Health
US surgeon general advisory names parent stress an 'urgent public health issue'
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a public health advisory on Wednesday addressing the mental health and well-being of parents.
The advisory, which is reserved for “significant public health challenges that require the nation’s immediate awareness and action,” discussed various factors that cause stress for parents and noted an urgent need for support.
“Parents have a profound impact on the health of our children and the health of society,” Murthy wrote in a statement posted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
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“Yet parents and caregivers today face tremendous pressures, from familiar stressors such as worrying about their kids’ health and safety and financial concerns, to new challenges like navigating technology and social media, a youth mental health crisis, and an epidemic of loneliness that has hit young people the hardest,” he went on.
“As a father of two kids, I feel these pressures, too.”
Dr. Vivek H. Murthy speaks onstage at The Archewell Foundation Parents’ Summit: Mental Wellness in the Digital Age at Hudson Yards on Oct. 10, 2023, in New York City. (Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Project Healthy Minds)
In the 30-page advisory, Murthy called for a “fundamental shift” in prioritizing the mental health and well-being of parents.
“I am also outlining policies, programs and individual actions we can all take to support parents and caregivers,” he said.
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Thirty percent of parents reported high levels of stress in the past month, compared to 20% of other adults, according to the advisory.
Severe stress can have “a deleterious effect,” Murthy wrote — as 41% of parents reported that most days, they experience so much stress that they cannot function, while 48% said their stress is “completely overwhelming” on most days.
What’s causing this stress?
The COVID-19 pandemic was cited as a contributor to stressors among parents and caregivers, as well as financial stability, concerns for health and safety, management of tech and social media, parental loneliness, cultural pressures and their children’s future.
School safety concerns among parents are particularly high, as firearm-related injury has become the leading cause of death among children and adolescents in the U.S.
Financial stability, concerns for health and safety, management of tech and social media, and uncertainty about children’s futures are among the stressors experienced by parents. (iStock)
Many parents also face circumstances such as family or community violence, poverty, and racism and discrimination, all of which can impact mental health.
“Both maternal and paternal mental health conditions are shown to impact the well-being of children,” the advisory noted.
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“Maternal mental health conditions have been found to significantly impact a child’s well-being and environment, and can serve as a critical determinant of child outcomes.”
What can be done?
The surgeon general intends to “take steps to mitigate stress at every stage” for parents and caregivers, he said.
Murthy’s advisory encouraged governments and employers to establish programs to ensure that parents have access to affordable mental health care, paid family and medical leave, and other family services.
“Both maternal and paternal mental health conditions are shown to impact the well-being of children,” according to the advisory. (iStock)
The surgeon general also encouraged schools and communities to provide support services and groups to help parents manage stress.
Robin Hilmantel, senior director of editorial strategy and growth at What to Expect, part of Everyday Health, told Fox News Digital that this advisory “feels like a long-overdue acknowledgment of what has been obvious for a while now: Parents are struggling.”
Thirty percent of U.S. parents reported high levels of stress in the past month.
A What to Expect survey of more than 3,000 women found that more than two-thirds of moms (68%) experience anxiety, while 79% of Gen Z moms reported the same.
“There are a lot of reasons why being a parent today is so challenging — parenthood is isolating, as 76% of moms say they don’t have enough support in the form of a ‘village,’” said Hilmantel, who is based in North Carolina.
School safety concerns are high among parents, the advisory said. (iStock)
“There’s also a culture of comparison for today’s parents — 83% of Gen Z moms say they feel pressure to be a perfect parent,” she added.
Some other top parental stressors, according to the survey, include safety, lack of time for themselves, finances and children’s development.
Eighty-three percent of Gen Z moms say they feel pressure to be a perfect parent.
“Remember that you’re not alone if you feel overwhelming stress; other parents are dealing with their own stressors,” Hilmantel said.
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“What you see on social media is often a highlight reel, so you definitely shouldn’t feel bad about your parenting based on anything you see online.”
The expert suggested that parents should try to “cultivate a network of friends, family and acquaintances.”
There is “no shame in directly asking family and friends for help,” one parenting expert said. (iStock)
“Parents can add people to their village by attending in-person meetups where they can connect with other new parents, and by joining online communities where parents can openly discuss anything they’re struggling with,” she said.
Hilmantel added that there is “no shame in directly asking family and friends for help.”
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Americans consume foods every day that are marketed as “healthy,” when they could be quietly destroying their health, one doctor warns.
Dr. Mark Hyman, physician and co-founder of Function Health in California, says that much of America’s daily diet is filled with unhealthy ingredients.
“The amount of refined starches and sugars that are everywhere is just staggering to me, given what we know about how harmful they are,” he shared in an interview with Fox News Digital. “I don’t think people really understand.”
Hyman, author of the new book “Food Fix Uncensored,” said he’s “astounded” by what people are eating, especially for breakfast.
“People just eat sugar for breakfast,” he said. “They have muffins, they have bagels, they have croissants, they have sugar-sweetened coffees and teas.”
Dr. Mark Hyman is the author of the new book “Food Fix Uncensored.” (Function Health; Little, Brown Spark)
In addition to the traditionally sweet options for breakfast, some cereal brands and breakfast staples have adopted new “protein-packed” menu items and products, following health trends that encourage eating more protein.
“Highly processed food is not food.”
“Now, we’re seeing this halo of protein in certain things,” Hyman said, mentioning that many protein smoothies are “full of sugar.”
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The doctor also noted that some popular cereals are now marketed as having protein in them. “My joke is, if it has a health claim on the label, it’s definitely bad for you,” he said.
Instead of starting the day with a “quick fix” or processed food, Hyman suggests choosing whole sources of protein and fat for breakfast, adding that “if there’s a little carbohydrate in there, it’s fine.”
More products marketed as “high protein” have cropped up on supermarket shelves. (iStock)
For his own breakfast, Hyman said he has a protein shake with whey protein, avocado and frozen berries. Eggs and avocados are also a great protein-and-fat combo option, he added.
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“It’s not that complicated — people need to just think about their breakfast not being dessert,” he said. “No wonder we’re in this cycle of obesity and diabetes. One in three teenage kids now has type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes. That’s just criminal.”
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Instead of counting calories and being in a caloric deficit as a way to lose weight and stay healthy, Hyman instead suggests focusing on how certain foods make you feel and how they impact your health.
“When you look at the way in which different types of calories affect your biology, you can just choose what you’re eating, and then you don’t have to worry about how much,” he told Fox News Digital.
In addition to the traditionally sweet options for breakfast, some cereal brands and breakfast staples have adopted new “protein-packed” menu items and products. (iStock)
“For example, if you eat a diet that doesn’t cause your insulin to spike — which is low in starch and sugar, higher in protein and fat — you won’t develop those swings in blood sugar, you won’t develop the spikes in insulin, you won’t deposit hungry fat … You will break that cycle.”
People are more likely to “self-regulate when they eat real food” instead of processed foods, which “bypasses the normal mechanisms of satiety, fullness and brain chemistry,” according to Hyman.
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“Ultraprocessed food and junk food or highly processed food is not food,” he said. “It doesn’t support the health and well-being of an organism. It doesn’t do that. It does the opposite.”
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Small fragments of plastic were found in the tumors of most prostate cancer patients, according to a new study from NYU Langone Health.
In past studies, microplastics have been found in almost every human organ and in bodily fluids, but their impact on human health still isn’t fully understood.
The researchers analyzed tissue samples from 10 patients with prostate cancer who underwent surgery to remove the entire organ.
Using visuals of both benign samples and tumor samples, as well as specialized equipment, the scientists identified plastic particles in 90% of the tumor samples and 70% of benign tissue samples, according to the study press release.
In past studies, microplastics were found in almost every single human organ along with bodily fluids, even the placenta. (iStock)
The cancerous tissue contained on average more than double the amount of plastic as healthy prostate tissue samples, the study found. This equates to about 40 micrograms of plastic per gram of tissue compared to 16 micrograms.
Researchers avoided contaminating the samples with other plastics by substituting standard tools with those made of aluminum, cotton and other non-plastic material, the release noted.
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The scientists say this is the first direct evidence linking microplastics to prostate cancer.
“By uncovering yet another potential health concern posed by plastic, our findings highlight the need for stricter regulatory measures to limit the public’s exposure to these substances, which are everywhere in the environment,” said senior study author Vittorio Albergamo, assistant professor in the department of pediatrics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, in the release.
Using visuals of both benign samples and tumor samples, as well as specialized equipment, the scientists identified plastic particles in 90% of the tumor samples and 70% of benign tissue samples. (iStock)
The study findings were presented during the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco on Feb. 26.
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“What is most striking is not that microplastics were detected, but that they were found embedded within tumor tissue itself,” Dr. David Sidransky, oncologist and medical advisor at SpotitEarly, a startup that offers an at-home breath-based test to detect early-stage cancer, told Fox News Digital.
“While complete avoidance is unrealistic, people can take practical steps to reduce exposure.”
“We already know microplastics are present in water, air, blood and even placental tissue. Their detection in prostate tumors suggests systemic distribution and long-term bioaccumulation,” added Maryland-based Sidransky, who was not involved in the study.
Study limitations
Albergamo cautioned that a larger sample is needed to confirm the findings. Additionally, Sidransky noted that the presence of microplastics alone does not prove they cause cancer.
“Tumors can act as ‘biologic sinks,’ meaning they may accumulate circulating particles simply because of altered vasculature and permeability,” he said.
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A key unanswered question, according to the doctor, is whether microplastics are biologically active in ways that “promote DNA damage, immune modulation or chronic inflammation within the prostate.”
About one in eight men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The most actionable step men can take is appropriate screening and early detection, according to doctors. (iStock)
For those concerned about microplastics, Sidransky offered some insights.
“I believe the appropriate response is curiosity, not panic, and a commitment to understand more,” he said.
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“While complete avoidance is unrealistic, people can take practical steps to reduce exposure, such as minimizing heating food in plastic containers, reducing bottled water consumption when possible, and favoring glass or stainless steel alternatives.”
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The most actionable step men can take, however, is getting appropriate screenings to help ensure early detection, according to the doctor. Screening discussions should be individualized based on age, family history and other risk factors.
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