can carry bacterial spores like Bacillus cereus, along with residues from pesticides, herbicides, and arsenic, especially in regions where water or soil is contaminated, Detwiler points out. 'Washing rice before use helps remove surface contaminants,' Detwiler says. Skipping that step increases the likelihood of ingesting residues, especially if the rice isn't organic or clearly labeled as washed or pre-cleaned.' Separately, Mir Ali, M.D., medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center, points out that this drink is likely high in carbohydrates, noting that, in excess, they can be 'counterproductive' to weight loss. And weight regain (if you lose any in the first place) is also a risk, Dr. Ali says. 'This weight loss will be temporary because you're not making permanent, healthy, long-term changes,' he says. 'Once you stop doing this kind of thing, the weight will come back.' Also, if you have an underlying health condition like acid reflux, downing lime juice daily may exacerbate symptoms, Dr. Shah says. Maybe, but it's probably not as significant as people are hoping. 'It is relatively low-calorie—it's just starchy water,' says Dr. Ali. Rice water may cause people to feel full before a meal, leading them to eat less than they normally would, Dr. Ali says. (It's not clear where the lime juice comes in, but it may simply be used to add flavor.) But this hack has 'zero scientific backing,' says Scott Keatley, R.D., co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy. 'While rice water may have some nutritional benefits, such as providing a source of energy from its starch content, there is no evidence to suggest it has any properties that would significantly impact weight loss,' especially in the manner that some weight loss medications do, he says. Rice water can also make you feel bloated, points out Kunal Shah, M.D., an assistant professor in the division of endocrinology at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center. 'The starch expands in your stomach and can make you feel full—but it's very short-lived,' he says. Also, doctors stress that rice water is not in the same ballpark as medications like Ozempic and Wegovy. 'It's really not metabolically helping you at all,' Dr. Shah says. 'It doesn't in any way mimic Ozempic,' Dr. Ali agrees. 'It has no hormonal effects like Ozempic.' There are some claims that rice water contains resistant starch, a complex carbohydrate that the body can't break down to be digested. (Resistant starch is linked with weight management.) But while resistant starch is usually created when rice is cooked and then cooled, it's not clear if making rice water actually has this effect. Rice itself also contains vitamins and minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, and zinc, but it's uncertain if those nutrients transfer to rice water. If you want to lose weight and you're not sure where to start, it's a good idea to consult with a healthcare provider first, Dr. Ali says. They can give you an evaluation and provide scientifically-sound advice to help you meet your goals. But drinking rice water really isn't the safest way to lose weight, both from a food safety and overall health perspective. 'I don't want people to misconstrue this as Ozempic—it's not,' Dr. Ali says. You Might Also Like Can Apple Cider Vinegar Lead to Weight Loss? Bobbi Brown Shares Her Top Face-Transforming Makeup Tips for Women Over 50
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Health
- Miami Herald
Map Shows 11 States Where Older Americans Outnumber Children
The number of states where older adults outnumber children has increased in recent years, according to new data from the Vintage 2024 Population Estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. In 2024, there were a total of 11 states where older adults outnumbered children, up from just three in 2020. A falling birth rate, and aging population, are causing concern. People's decisions around having children reflect wider anxieties about the economy, given the expense required to have and raise children, as well as social changes, as couples are choosing to have smaller families or have children later. As a result, the issue has been at the forefront of the Trump administration's political agenda-with President Donald Trump giving women a "baby bonus" of $5,000 to encourage them to have more children, expanding access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) for Americans, and the Department of Transportation being directed to give precedence to "communities with marriage and birth rates higher than the national average." In 2020, there were just three states where older adults outnumbered children-Maine, Vermont and Florida. By 2024, this number had increased to 11 after the three states were joined by Delaware, Hawaii, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia. Explaining why these states have more older adults than children, Mindy Marks, a professor of economics at Northeastern University, Massachusetts, told Newsweek "one reason is immigration," or more precisely, a lack of it. "Immigrants tend to be younger and have higher fertility rates than natives," she said. "West Virginia has the smallest percentage of foreign-born residents among all U.S. states." "Internal migration plays a similar role," she added. "Parts of the country are booming with easy access to employment and amenities and young people are moving to areas like Texas and Colorado away from places like Delaware and Pennsylvania." Another reason is differences in life expectancy. "A recent study led by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health found that states in the Northeast and West, along with the District of Columbia (D.C.), recorded the greatest gains in life expectancy," she said. According to the 2024 Census Bureau data, the number of U.S. metro areas with more older adults than children also increased-from 58 to 112 between 2020 to 2024. This represented nearly 30 percent of the nation's 387 metro areas. There were also three metro areas with at least 1 million people that had more older people than younger people for the first time. These included Cleveland, Ohio, Providence-Warwick, Rhode Island-Massachusetts and Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, Connecticut. In 2020, 31.3 percent, so 983, of the nation's 3,144 counties had more older adults than children. However, in 2024, this figure increased to almost 45 percent-i.e. 1,411 counties. "There have been increases in life expectancy in the U.S. over time due to increased insurance coverage and medical improvements," Marks said. "For an individual born in 1900, the life expectancy conditional on reaching age 30 was an additional 39 years. For the cohort born in 1950 that number jumped to 47 years. Increased life expectancy implies more older adults," she added. These factors, and others, coupled with the falling birth rate are shifting the demographic of America's population. Reasons for the decline in birth rate could include the increased cost of having children, mainly through housing and higher education, and the increased time commitments of having children, Marks said. There are also changing social perceptions of "ideal family size" and "if one needs to have children to live a 'good life,'" Marks added. "The rising female labor force participation combined with men's failure to equally contribute to domestic tasks, combined with limited assistance for working families" could also be at play, she said. Something that has "played a big role in the decline in teen pregnancy," she added, was access to better and cheaper contraceptives meaning "there are fewer unwanted pregnancies." Mindy Marks, a professor of economics at Northeastern University, Massachusetts, told Newsweek: "Declining fertility will impact society in many ways. Many government programs such as Social Security and Medicare are structured such that current payments for retirees are funded by current workers. As the ratio of retiree to workers changes these programs become financially insolvent. Relatedly, there are workforce issues especially in sectors like health care and nursing homes where demand for labor will outstrip supply resulting in shortages or higher prices. Fewer workers will also reduce economic growth. As the age structure changes companies will have an incentive to market consumer goods and entertainment to an older client-base and we will see more innovation in products targeted to older demographics." Birth rates are forecast to continue being an issue. The Congressional Budget Office recently predicted that fertility rates could average 1.6 births per woman over the next three decades, which is significantly below the level of 2.1 births per woman required to maintain a stable population without immigration. Related Articles America's Boomer Population Grows As Birth Rates FallGraph Shows US Births Decline Over 50 YearsBirth Rates: Most US Women Still Want Kids, but Half Aren't Sure They CanIndia Shuts Down Schools Over Birth Rate Decline 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Key Member of Musk's DOGE Resigns From Government
Edward Coristine, the 19-year-old high-profile operative for the Department of Government Efficiency, resigned yesterday morning, according to a White House official. Mr. Coristine, known by the online pseudonym 'Big Balls,' was a key player on Elon Musk's team that spearheaded a widespread effort to slash the federal bureaucracy. To critics and many government employees, he became a symbol of DOGE's flaws: Its technologists were young and inexperienced but brash, with a dubious background for the outsize positions of power they occupied. Mr. Coristine's government email account with the General Services Administration — the agency DOGE has used to coordinate many of its activities — was deactivated as of Tuesday afternoon. The White House official who confirmed his resignation was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Mr. Coristine could not be reached for comment. He graduated from high school in Rye, N.Y., last year and was enrolled as an engineering student at Northeastern University when he was hired by DOGE. He had previously interned at a data security firm, but was fired after an investigation into the leaking of internal information. He had also briefly interned at Neuralink, the Musk company that is developing brain implants. He appeared in a Fox News segment that aired in May on Mr. Musk and his team. The host, Jesse Watters, asked, 'Who is Big Balls?' Mr. Musk said, 'That should be obvious,' as Mr. Coristine raised his hand. 'I just set it as my LinkedIn username,' Mr. Coristine said of the pseudonym. 'People on LinkedIn take themselves, like, super seriously and are adverse to risks. And I was like, well, I want to be neither of those things.' The moniker even got a mention on 'Saturday Night Live.' Since February, Mr. Coristine moved between overseeing a long list of government agencies and working on projects of interest to Mr. Musk. Mr. Coristine had been involved in DOGE activities in the General Services Administration, the U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services and Homeland Security. He was most recently seen working in the Social Security Administration, and had an email address affiliated with the agency. He was earlier involved in efforts to slash the State Department's budget, helping to direct plans to close diplomatic offices and fire overseas employees. He later moved on to assist in building a system for the United States to sell special immigration visas, which President Trump has labeled 'gold cards,' for $5 million apiece. Ryan Mac contributed reporting.
Fast Company
6 days ago
- Science
- Fast Company
A new Roblox study shows how longer suspensions help curb bad behavior on platforms
Misbehavior on digital platforms can be tricky to manage. Issue warnings, and you risk not deterring bad behavior. Block too readily, and you might drive away your user base and open yourself to accusations of censorship. But a new study, presented at the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, suggests a more effective path forward. Researchers at Northeastern University and Roblox conducted two large-scale field experiments involving more than 770,000 Roblox users to study how suspension duration affects user behavior. The first experiment compared one-hour versus one-day suspensions for users with a single recent policy violation. The second experiment compared one- to three-day suspensions for users with a second recent violation. They tracked outcomes such as likelihood of reoffending, number of subsequent violations, user reports against offenders, and engagement metrics like days active and total time spent on the platform. 'It's very common for platforms to issue consequences for violations of the community standards, but there's actually not a ton of causal evidence in the research about how effective different kinds of consequences are,' says Jeffrey Gleason, one of the study's authors and a researcher at Northeastern University and Roblox. The study found that longer suspensions significantly reduced reoffense rates, the number of consequences, and user reports. Longer suspensions also appeared to make users think twice before misbehaving again, increasing the time it took for them to reoffend.
Al Etihad
7 days ago
- Business
- Al Etihad
Meta's ‘Teen Accounts' in UAE explained: Stricter privacy rules rolled out for under-16 Instagram users
22 June 2025 22:18 Khaled Al Khawaldeh (Abu Dhabi) Meta has launched its 'Teen Accounts' feature for Instagram in the UAE, positioning the nation as one of the first in the region to benefit from enhanced online safety measures for adolescents. The move reflects the UAE's commitment to advancing digital wellbeing as part of its broader vision for a safe and balanced digital society. The rollout, announced during a youth-focused summit in Dubai last week, aligns closely with national efforts to promote online safety among the youth. How Does It Work? Instagram Teen Accounts introduce a range of built-in safeguards specifically designed to protect users under the age of 16. Among the key features are stricter privacy controls that automatically set teen profiles to private, ensuring that only approved followers can view posts and interact with their messaging is also limited so that teens can receive messages only from followers they have accepted. Sensitive content filters are set at the highest restriction levels, shielding teens from violent, sexual, or harmful material. Additionally, new interaction settings prevent strangers from tagging or mentioning teen users. These changes are aimed at reducing exposure to potentially harmful or inappropriate online encounters. Another notable feature is the introduction of time management tools. Teens in the UAE will now see prompts encouraging them to take breaks after 60 minutes of daily usage. Notifications are automatically silenced overnight, between 10 pm and 7 am, to support healthy digital habits and better sleep hygiene.'Instagram Teen Accounts reflect the importance of tailoring teens' online experiences to their developmental stages, and implementing appropriate protections,' Rachel Rodgers, PhD Associate Professor of Applied Psychology, Northeastern University, said in a statement.'Younger adolescents are more vulnerable as their skills are still emerging and require additional safeguards and protection. Overall, the settings are age-specific, with younger and older teens being offered different protections.' Digital Safety DriveThe UAE's inclusion in this regional-first rollout underscores its leadership in online safety initiatives, according to Lt. General His Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, during the feature's announcement. The country has been at the forefront of digital governance through initiatives like the National Programme for Digital Wellbeing, led by the Digital Wellbeing have long emphasised the need to protect children and teenagers from the risks associated with excessive or unsafe social media use. The collaboration between Meta and local stakeholders, including government bodies, educators, and parent advocates, is seen as a natural extension of these efforts. Parents' Involvement While Teen Accounts automatically introduce new protections, many parents in the UAE are eager to take a more active role in their children's online experiences. In response, Meta is enhancing its supervision tools to give families greater oversight. Parents will now be able to see who their teen has messaged over the past seven days, though they won't have access to the content of those conversations. They can also set daily time limits for how long their teen can use Instagram, with the app becoming inaccessible once the limit is reached. In addition, parents have the option to block Instagram usage during specific periods, such as nighttime hours, with a single click. To further support informed guidance, Meta is also allowing parents to view the age-appropriate topics their teen has selected to explore, helping them better understand their child's online interests and preferences. What If Teens Misrepresent Their Age? Some teens may attempt to bypass protections by misrepresenting their age. To address this, the company is requiring age verification in more places across the platform and is developing technology to proactively identify accounts that belong to teens, even if those accounts list an adult birth date. This technology will allow Meta to automatically apply Teen Account protections to suspected underage users. The strategy replaces an earlier measure that required age verification for accounts attempting to switch to an adult birthday, which had unintended consequences, such as inadvertently locking out some parents who shared devices with their teens. Alongside these enforcement efforts, Meta is also enhancing its safeguards to ensure teens see age-appropriate content. The platform applies strict rules to remove content that violates its standards and limits the recommendation of sensitive material, including sexually suggestive posts or content related to suicide, self-harm, or sextortion risks.
