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TASTES GOOD. BAD FOR YOU.

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

In today’s newsletter, we take a hard look at our relationship with ultra-processed foods, learn about a toad that can get you really, really high ... and question why tuberculosis rates are on the rise.

A fizzy red soda

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAN KITWOOD, GETTY IMAGES

Don’t blame youself. It may not be that you lack willpower.

That sudden, almost unthinking binge on potato chips, soda (pictured above), candy? It’s the product of a lab and industrially-created addiction to ultra-processed foods affecting a fifth of adults and nearly as many kids.

How strong is it? How can we fight this multibillion-dollar effort to fatten and hurt us—and then blame us?

HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW

Related: How ultra-processed food hurts your body and brain

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

Two toads on top of each other in water

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN CANCALOSI/ NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY

This toad (pictured above) can get you really high.

Here’s what science recommends to keep your memory sharp as you age

The plight of the pelican: Why are these birds starving?

How ballroom dancing went from an elite pastime to a dance hall craze

How epidurals can do more than relieve pain

What is Ozempic Face?

Why the world’s oldest sport is still one of the best exercises

How does your body change after just a few days of going sober?

Does being the oldest or youngest sibling really shape your personality?

The best bird feeders for your summer garden guests

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

A colorized X-ray showing opacities, highlighted in pink, throughout a patient's lungs.

PHOTOGRAPH BY DU CANE MEDICAL IMAGING LTD/ SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Tuberculosis is one of the world’s leading causes of death, despite being both preventable and curable (pictured above, an x-ray of TB-infected lungs in pink). For years, the rate of tuberculosis diagnoses in the U.S. has been impressively low, but that may no longer be the case. Why are TB rates rising?

LAST GLIMPSE

Vacationers relax under the shade of umbrellas on a pool deck.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JENN EMERLING, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

In the summer sun? Don’t forget your SPF! From the difference between mineral and chemical sunscreen, to how much sunscreen is enough, we talk to experts about your burning sun care questions during the warmer months.

Related: In your eyes? The surprising places to check for skin cancer.
Also: Extreme heat can be deadly—here’s how to know if you’re at risk

Today’s soundtrack: Constant Craving, k.d. lang

We hope this newsletter brightened your Wednesday! It was curated and edited by David Beard, Nancy San Martín, and Nishita Naga. Know someone who might want our newsletter in their inbox? Here’s the signup. See you tomorrow!

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