What We're Reading: Redefining "Healthy"

The FDA is looking to redefine “healthy” in light of new research on nutrition. The agency will seek comments from the public and food experts on what the modern definition of healthy should be, reported The Wall Street Journal. The term was first officially defined in 1994. The process is expected to take years to complete. Part of the change is related to a recent petition from Kind LLC, which makes fruit-and-nut bars but was sent a warning letter for using the term “healthy” on packaging. Food can only be marketed as such if it meets 5 criteria related to the levels of fat, saturated fat, sodium, cholesterol, and beneficial nutrients.

Leadership at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center is getting overhauled. According to The Washington Post, a review of the hospital found that research interests had taken priority over patient safety. The hospital leadership will be replaced with a new team experienced in patient safety and the director of the NIH wants the positions of chief executive, chief operating officer, and chief medical officer to all be filled by physicians. The hospital review was the first in decades.

Senator Bernie Sanders’ tax and spending proposals would create add $18 trillion to the federal deficit. The Associated Press reported that the presidential hopeful’s proposal to raise taxes mostly on upper-income earners by more than $15 trillion over 10 years still wouldn’t cover the cost of his Medicare for All healthcare plan, which is more than $30 trillion. Sanders’ campaign has claimed the analysis from the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center and the Urban Institute Health Policy Center overestimates the cost of the healthcare proposal and underestimates the healthcare savings the country would reap.