5 health lessons we learned in 2023
Hi! I’m Dani Blum, a Well desk reporter, replacing Jancee Dunn today. I discuss the latest health news and wellness trends that sometimes take over the internet.
Every time a friend has asked me about my work this year, I’ve used one word: “Chaos.” That’s not a bad thing: I love the adrenaline rush that comes from tackling a news story, whether it’s about a new warning about artificial sugar or about millions of people losing insurance coverage now that Medicaid is ending. And I enjoy helping readers figure out what’s happening and why it matters. Wait, what seed is all over TikTok now? Why have so many people started drinking raw milk? Why can’t I find eggs anywhere?
As we slide – somehow – into 2024, I looked back at the stories that captivated readers in 2023, and what they can tell us about our health in the year ahead.
The Ozempic era is just beginning…
This year it felt like there was non-stop news about Ozempic and similar drugs that can lead to dramatic weight loss. As more of these drugs hit the market, more patients began to insist on the drugs and more doctors began to embrace them. Two trends particularly fascinated me this year: Mental health professionals began offering medications to counteract the weight gain caused by psychiatric medications, and some menopausal people struggling to lose weight turned to them.
Interest in these drugs also extended beyond the treatment of diabetes and weight loss; researchers reported that one of the drugs, Wegovy, could reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes for some people. The growing footprint of these drugs could be one of the biggest storylines in 2024.
…and the Covid era isn’t really over yet.
The public health emergency officially ended this year, an important milestone as the pandemic enters a new phase. That transition made it harder for many people to get Covid tests and newly updated vaccines, even as the virus remained a major presence in our lives. New variants continue to emerge, and many of us find ourselves in what feels like an endless cycle of infection and recovery.
The health consequences of climate change became clearer…
The best part of my job is looking for answers to the most pressing questions of the day. As wildfire smoke billowed through New York this summer, turning the sky orange, I dug through my jacket pockets for an N95 mask and wondered on my eerie drive to the office how bad breathing the smoky air was for my lungs. The health risks of climate change are increasing rapidly and more and more people seem to be thinking about the consequences of the changing weather on their health.
Perhaps the only benefit, if you can call it that, is that we will be at least a little better prepared next year as we adapt to the new normal. The next storm that floods New York, or the next heat wave that hits, I know what precautions to take to stay as safe as possible.
…just like the harm of drinking.
You may not want to hear it – neither do I – but the evidence has become painfully clear that alcohol is bad for you. New research this year shows that alcohol-related deaths are rising faster among women than men, with the gender gap narrowing, especially among people aged 65 and over. And more evidence emerged that alcohol increases the risk of cancer, especially breast cancer and colon cancer.
For the ‘sober curious’ among us, Dry January offers a chance to think consciously about drinking in the new year – and a mindset to keep throughout the year.
And what was old became new again.
If there’s one surefire rule about the otherwise unruly world of wellness trends, it’s that while fads may fade, they never really go away.
This year, Zoomers brought back cottage cheese, long overshadowed by Greek yogurt, and raved about its health benefits. People looked to ashwagandha, an ancient herb, in an attempt to ease their anxiety. And Starbucks threw olive oil into its coffee, capitalizing on the popularity of a mainstay of the Mediterranean diet that people have also consumed with yogurt, ice cream and just about anything else. Some people on TikTok drank olive oil straight from a shot glass, hoping it would clear their skin.
Which fads will prevail in 2024? That’s anyone’s guess. My money is on all things stress-related—it is an election year in the United States, after all—so I keep an eye out for supplements and products that claim to calm our anxiety. If only it were that simple.
Have you made any New Year’s resolutions that have changed your life? Please share them with us and we may include them in an upcoming newsletter.
Only? That’s no shame.
My colleague Christina Caron has a great piece about the stigma associated with loneliness, and strategies for tolerating and even embracing being alone.
Read the article: There’s no shame in feeling lonely
What you need to know about late night eating
That bedtime snack can be harder for your body to process; my colleague Alice Callahan explains why.