Ozempic vs. the snack industry; busting sunscreen myths: CBC's Marketplace cheat sheet

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Much like the temperature, myths around sunscreen are on the rise

What does SPF really mean when choosing a sunscreen?

1 year ago

Duration 2:50

Dermatologist Dr. Monica Li discusses the meaning of SPF and the differences between chemical and mineral sunscreens.

Experts are making it loud and clear: Sunscreen does not cause cancer. In fact, it's an easy way to help prevent it.

But there's a trend online of influencers spreading misinformation about the ingredients in sunscreen.

One such influencer on TikTok recently warned their 570,000 followers to not use any sunscreen whose ingredients have "any funny words other than zinc."

Julia Carroll, a dermatologist in Toronto, says much of the misinformation fails to look at the medical literature as a whole on sunscreen ingredients, which points to their safety.

"I'm a board-certified dermatologist," Carroll said. "I have 20-plus years of training and education and we dedicate ourselves to looking after the health of our patients' skin. And one person on TikTok that just happens to have a lot of followers can sway someone's opinion. It's really frustrating for all of us."

She says some influencers overlook how it's the dose that makes the poison. Too much of almost any substance can kill you while, in small amounts, even toxic substances such as botulinum toxin can be safe (hello, Botox!).

Some influencers claim certain sunscreen ingredients cause cancer or other ailments.

Quebec's Order of Chemists warned these assertions are devoid of scientific basis, and can endanger public health.

According to the Canadian Cancer Society, about 65 per cent of melanoma cases are due to ultra-violet radiation, the main source of which is the sun.

If you're really worried about sunscreen, experts suggest reducing time in the sun during its peak rays of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Seek shade and cover up as much of your skin as you can with clothing that is made from tightly woven fabric, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.

But remember, sunscreen helps prevent wrinkles, too, so you can save money on that botox down the line.Read More.

Ozempic is changing the way people eat. Snack companies are paying close attention

Raegan Sather says her appetite has completely changed and so has her approach to grocery shopping since she started taking the diabetes drug Ozempic for weight loss two years ago.

Sather, a marketing professional in Edmonton, buys fresh produce, fresh meat and high-protein foods to supplement the popular medication. But the biggest change is that she now skips right past the snack aisle.

She's not alone. One survey estimated up to 1.4 million Canadians are using Ozempic or similar drugs for weight loss. It means food companies are carefully watching to see how the craze is impacting their bottom line and cooking up ways to market their products toward people on those medications.

Nestle has launched a line of prepared meals aimed at patients taking GLP-1 drugs (the drug class to which injectables such as Ozempic and Wegovy belong), while executives at yogurt company Danone and beverage giant Coca-Cola have touted high-protein, low-sugar products to appeal to them.
Nestle's menu includes pizzas, sandwich melts and high-protein pasta bowls, each for $5 US.

But Toronto-based registered dietitian Abby Langer says she can already hear the backlash that ultra-processed foods can lead to weight gain in the first place, and that packaging more ultra-processed food as Ozempic-friendly is counterproductive.

People taking such drugs might also be missing out on protein, fibre and important micronutrients because they're consuming less food overall, she told CBC News.

"I do think that people should have some sort of choice when it comes to meal preparation. Having these meals in a pinch could be a good thing," said Langer, but she always recommends cooking fresh meals at home for weight loss.Read more

Reading this on a broken iPhone? Apple will finally let you fix it yourself

It's a dreadful moment: You're watching your iPhone in free fall, waiting for the inevitable sight of it smashing on the floor, maybe even bouncing and smashing once more. Then the panic sets in.

For years, the only way to fix a damaged Apple device was to do so at an Apple store or one of its authorized vendors.

But Apple appears to be loosening its grip, and will soon allow Canadian consumers to repair their iPhones or MacBooks on their own if they dare. It's something right to repair advocates have long argued for, but Apple has always resisted. Until recently.

Apple is expanding its Self Service Repair to Canada next year. The service launched in the U.S. in 2022 and has since expanded to 32 other countries in Europe and is available in 24 languages.

Consumers will have the option to avoid the rigamarole of going to an Apple store and will instead be able to access manuals and order appropriate parts and tools to take repairs into their own hands.

But unless you're someone who geeks out over getting a peek inside your device or figuring out how to fix things yourself, it might not be worth it, says Alissa Centivany, an associate professor at the University of Western Ontario's Faculty of Information and Media Studies.

"Many people are not going to have the interest, the skill, the confidence, the time to undertake these kinds of repairs on their devices," she said, noting it's also not something that will necessarily save you money.

But does it really address consumers' right to repair? Centivany says it's good that Apple is offering greater access to its manuals and parts, but it doesn't really address what repair advocates have been pushing for.

It may seem like Apple is doing something to help consumers on the surface, she said, but the company is still maintaining a "pretty exclusive control."Read more

What else is going on?

Use a heat pump? Check if it's been recalled
Daikin, Amana and Goodman brands are recalling some heat pumps due to an overheating risk.

Sunwing has launched a court battle to overturn an order to compensate a couple $800 for a flight delay
Sunwing, which will be taken over by WestJet in 2025, declined to comment.

The FDA has approved a new Alzheimer's drug that offers hope for a slower cognitive decline.
It's only the second drug that's been convincingly shown to delay cognitive decline in patients.

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