The Download: GLP-1s and Eating Disorders, Self-Aware Cities, and Forever Chemicals
Plus: Binance has suffered the biggest crypto hack in history.
By Thomas Macaulay | October 30, 2026
This is today's edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology.
Eating Disorders Are on the Rise. GLP-1s Could Make Things Worse.
GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are among the biggest biotech breakthroughs of the past decade. But to some clinicians, they may also represent something more troubling—a potential trigger for eating disorders.
A new report suggests that the global incidence of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa rose by 71% between 1990 and 2023. And clinicians are already observing GLP-1s exacerbating the issue.
Here's how they could make an already growing problem worse.
—Jessica Hamzelou
Also in This Edition
- Self-aware cities: How urban environments are beginning to sense and respond to their own conditions in 2026.
- Forever chemicals: The latest on PFAS and the effort to address persistent environmental contaminants.
- Crypto: Binance has suffered the biggest hack in cryptocurrency history.
The Download is MIT Technology Review's weekday newsletter, delivering a daily dose of what's happening in the world of technology.