Medscape (1/2, Lowry, Subscription Publication) reports, “Food insecurity stems from limited financial resources, yet paradoxically, it is associated with binge eating disorder (BED) and excess weight,” researchers concluded. The findings of the 1,251-participant study were published online Dec. 19 in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

According to Healio (1/2, Demko), after evaluating “data from a large community sample of more than 7,000 youth, researchers found a high rate of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, particularly in females and after puberty.” What’s more, “these symptoms were linked to higher rates of obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, psychosis and suicide ideation,” the study found. The findings were published online Nov. 23 in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Obsessive compulsive symptoms common in community youth, “Savannah Demko, Healio, January 2, 2019

On its front page, the New York Times (12/31, A1, Singer) reported, “Facebook has computer algorithms that scan the posts, comments and videos of users in the” US and elsewhere “for indications of immediate suicide risk.” Whenever “a post is flagged, by the technology or a concerned user, it moves to human reviewers at the company, who are empowered to call local law enforcement.” But, “in a forthcoming article in a Yale law journal,” health law scholar Mason Marks contends that “Facebook’s suicide risk scoring software, along with its calls to the police that may lead to mandatory psychiatric evaluations, constitutes the practice of medicine.” Marks argues that “government agencies should regulate the program, requiring Facebook to produce safety and effectiveness evidence.”

Related Links:

— “In Screening for Suicide Risk, Facebook Takes On Tricky Public Health Role, ” Natasha Singer, , December 31, 2018.

The Wall Street Journal (1/1, A1, Hopkins, Subscription Publication) reports that a new analysis from Rx Savings Solutions shows pharmaceutical companies are increasing prices on hundreds of drugs this year. According to the analysis, more than three dozen drugmakers raised prices on hundreds of medicines Tuesday. The Journal adds that overall, the price increases are in excess of inflation. Drugmaker Allergan increased prices by almost 10 percent on some two dozen medications, an analysis showed.

Related Links:

— “Drugmakers Raise Prices on Hundreds of Medicines, “Jared S. Hopkins, The Wall Street Journal, January 01, 2019.

The Hill (12/28, Bowden) reported “opioid-related deaths among teens and young children have nearly tripled since 1999.” The findings (12/7) were published in JAMA Network Open.

ABC News (12/28, Bracho-Sanchez) reported on its website that researchers “examined data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)” and found that “almost 9,000 children and young adults have died from opioid poisonings in the past 20 years.”

Related Links:

— “Opioid deaths in children, teens on the rise: study, “John Bowden, The Hill, December 28, 2018.