July 12, 2013 — Limits on obesity discrimination may be one fortunate result of the recent AMA decision to address obesity as a disease. A number of observers are commenting that the AMA’s decision — though not binding in any way — will likely carry credibility with judges considering whether employment discrimination against people with obesity is acceptable under […]
July 11, 2013 — How does a publication destroy strong, objective health reporting? They can do it by running images that mock the people whom the reporting concerns. On July 5, USA Today devoted a full page to three important stories about obesity. The lead story was written by Nanci Hellmich, one of the most knowledgeable and consistently objective health and […]
July 10, 2013 — Food health claims have a way of turning out badly for everyone, except maybe food marketers. Yesterday’s Wonder Bread, building strong bodies 12 ways, is today’s poster child for a high-glycemic food to be avoided, presently unavailable in the U.S. because the owner of this venerable trademark, Hostess, declared bankruptcy in 2012. At the turn […]
July 9, 2013 — Most observers of obesity drugs seem to be stuck between visions of boom or bust, with no tolerance for the reality that most likely lies between those two extremes. Obesity medicine physicians need more tools for treating obesity. But because obesity is a complex disease we barely understand, the notion of a breakthrough treatment is […]
July 8, 2013 — Start with a wholesome food like milk, mix in ubiquitous dietary recommendations based on thin evidence, and you’re bound to get a food fight sooner or later. That’s what two distinguished nutrition and obesity experts, David Ludwig and Walter Willett, have stirred up with a commentary just published in JAMA Pediatrics. They question the value […]
July 7, 2013 — Slowly, but surely, the Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare) is nudging health insurance to cover more obesity care. Passage of the ACA held promise for obesity treatment and prevention because of its strong emphasis on chronic disease management and prevention. Though hopes for radical improvements in access to care have been dashed, a number […]
July 6, 2013 — The latest health reform delay seems to be universally popular. The Obama administration announced this week that the requirement for businesses with more than 50 employees to provide health insurance has been delayed by a year to 2014. Businesses love it because they have more time to get their systems in line and requirements will […]
July 5, 2013 — Peter Attia reflects on the possibility that our understanding of diabetes and obesity is completely wrong in a recent talk for TEDMED 2013. As he does, he recalls the compassion he showed to a young women with the diagnosis of fatal advanced-stage pancreatic cancer early in his career and compares that to the compassionless care […]
July 4, 2013 — Let’s give credit where credit is due. Morgan Downey has published a brilliant examination of flawed logic for ignoring obesity as a disease. These rationalizations are surfacing in response to the recent AMA decision that it is a disease. We are presenting a synopsis here for your convenience, but we encourage you to read his […]
July 3, 2013 — Forecasting the natural progression of the obesity epidemic makes sense if you want to know whether anything we’re doing is having an impact. Just like a good story, every epidemic has a beginning, middle, and an end. Lately, we’ve been seeing signs that obesity’s prevalence is leveling. Policy makers who think they have the answer […]
