Debbie Koenig

Sunnyside

Writer at Freelance

Writer at The Family Plan

author PARENTS NEED TO EAT TOO; food/health/family writer; #khive #stillwithher; #NY19 voter

Articles

How to Advise Your Patients

2 weeks ago | medscape.com | Debbie Koenig

Health concerns have swirled around low- and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCSs) for more than a century. Even now, research findings regularly contradict each other. Despite low certainty overall, in 2023, the World Health Organization suggested they not be used “as a means of achieving weight control or reducing the risk of noncommunicable diseases.”There wasn’t enough proof of long-term benefits to justify the risk.
Will Food Dye Bans Really Make Your Diet Healthier?

2 weeks ago | webmd.com | Debbie Koenig

April 28, 2025 – The U.S. government is planning to phase artificial dyes out of the food supply – and it's reigniting public concern over potential health risks linked to these additives, like behavioral problems and hyperactivity in children. Right now, eight dyes are approved for use by the FDA: Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, Citrus Red 2, Orange B, and Green 3.
How to Know If a Scary Health Headline Is Legit

1 month ago | webmd.com | Debbie Koenig

April 14, 2025 — If you heard that Girl Scout cookies are toxic, that mRNA vaccines can harm you, or that immigrants are spreading tuberculosis in the U.S., maybe you should put down your phone. You’ve been exposed to a dangerous and contagious epidemic: health misinformation. But don’t worry, there are ways to protect yourself. Many of us have a built-in trust of the media.
The Era of Compounded GLP-1 Drugs Is Over. What Now?

1 month ago | medscape.com | Debbie Koenig

Now that the US Food and Drug Administration has removed both tirzepatide and semaglutide from its Drug Shortages List, the widespread compounding of these drugs is ending. Tirzepatide’s deadline has already passed, while physicians and pharmacies have until April 22 for semaglutide. An estimated 2 million Americans have been using these more affordable copycats every month.
Girl Scout Cookies, Heavy Metals, and What's Safe to Eat

1 month ago | webmd.com | Debbie Koenig

March 25, 2025 – Recent headlines sure sound scary. Someone's suing the Girl Scouts over reported toxins in their cookies. Sugar-free slushies send young kids to the hospital. Add to that the heavy metals found in protein powder and spices, and the toxins you're getting from food packaging, and you may start to wonder if anything is safe to eat.
Measles, Influenza, and Bird Flu: How to Protect Yourself

2 months ago | webmd.com | Debbie Koenig

March 7, 2025 – It’s called “cold and flu season” for a reason. And so far, 2025 has been a doozy for contagious respiratory ailments in the United States. We’re having the worst flu season in 15 years; it’s killing more than COVID-19. A measles outbreak in northwest Texas has sickened nearly 200 people so far, mostly under age 18, and caused the first measles death in the U.S. in a decade.
Norovirus Myths You Should Stop Believing

Jan 29, 2025 | webmd.com | Debbie Koenig

Jan. 29, 2025 – It comes on quickly: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, sometimes a low-grade fever and body aches. What many people think of as the “stomach flu” has nothing to do with influenza – norovirus is an illness in your gut, and the flu is a respiratory infection. This may be the biggest myth about norovirus, the highly contagious stomach bug currently storming across the country, but it’s not the only one.
Do You Have to Stay on Obesity Meds Forever? Experts Weigh In

Jan 15, 2025 | healthcentral.com | Debbie Koenig

In this ongoing series, HealthCentral.com dives into some of the biggest health debates. Is diabetes reversible? How long is too long to use topical steroids? Which vitamins and supplements really work? With help from top medical specialists and extensive research, we’ll draw the line on these hot health topics.
Side Effects of GLP-1 Drugs: What Doctors Should Know

Nov 21, 2024 | mdedge.com | Debbie Koenig

Just a few years after some TikTok videos spiked the demand, one in eight US adults has tried Ozempic (semaglutide) or another drug in its class. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist medications have revolutionized obesity medicine. But they’re not without problems. In the early days of the social media craze, news reports often featured patients whose gastrointestinal side effects sent them to the emergency room (ER). “It happened a lot then.
Can It Help Manage Symptoms?

Nov 20, 2024 | healthcentral.com | Debbie Koenig

About five million women in the U.S. have polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS. In addition to symptoms like irregular periods, fertility challenges, acne, and extra body hair, up to 88% are also overweight or have obesity—which can lead to serious health problems. If you’re among the 88%, you may be wondering whether to try a new weight loss drug like Ozempic for PCOS symptoms. Here’s what you should know. What Is PCOS?