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A new report reveals how stress, loneliness, and emotional baggage shape the way we celebrate

• 45% of Americans say their urge to drink or use substances increases during the holidays, with 41% pre-gaming before gatherings just to cope.

• Nearly three-quarters report feeling lonely or emotionally triggered this time of year, especially by past losses and family pressures.

• Experts say stacked stressorsfrom money worries to social expectationsdrive people to self-medicate, but simple boundaries and more meaningful connection can make the season feel lighter.

The holidays may be wrapped in twinkling lights and good intentions, but for many Americans, the season feels a lot heavier than it looks on social media.

A new report from the Freeman Recovery Center shows just how tough this time of year can be.

In a survey of 1,000 U.S. adults, 45% of people say their urge to drink or use substances spikes during the holidays, and more than 4 in 10 admit they pre-game with alcohol before family gatherings just to take the edge off.

Researchers also found that nearly three-quarters of Americans feel isolated or lonely during the holidays, and many say the season brings up painful memories of loss. Add in tight budgets, complicated family dynamics, and the pressure to be merry, and its no wonder so many people turn to substances to cope.

ConsumerAffairs interviewed the Freeman Recovery Center Communications Team to learn more about the impact the holidays can have on substance use.

How emotions lead to substance use

Experts at the Freeman Recovery Center explained that the holidays are full of different emotional triggers that can complicate the holidays and affect our behaviors.

Our new research shows that 73% of Americans say the season riles up feelings related to past loss, and nearly half feel emotionally worn out after gatherings, they explained. This emotional strain can be the catalyst for folks to reach for substances, not to enhance the holiday experience, but as a means to handle the weight of it all.

What really sets this season apart is how all of these stressors stack together. You have high expectations of the perfect gifts, travel fatigue, and the frequent reminders of whos no longer with us; especially if youre looking through old holiday photos. When all of this hits in a short timeframe, even the strongest person can feel overwhelmed.

Avoiding alcohol as a coping mechanism

One of the key findings from the survey was that 41% of Americans pre-game their holiday gatherings with alcohol.

For those who may be struggling and turn to alcohol, the experts shared some coping mechanisms to try this holiday season:

• Try showing up later to cut down on your time spent there, or give yourself a time limit that feels safe.

• Create a code word(s) with someone you trust, so if its time to exit, you can do so. Our research found that nearly 1 in 3 Americans already use code words or signals at holiday events to cut down on stress, which is proof that even a small boundary can go a long way.

• Put something in your hand to feel grounded. It can be tea, sparkling water, or just something non-alcoholic. This offers up identical social rituals without the crash, and it can help you stay in the moment versus numbing yourself down.

Feeling more connected

Loneliness was another common theme that came up during the study results. Despite family or friend gatherings, many Americans feel lonely during the holidays which is another reason for the spike in substance use.

The Freeman Recovery Center team shared how we can all strive for more meaningful connection this holiday season.

Loneliness during the holidays is not always about being physically alone; it often involves feeling emotionally overlooked or forgotten, they explained.

Small changes in how we connect can do wonders. You might invite someone who is spending the day alone or arrange a one-on-one conversation instead of relying on small talk or surface-level chitchat. Families can also prioritize shared experiences rather than these idyllic moments, such as cooking together or taking a walk. Real connections usually happen in simple moments, not in grand gestures. Not everything needs to be internet ready.

The power of conversation

The findings from the survey highlight that many Americans are all feeling the same way around this time of year. The best thing to do? Talk about it!

Our research really nails just how common these struggles are, yet most people shy away from talking about them, the Freeman Recovery Center team said.

The holidays put an unfortunate amount of emotional pressure on everyone, even those who seem fine. The more we normalize asking for help, setting boundaries, or choosing not to drink, the less individuals will feel the need for substances just to feel okay. The season should not be something people merely endure. With support, it can actually feel lighter and more manageable for everyone.

A fresh-fruit habit may support insulin sensitivity without adding weight

• Eating two cups of fresh mango every day improved insulin sensitivity in adults with overweight or obesity.

• Study participants had better beta-cell function and stable body weight suggesting mango didnt raise diabetes risk despite its sweetness.

• The research focused on people with chronic low-grade inflammation, a group more likely to have trouble managing blood sugar.

When we think about sugar and blood sugar control, its easy to focus on cutting out sugary foods.

But what if one of the sweetest foods fruit could actually help your body handle sugar better? Thats the idea behind new research that looked at whether eating fresh mango daily could improve how well your body manages sugar.

Turns out, the naturally sweet, juicy fruit might be more than just a tasty treat. For a group of adults with overweight or obesity many of whom had chronic low-grade inflammation adding two cups of fresh mango to their daily routine seemed to support healthier blood sugar control.

The study

The researchers studied a group of 48 adults aged 2060 who met certain criteria: they had a BMI at or above 25 kg/m, signs of low-grade inflammation, and elevated fasting blood sugar (but not diabetes).

For four weeks, one group of participants ate two cups of fresh mango every day. The other group ate a calorie-matched control food in this case, Italian ices (a sweet frozen treat). Participants kept their usual diets and lifestyle otherwise.

Researchers measured blood sugar related markers: how much insulin the body produced in response to glucose, how sensitive the body was to insulin, and how efficiently the bodys insulin-producing beta cells worked. Body weight and inflammation markers were also tracked.

The results and what theymean

After just one month, people eating mango daily showed improved insulin sensitivity compared with those on the control diet. Their beta-cell function meaning the pancreass ability to produce insulin when needed was also better. Importantly, their body weight didnt increase despite the added natural sugars.

In contrast, in the control group (who ate Italian ice), body weight slightly increased over the same period. Markers of inflammation and cholesterol levels didnt differ significantly between groups.

Whats interesting is that even though mango is sweet, eating it as a whole fruit didnt seem to cause the kind of blood-sugar problems people often fear. The fiber, vitamins, and natural plant compounds in mango might help modulate how your body processes the sugars making mango a potentially smart choice when eaten as part of a balanced diet.

Because this study focused on a small group and was relatively short (four weeks), it doesnt prove mango is a cure for blood sugar issues. But it does suggest that replacing some sugary snacks with fresh fruit like mango might be a tasty, simple step toward better metabolic health.

"The growing body of research identifies mango's promising role in supporting metabolic health," researcher Britt Burton-Freeman, PhD, MS, Director of the Center for Nutrition Research, Illinois Institute of Technology said in a news release.

"Findings suggest that mango can be a valuable addition to a balanced diet, helping to regulate blood glucose and support weight management benefits that many people may not always associate with fruit. As we continue to explore mango's unique nutrient and phytonutrient profile, we're uncovering even more ways it can contribute to overall well-being."

Tips for enjoying mango in a balanced way

• Pair mango with protein or healthy fatssuch as yogurt, nuts, or lean meatsto help slow digestion and support steadier blood sugar levels.

• Stick to reasonable portions. Starting with about a half cup to one cup works well for most people, depending on individual needs.

• Choose whole mango over juice or dried versions. Whole fruit contains fiber, which helps your body handle natural sugars more gradually.

• Use mango as a nutritious swap for sugary snacks. Adding it to smoothies, oatmeal, or yogurt can offer sweetness along with vitamins and fiber.

• Incorporate mango into savory dishes like salads, grain bowls, or salsas for a balanced mix of flavors and nutrients.

Price cuts hit meat, produce, and Kroger store brands

• Kroger is lowering its sales forecast but cutting prices on 3,500 items as shoppers pull back and rivals slash prices too

• Youll see the biggest drops in fresh produce and meat, pantry staples, and Krogers Simple Truth and Private Selection store brands

• To save the most, hunt for new lower price tags, choose store brands, stack paper + digital coupons, and use curbside instead of delivery apps when you can

Kroger is cutting its sales forecast and dropping prices on 3,500 grocery items. Heres what that news actually means for you when youre standing in the grocery aisle.

What Kroger just told Wall Street

Krogers latest earnings report was a mixed message:

• Profits beat expectations, thanks to cost-cutting moves like plant closures and layoffs.
• But sales were weaker than hoped, and the company lowered its full-year sales forecast because shoppers are getting pickier and pulling back.

A big part of that pullback is happening among low-income households, especially those relying on SNAP (food stamps). SNAP benefits briefly lapsed during the November federal shutdown, and cuts to the program have already squeezed budgets.

About 6% of Krogers total sales come from SNAP transactions, so it makes sense that any disruption in SNAP shows up pretty quickly in their numbers.

At the same time, Walmart and Target have also announced price cuts rolling out this month, forcing Kroger to prove it can hang with them. The result is that Kroger is now leaning harder into price cuts, simpler promotions, and cheaper store brands in an attempt to keep shoppers in their aisles.

3,500 price cuts: where shoppers will actually see them

Kroger says it has lowered prices on more than 3,500 grocery items so this year. That number is up from about 2,000 that they announced earlier in 2025.

Heres where youre most likely to notice:

• Fresh produce and meat Fresh fruit, veggies, and meats are specifically being targeted for price cuts. This is good news for shoppers, especially as meat prices continue to climb nationwide.
• Everyday staples These are the products that typically live in the center aisles. Items like canned goods, pantry basics, and private-label alternatives that are easy to price compare with the name-brand sitting right next to them on the shelf.
• Store brands Krogers Simple Truth and Private Selection labels are a huge business (over $32 billion in sales last year), and theyre using these to undercut name brands and build some store loyalty in the process.

What this news means for your grocery bill

Heres how to turn Krogers new strategy into your new personal savings strategy:

Start the hunt for the new permanent price cuts

Get in the habit of looking for items with yellow or special new lower price shelf tags at Kroger. Especially look for them in fresh produce, meat, and where they stock their store-brand staples.

Those shelf tags represent your permanent price cuts, not just temporary sales, and will often beat Walmart or Target, especially after you factor in any available coupons.

Lean into Krogers store brands when you can

Kroger says their store brand sales are growing faster than national brands, with their Simple Truth and Private Selection leading the way.

If your normal routine is to reach for the name brand, consider swapping out a few Kroger private-label items and give them a try and potentially save money by doing a permanent swap. Stuff like cheeses, canned beans, pasta sauce, and many snacks compare very favorably in terms of quality and taste to the more expensive national brand.

Stack paper coupons with digital when possible

With paper coupons back in every store plus digital offers in the app, you can often stack the following:

• A base storewide price cut.
• Followed by a paper manufacturer coupon.
• Then add a digital or loyalty promo if available.

By stacking offers at Kroger, you can often undercut Walmart or Target pricing.

If you use SNAP, prioritize weekly sales

Because SNAP-linked spending is such a big part of Krogers business, theyre highly motivated to keep this group from trading down to dollar stores or Walmart.

So, if you use SNAP, be sure to watch your local Kroger ad for the following:

• Weekly deals on fresh meat and produce. Stock up on meats when theyre on sale and freeze if possible.
• Look for bulk packs of store brand staples and save quite a bit on the unit price.
• Make deals like 4 for $X, or Buy 5, Save $X, your best friends as theyll stretch your SNAP benefits even further.

Be picky with delivery apps

Since Kroger is relying more on Instacart, DoorDash, and others, always compare:

• The in-app price vs. the price in Krogers own app.
• Service fees/tip vs. curbsidepickup - Use full-service delivery when its bundled with a good promo or subscription you already have. Otherwise, curbside pickup usually keeps more of those 3,500 price cuts intact.

The decision by the Trump-influenced panel has alarmed many physicians and public health experts

CDC vaccine panel votes to scrap long-standing hepatitis B shot at birth
New guidance urges parents of low-risk newborns to consult a doctor and delay first dose
Critics warn move could raise infections of a virus that can cause cirrhosis and liver cancer

A key federal vaccine advisory panel has voted to end more than three decades of guidance that all newborns receive a hepatitis B shot within hours of birth, a move that has alarmed many public-health experts.

In an 83 vote Friday, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended scrapping the universal birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine. The recommendation came after the panel heard presentations from multiple vaccine skeptics.

The change would roll back guidance that has been in place since 1991, when the CDC adopted routine infant hepatitis B vaccination as a cornerstone of its strategy to curb infections. Scientists have credited the policycombined with follow-up childhood doseswith driving down new hepatitis B infections in the U.S., particularly among children.

The panels recommendation must still be endorsed by the acting CDC director before it can take effect.

Panel urges case-by-case decisions and later start to vaccination

Under the new guidance, ACIP said if a pregnant person tests negative for hepatitis B, parents should consult a physician about whether their newborn needs the first dose at birth. For infants who skip the birth dose, the committee suggested delaying the first shot until at least two months of age.

The vote follows a sweeping overhaul of the committee earlier this year by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who removed all previous members and installed a new panel.

Supporters of the change argued that most newborns face low risk of hepatitis B infection and raised questions about possible, but unproven, long-term side effects of the vaccine.

Patients are unaware that their babies are getting a lot of interventions in the first few hours of life, said Dr. Evelyn Griffin, an obstetrician on the panel who voted for the new recommendation, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Parental rights are violated.

Griffin suggested the vaccine could be linked to autoimmune conditions, while acknowledging that no high-quality studies have demonstrated such a risk.

Critics say evidence shows birth dose is safe and effective

Other committee members and outside experts strongly opposed the move, saying it was not based on the weight of scientific evidence.

They pointed to randomized trials and more than three decades of real-world data supporting the safety of the hepatitis B vaccine in newborns, as well as continuous monitoring through vaccine-safety surveillance systems that have not identified unusual harms.

Public-health specialists have long warned that limiting the birth dose to babies of women known to have hepatitis Bor delaying vaccinationcan create dangerous gaps in protection. Prenatal hepatitis B testing is typically done in the first trimester, leaving time for a pregnant person to become infected later in pregnancy. Some never get tested at all.

Beyond transmission from mother to baby, hepatitis B can spread through contact with infected blood and body fluids, including via shared household items such as razors, toothbrushes or washcloths. Household and early-childhood transmission are key reasons global health agencies have pushed the birth dose.

The birth dose is critical to preventing hepatitis B, which is the leading cause of liver cancer worldwide, said Chari Cohen, president of the Hepatitis B Foundation. It is not a virus you want your baby to have.

Background: What is hepatitis B and why does the birth dose matter?

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver. Many adults who become infected clear the virus on their own, but when infection occurs in infancy or early childhood, it is much more likely to become chronic, lasting for life. Chronic hepatitis B can cause cirrhosis (severe scarring of the liver), liver failure and liver cancer. Globally, hepatitis B is estimated to cause hundreds of thousands of deaths each year, largely from liver-related complications.

The virus is spread through blood and certain body fluidsvia sexual contact, shared needles, or from mother to child during pregnancy or birth. Because newborns immune systems respond differently, an infant infected at birth has up to a 90% chance of developing chronic hepatitis B, compared with fewer than 10% of healthy adults who are infected.

The hepatitis B vaccine, introduced in the 1980s and widely recommended for U.S. infants since 1991, is one of the most intensively studied vaccines. Decades of data show it to be highly effective in preventing infection and associated liver disease, with serious side effects considered rare according to major health authorities including the CDC and World Health Organization.

The birth dose is designed as a safety net: it helps protect infants whose mothers have been misdiagnosed, infected late in pregnancy, or never tested, and it reduces opportunities for household transmission in the first months of life. Many countries, guided by the WHO, recommend a hepatitis B shot within 24 hours of birth, followed by additional doses in infancy.

Public-health experts fear that delaying or skipping the birth dose could leave more babies vulnerable during a critical windowespecially in communities with higher rates of hepatitis B or limited access to prenatal care and testing.

Next steps for the controversial recommendation

The ACIP vote does not automatically change U.S. immunization policy. The committees recommendations must be reviewed and accepted by the CDCs acting director before they become part of the agencys official vaccine schedule.

In the meantime, health systems, pediatricians and parents are likely to face questions about whether to follow the long-standing practice of giving the hepatitis B shot at birth or the new, more limited guidance if it is adopted.

Many public-health and liver-disease experts say they will continue urging parents to accept the birth dose, arguing that the benefits and safety of early hepatitis B vaccination are well established, while the risks of delaying are borne by the smallest and most vulnerable patients.

FTC takes issue with hidden fees, undisclosed commitments, fake reviews

FTC finalizes order shutting down deceptive marketing by telemedicine firm NextMed
Company accused of hiding costs, faking testimonials, and blocking cancellations
Order mandates refunds, strict billing safeguards, and evidence for future claims

The Federal Trade Commission has given final approval to an enforcement order against telemedicine provider NextMed and two of its principals, requiring them to halt deceptive weight-loss marketing practices and overhaul their billing and cancellation systems.

In a July 2025 complaint, the agency alleged that NextMed, along with executives Robert Epstein and Frank Leonardo, capitalized on surging consumer demand for GLP-1 weight-loss medications such as Wegovy and Ozempic. According to the FTC, the company lured consumers into weight-loss programs with hidden fees and undisclosed membership commitments.

Agency alleges fake reviews and inflated weight-loss claims

Regulators said NextMed made unsubstantiated promises about the weight loss its clients could expect and bolstered those claims with fabricated testimonials. The complaint also accused the company of manipulating online reviews to distort consumer perception.

The FTC further alleged that NextMed routinely failed to honor cancellation and refund requests, and charged consumers without obtaining their express informed consentsometimes initiating recurring debits without authorization.

Order mandates refunds and strict compliance rules

Under the final order, NextMed, Epstein, and Leonardo must pay $150,000, which is expected to be used to provide refunds to affected consumers. The order also imposes a series of requirements and prohibitions intended to prevent future misconduct. Among them:

• The company may not misrepresent the cost of telehealth services.

• Weight-loss claims must be supported by competent and reliable evidence.

• Reviews cannot be misrepresented as truthful or from real consumers, and the company must disclose any unexpected material connections with endorsers.

• Manipulating consumer reviews is expressly prohibited.

• The firm must obtain informed consent before billing consumers or initiating electronic fund transfers.

• All key cancellation and refund terms must be clearly disclosed before purchase, and the company must provide simple cancellation mechanisms and promptly honor compliant requests.

GLP-1 drugs and the weight-loss surge

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists were originally developed to treat Type 2 diabetes, but in recent years theyve become some of the most sought-after medications for chronic weight management. Branded versions such as Wegovy (semaglutide) and Ozempic (also semaglutide, but approved for diabetes) mimic a naturally occurring hormone that helps regulate appetite, slow gastric emptying, and improve blood sugar control. The result for many patients is substantial, sustained weight loss when the drugs are paired with behavioral changes.

Clinical trials for semaglutide have shown average weight reductions of 1015% of body weight over time, far surpassing results seen with older prescription diet drugs. That effectiveness has driven intense consumer interestand created an opportunity for telehealth startups to offer quick, online access to the medications.

But the boom has also raised concerns. GLP-1 drugs can be expensive, may require long-term use to maintain results, and carry potential side effects, including nausea, vomiting, and, more rarely, pancreatitis or gallbladder issues. At the same time, regulators have warned that some telehealth companies oversell benefits, obscure true costs, or fail to provide adequate medical oversight.

It is against this backdrop of soaring demand and increased scrutiny that the FTC has pursued cases like the one against NextMed, aiming to ensure consumers receive truthful marketing, transparent pricing, and legally required billing protections.