Health Concerns Rise Over Ultraprocessed Foods and Diarrhea-Causing Infections
The Facts
A new study has found that diets high in ultraprocessed foods create streaks of fat in human muscles that may lead to osteoporosis. Separately, the CDC has reported an increase in shigella infections in the US, which cause diarrhea. Health officials have characterized the rise in shigella infections as a public health threat due to the ease of person-to-person transmission.
How different outlets are framing this
The provided headline suggests these are related health stories, but the two articles actually cover completely separate health issues with no apparent connection. CNN focuses exclusively on a research study about ultraprocessed foods and their effects on muscle composition, using vivid imagery comparing human muscle tissue to 'well-marbled steaks' to dramatize the findings. The outlet emphasizes the potential link to osteoporosis as a serious health consequence.
USA Today, meanwhile, covers an entirely different story about infectious disease surveillance, reporting on CDC data regarding shigella infections. Their coverage emphasizes the public health authority's warning language, specifically highlighting the CDC's characterization of the increase as 'a public health threat' and focusing on the transmission aspects of the infection. Neither outlet makes any connection between ultraprocessed foods and infectious diseases, suggesting the pairing in the headline may be misleading about the relationship between these distinct health issues.
Source Articles
- USA Today14 Apr, 15:40Diarrhea-causing infection increasing in US, CDC says
Officials called the increase "a public health threat," especially since shigella is spread easily from person to person.
- CNN14 Apr, 14:00Ultraprocessed foods are turning human thighs into well-marbled steaks
Diets high in ultraprocessed foods create streaks of fat in human muscles that may lead to osteoporosis, a new study found.