Consumer News: Inflation was less than expected in February

The approval marks an expansion of delivery options

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• The FDA has approved a new four-dose, single-patient-use KwikPen for Zepbound (tirzepatide), giving patients a full month of treatment in one device.

• Lilly says the new pen expands patient choice, with self-pay pricing through LillyDirect starting at $299 per month for the 2.5 mg dose.

• Zepbound remains the top-prescribed injectable obesity medication, with clinical trials showing average weight loss of up to 50 pounds.

Eli Lilly and Company has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a label expansion for its obesity drug Zepbound, adding a new four-dose, single-patient-use KwikPen designed to deliver a full month of treatment in a single device.

The approval marks an expansion of delivery options for Zepbound (tirzepatide), which is already available in single-dose vials. Lilly said the KwikPen is intended to give patients and healthcare providers more flexibility in choosing a format that best fits individual preferences and circumstances.

Zepbound is the No. 1 prescribed injectable obesity-management medication, helping adults achieve meaningful and clinically proven weight loss, on average, up to 50 pounds as seen in SURMOUNT-5, said Ilya Yuffa, executive vice president and president of Lilly USA and Global Customer Capabilities.

As part of our commitment to supporting people living with obesity in their weight management journey, we are introducing a new option with the Zepbound KwikPen, a device trusted by patients globally and in the United States for other Lilly medicines.

Direct-to-consumer platform

The company is also emphasizing affordability through its direct-to-consumer platform, LillyDirect. Patients with a valid prescription who opt to self-pay through LillyDirect can receive Zepbound in either the KwikPen or single-dose vial, with pricing starting at $299 per month for the 2.5 mg starting dose.

Lilly said more than 1 million patients accessed its treatments through LillyDirect in 2025. The company added that one in three new patients beginning a branded weight management medication last year was prescribed Zepbound self-pay vials, underscoring demand for alternative access models amid ongoing pricing scrutiny in the GLP-1 market.

Lilly said Zepbounds growing use is driven in part by clinical data showing substantial weight loss. In the 72-week SURMOUNT-1 trial, adults taking the 15 mg dose lost an average of 20.9% of their body weight, compared with 3.1% for those on placebo. In the open-label SURMOUNT-5 study, patients taking Zepbound lost an average of 50 pounds, or 20.2% of body weight, compared with 33 pounds, or 13.7%, among those taking injectable Wegovy.

Zepbound is approved for adults with obesity, as well as certain adults who are overweight and have at least one weight-related medical condition, to help reduce excess body weight and maintain weight loss. It is also approved for adults with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea and obesity to improve OSA symptoms.

Lilly cautions that Zepbound is not for cosmetic weight loss and that individual results may vary. The drug carries a boxed warning about the risk of thyroid tumors, including thyroid cancer.

It should not be used by patients with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or by those with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2. Zepbound should also not be used with other tirzepatide-containing products or GLP-1 receptor agonists, and its safety and effectiveness in children have not been established.

The national average price inched up again this week

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• The nations average price of gasoline has risen 1.2 cents over the last week and stands at $2.88 per gallon, according to GasBuddy data compiled from more than 12 million individual price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country.

• The national average is up 2.8 cents from a month ago and is 19.5 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.

• The national average price of diesel rose 6.2 cents in the last week and stands at $3.686 per gallon.

Motorists are seeing gas prices edge higher as rising oil prices and geopolitical tensions add pressure to fuel markets heading into late winter.

According to GasBuddy, the national average price of gasoline climbed 1.2 cents over the past week to $2.88 per gallon. While prices are modestly higher than a month ago, they remain nearly 20 cents below where they stood at this time last year. Diesel prices posted a sharper increase, jumping 6.2 cents to $3.686 per gallon.

Average gasoline prices continue to drift higher as crude oil trades near its highest level since last summer, driven by mounting geopolitical risk premiums tied to escalating tensions between the United States and Iran, Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said in the companys weekly blog.

While there has been no direct disruption to energy infrastructure, markets are increasingly pricing in the possibility of a broader exchange that could threaten supply flows.

Other issues

De Haan noted that beyond geopolitical concerns, domestic supply issues are also contributing to upward price pressure. Refinery outages and disruptions along the Olympic Pipeline have tightened supply in parts of the Pacific Northwest, pushing prices higher in that region. With refinery maintenance season approaching, he warned that the national average could soon test the $3-per-gallon mark as seasonal supply constraints intensify.

Oil markets have been driven largely by renewed tensions in the Middle East, particularly concerns involving Iran and the potential for supply disruptions near the Strait of Hormuz a critical chokepoint for global crude shipments. That risk premium helped lift crude prices over the past week.

In early Monday trading, West Texas Intermediate crude rose 37 cents to $66.85 per barrel, up nearly $4 from the previous Mondays $62.98 settlement. Brent crude also climbed 32 cents to $72.08 per barrel, compared with $67.84 a week earlier.

Giovanni Staunovo, a commodities analyst at UBS, said oil is trading at a multi-month high, supported primarily by geopolitical tensions. New talks between the U.S. and Iran are scheduled later this week. Historically, he noted, risk premiums tend to fade if supply disruptions fail to materialize. Traders are also watching next Sundays OPEC+ Group of Eight meeting for potential policy signals.

Inventories tighten despite balanced supply picture

The latest data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed a mixed supply backdrop.

For the week ending February 13, U.S. crude oil inventories fell by 9.0 million barrels and now sit about 5% below the seasonal average. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve rose slightly, increasing by 200,000 barrels to 415.4 million barrels.

Gasoline inventories declined by 3.2 million barrels but remain roughly 3% above the five-year seasonal average. Distillate inventories, which include diesel, fell by 4.6 million barrels and are about 5% below the five-year average.

Refinery utilization increased 1.6 percentage points to 91.0%, while implied gasoline demand a proxy for retail demand rose by 448,000 barrels per day to 8.749 million barrels per day.

Despite relatively balanced global supply fundamentals, the drawdowns in crude and distillate stocks, combined with rising refinery maintenance, could limit near-term relief at the pump.

Regional price gaps persist

While the national average stands at $2.88 per gallon, prices vary widely across the country.

The most common price motorists encounter is $2.69 per gallon, down 10 cents from last week.

The median U.S. gas price is $2.75 per gallon, about 13 cents lower than the national average.

The top 10% of stations are charging an average of $4.36 per gallon, while the bottom 10% average just $2.29 per gallon.

Oklahoma ($2.29), Arkansas ($2.40), and Louisiana ($2.42) currently boast the lowest statewide averages. At the other end of the spectrum, California ($4.55), Hawaii ($4.31), and Washington ($4.23) have the highest prices.

Among weekly movers, Oregon saw the largest increase, with prices rising 17.2 cents, followed by Washington (+14.6 cents) and Minnesota (+13.3 cents). Michigan posted a notable decline of 12.4 cents, while Ohio rose 10.7 cents.

With oil hovering at multi-month highs and refinery maintenance season approaching, analysts say drivers should be prepared for the possibility of further incremental increases in the weeks ahead.

A consumer complaint led to the recall

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Rosina Food Products recalls 9,462 pounds of frozen meatballs over possible metal contamination.

• Affected Bremer Family Size Italian Style Meatballs were sold at Aldi stores nationwide.

• No injuries have been reported, but consumers are urged not to eat the product.

Rosina Food Products, Inc., is recalling approximately 9,462 pounds of ready-to-eat frozen meatball products that may be contaminated with metal fragments, according to the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

The recall involves fully cooked frozen Bremer Family Size Italian Style Meatballs produced on July 30, 2025. The affected items were sold in 32-ounce printed poly film bags labeled as containing about 64 meatballs per package.

The packages bear a BEST BY date of Oct. 30, 2026, along with timestamps between 17:08 and 18:20 printed on the back of the label.

The recalled products display establishment number EST. 4286B inside the USDA mark of inspection. They were distributed to Aldi supermarket locations nationwide and have a 15-month shelf life.

Consumer complaint triggered the recall

The issue came to light after FSIS received a consumer complaint reporting metal fragments found in the meatballs. There have been no confirmed reports of injuries associated with the product. However, officials advise anyone concerned about a possible injury to contact a healthcare provider.

FSIS expressed concern that some of the recalled meatballs may still be in consumers refrigerators or freezers. Shoppers who purchased the product are urged not to consume it and to either discard it or return it to the place of purchase.

The agency said it routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to ensure that companies notify customers and remove affected products from commerce. Retail distribution lists will be posted on the FSIS website as they become available.

Consumers with questions about the recall can contact Rosina Food Products customer service line at 1-888-767-4621 or by email at CService@rosina.com.

Consumers with food safety questions may call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854 or email MPHotline@usda.gov. Food safety concerns can also be reported through the USDAs Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System, available online 24 hours a day.

Researchers found clinical signs of addiction linked to engineered foods among people in their 50s to 80s

• A national survey found that many adults ages 5080 meet clinical criteria for addiction-like responses to ultra-processed foods.

• Middle-aged women, especially those in Generation X, show notably higher rates than older age groups.

• The study used a standardized addiction screening tool and linked addictive eating patterns to health, weight perception, and social isolation.

Most of us know that ultra-processed foods arent exactly healthy.

But a new study from the University of Michigan suggests that these products can capture our attention in ways that look strikingly similar to addiction. Rather than nicotine or alcohol, the substance in this case is the highly rewarding mix of salt, sugar, and fat that many of these foods are built around.

Published in the peer-reviewed journal Addiction, the research zeroes in on adults aged 50 to 80 a group now transitioning from middle age into older adulthood. These are people who, as children and young adults in the 1970s through the early 2000s, grew up amid the explosion of ultra-processed foods in the American food landscape.

We hope this study fills a gap in knowledge about addiction to ultraprocessed foods among older adults, as measured by a well-studied and standardized scale, researcher Lucy Loch said in a news release.

Todays older adults were in a key developmental period when our nations food environment changed. With other research showing clear links between consumption of these foods and risk of chronic disease and premature death, its important to study addiction to ultraprocessed foods in this age group.

The study

The researcher team didnt just ask people how often they ate fries or soda they used a clinical screening tool adapted from substance use diagnostics called the modified Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0.

More than 2,000 Americans between ages 50 and 80 completed this scale through the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging. Thats a nationally representative survey that tracks health trends among older adults.

Participants were asked about real behaviors and experiences linked to addiction-like patterns: intense cravings, repeated unsuccessful attempts to cut back, withdrawal-like symptoms when trying to eat less, and even avoiding social settings due to fear of overeating. These arent casual habits, but the kinds of questions clinicians use when thinking about substance dependence.

What the findings show

The results paint a nuanced picture. Overall, a significant share of adults in the 50-80 age range showed patterns that meet clinical criteria for addiction to ultra-processed foods.

But the rates werent uniform: women in their 50s and early 60s the core of Generation X had the highest prevalence, with about 21% meeting addiction criteria, compared with about 10% of men in the same age group.

Among the older segment (ages 6580), these percentages dropped to roughly 12% for women and about 4% for men.

The study also found links between addiction-like eating and how people saw their own weight and health: those who felt overweight, or who reported poorer mental or physical health, were more likely to meet the criteria. And adults who reported feeling socially isolated were several times more likely to show addiction-like patterns than those who didnt.

Researchers emphasize that this isnt about moral failure or willpower. Instead, it suggests that engineered foods can have powerful effects on behavior effects that echo patterns seen in other kinds of addiction and that exposure early in life may make a difference.

These findings raise urgent questions about whether there are critical developmental windows when exposure to ultraprocessed foods is especially risky for addiction vulnerability, researcher Ashley Gearhardt said in the news release. Children and adolescents today consume even higher proportions of calories from ultraprocessed foods than todays middle-aged adults did in their youth.

If current trends continue, future generations may show even higher rates of ultraprocessed food addiction later in life. Just as with other substances, intervening early may be essential to reducing long-term addiction risk across the lifespan.

Driving drowsy can lead to serious risks on the road

• A significant share of U.S. adults about 41% report feeling so sleepy while driving that it affected safe driving.

• Men are more likely than women to report drowsy driving, and adults aged 3544 show the highest incidence.

• The data come from a nationally representative online survey of 2,007 adults conducted in June 2025.

Ever felt your eyes get heavy on the drive home? Youre far from alone.

New results from a 2025 survey commissioned by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine reveal that a large portion of Americans admit to driving while so tired that it reduced their ability to drive safely and thats more than just an uncomfortable nod.

The term drowsy driving might conjure up images of someone struggling to keep their head up on a long road trip, but the new data show that its a widespread experience across everyday drivers in the U.S. These moments of sleepiness behind the wheel are not just annoying theyre a safety risk worth taking seriously.

Drowsy driving is a serious health and safety risk, and like drunk driving, it is completely avoidable, researcher Dr. Andrea Matsumura said in a news release. Driving while drowsy can reduce alertness and decrease reaction times to put drivers, their passengers, and everyone on the road in danger.

The survey

This snapshot of how often Americans battle sleepiness behind the wheel comes from an online survey of 2,007 adults across the United States. The research was carried out by Atomik Research in early June 2025, and the sample was designed to reflect the broader U.S. adult population within a margin of error of about 2 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

Participants were asked a straightforward question: have you ever felt so sleepy while driving that it affected your ability to drive safely? From there, answers were broken down by gender and age group to get a clearer picture of who is most likely to experience drowsiness on the road.

What the numbers say

Overall, about 41 percent of U.S. adults reported that yes theyve felt too sleepy to drive safely at some point. Thats a pretty notable chunk of drivers.

When you look closer, the difference between genders stands out: half of men said theyd experienced drowsy driving, compared with about one-third of women.

Age also seems to play a role. Adults between 35 and 44 years old reported the highest incidence (47%), followed closely by those aged 4554 (46%). Younger adults (1824) and older drivers (65+) reported lower rates, but not negligible ones even among the oldest group surveyed, nearly 28% admitted to feeling too sleepy to drive safely.

These findings dont just signal that drowsy driving happens they point to a pattern of widespread sleepiness behind the wheel that many drivers may be overlooking. Putting enough sleep on the priority list could be a simple, effective way to make roads safer for everyone.