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A dozen social media influencers and two trade associations received warnings from the Federal Trade Commission on Monday for endorsing the safety of aspartame, an artificial sweetener, or for promoting the consumption of products containing sugar. By using health and diet creators, many of whom have large platforms on Instagram and TikTok, to market these products without adequately disclosing their connection to the advertiser, the American Beverage Association and the Canadian Sugar Institute may have violated FTC rules, according to warning letters the commission sent the two groups. (Yang, 11/15)

There's been a staggering decline in the number of trips Americans take by putting one foot in front of the other, per a new report. The number of annual average daily walking trips dropped a whopping 36% in the contiguous U.S. between 2019 and 2022, per a new StreetLight Data report. (Fitzpatrick and Beheraj, 11/16)

The case has never been clearer: Eat less bacon and more beans. An analysis published Wednesday in the journal BMC Medicine, drawing on data from 37 studies, adds to the evidence that eating fewer animal-based foods — especially processed meats — and replacing them with whole grains, legumes and nuts is linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. The study is particularly useful because it details which dietary changes are most strongly linked to better health, said Qi Sun, an associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who was not involved with the study. (Callahan, 11/15)

Can a strawberry a day keep dementia away? A study published in the journal Nutrients last month suggests that could be possible. Researchers from the University of Cincinnati (UC) studied a total of 30 patients between 50 and 65 years of age who had experienced symptoms of mild cognitive decline. The participants were told to avoid eating any berry fruit — and instead added a packet of supplement powder to their water each morning, according to a press release from UC. For half the group, the powder contained strawberries. (Rudy, 11/15)

Clinical trials have shown that lifestyle programs — which include diet, exercise, and behavioral coaching — can help people in danger of developing type 2 diabetes from tipping into a diagnosis of the condition. But there’s been a nagging question of whether such intensive regimens work in the real world. (Joseph, 11/15)

The words "clean" and "natural" might look appealing on cosmetic labels, but those adjectives mean squat when it comes to what's in the product and how it's made. There's little stopping manufacturers and marketers of cleansers, makeup and other grooming products from using misleading language to sell to consumers concerned about harmful ingredients and the environment. (Mallenbaum, 11/15)

New York state sued PepsiCo (PEP.O) on Wednesday, accusing the beverage and snack food giant of polluting the environment and endangering public health through its single-use plastic bottles, caps and wrappers. The lawsuit filed in state court in upstate Erie County is among the first by a U.S. state to target a major plastics producer. New York Attorney General Letitia James said such pollution can enter drinking water after breaking down, contributing to health problems. (Mindock and Stempel, 11/15)