🍬 Are sponsored dietician posts dangerous?

Happy Saturday! It’s September 16 — people are talking about the Adderall shortage, the trend of sponsored dieticians on social media, and more.

As always, we’ve summarized and organized the different shades of perspective, so you can see the big picture quickly.

💊 In the news: The Adderall shortage

There's been an ADHD medicine shortage since last year, and it shows no signs of slowing. What’s behind the trend?

💊 Bloomberg thinks very little is being done to fix the shortage. It's partly economic — ADHD drugs are mostly generic, and don't generate much profit.

💊 Khou says the answer isn't as easy as switching to generics — ADHD meds are very specific, and not every medical treatment works for everyone.

💊 NBC suggested two fixes: Cutting off telehealth access (which caused demand to skyrocket), or Big Pharma and the DEA working better together.

💊 Everyday Health has suggestions if you can't access your meds: Get familiar with your local pharmacy, try alternate doses, temporarily switch to a different med, or try lifestyle changes.

🍬 Cultural trend: Sponsored dietician posts

Companies are paying dieticians for posts promoting controversial foods and ingredients. Should we be concerned?

🍬 WaPo’s investigation found that companies are paying off dietitians on social media to downplay the health concerns of certain products.

🍬 One example from the investigation: After the WHO announced that aspartame (Diet Coke's sweetener) may be unhealthy, lobbying groups sponsored dietitian posts on social media that touted the sweetener’s safety.

🍬 Pretty Critical was appalled: It’s crazy that food and drink companies have such a huge grip on online dieticians. Think twice before you trust influencers!

🍬 But Langer Nutrition said the WaPo piece is unfair: Dietitians aren't being paid to parrot — they're offering an opinion on controversial food topics, and sponsored posts are a chance to educate the public.

🍬 As an estimation of possible impact, a 2022 Sortlist study found that social media is the main source of health information for 47.6% of people.

Quick hits

⚫ Colombian artist Fernando Botero died of pneumonia complications at age 91. (NYT)

🏈 Aaron Rodgers underwent surgery to repair his torn left Achilles. He posted on Instagram that it "went great". (AP News)

🚗 GM’s CEO Mary Barra defended the company’s position amid the auto workers’ strike, saying that GM put four offers on the table. (CBS)

⚫ Seattle protesters took to the streets to call for charges against the officer who killed Jaahnavi Kandula after striking her with his vehicle. (Fox 13 Seattle)

That’s it for today. Reply at [email protected] to let me know what you think of our newsletter, or to suggest a topic for next time.

Here at Shades we’re trying something new – quick summaries from different points of view. We think it’s a better way to stay informed and see the big picture. Please reach out if you’re curious to learn more!

- Jeff (co-founder of Shades)