Archive for May, 2017

The Smallest Losers in Bariatric Surgery: Microbes

May 31, 2017 — Forget the Biggest Loser. Perhaps we should be paying more attention to the smallest losers. We mean the microbes in our guts that serve to digest all of that food we eat. New research is making it clear that the gut microbiome changes profoundly after the most effective widely-used weight loss surgery – gastric bypass. Profound Microbiome […]

Does It Matter if People Believe in Food Addiction?

May 30, 2017 — For many people, food addiction explains obesity. Nevermind that scientists have some problems with the concept. While scientists debate, much of the public is embracing the idea. So what are the implications? Does the idea that people can get hooked on food lead to more or less stigma? Does it help people cope with eating […]

Squabbling, Ignorance, and Obesity Policy

May 29, 2017 — Follow the arc of obesity policy and you will see a repeating pattern defined by passionate squabbling and a limited understanding of the problem. Policies to address obesity rise to command attention, sparkle for a bit, and then fall away. The health impact of obesity grows unabated all the while. In Social Science and Medicine, […]

Gastric Bypass May Cut Heart Failure Risk in Half

May 28, 2017 — In the last two weeks, two new, independent studies with large cohorts of gastric bypass patients are pointing to the same benefit. Gastric bypass appears to cut heart failure risk in half. One of the many major complications of obesity is heart disease. The end stage of heart disease is heart failure. After years of […]

Can Fitness Trackers Really Track Your Fitness?

May 27, 2017 — Is that electronic leash on your wrist really doing anything? Can you rely upon fitness trackers for good information? A pair of recent studies add to the reasons you might doubt it. Heart Rate, Yes; Calories Burned, No Researchers from Stanford tested seven fitness trackers and published their result in the Journal of Personalized Medicine. […]

OMG! Jelly Belly Puts Sugar in Its Sports Beans?

May 26, 2017 — Can it be? These wonderful energy beans have no sugar in their ingredient list. How can it be that they’re actually loaded with the stuff? Well, it’s true and Jessica Gomez is suing. She filed a class action lawsuit in Los Angeles, claiming that Jelly Belly deceived her by listing “evaporated cane juice” as the product’s primary […]

Self-Pay for Obesity Care Yields More Dropouts

May 25, 2017 — Add this to the list of tobacco control ideas that just don’t work in obesity. When quitting smoking, people seem to succeed more if they have more “skin in the game.” But a new study published today in Obesity finds just the opposite in obesity care. People who self-pay are more likely to drop out […]

What Shall We Do with the O Word?

May 24, 2017 — Obesity – the O word – has an image problem. It’s a condition that nobody wants to have. Nevermind that the best estimates hold that 38% of adults in the U.S. have it. Nevermind that, if ignored, it progresses to cause chronic diseases that harm just about every part of the body. Doctors don’t write it down. […]

Adapt and Prosper – or Not – in the Food Industry

May 23, 2017 — Some parts of the food industry may be leaving us.  Rather than adapt, these companies want to keep selling the dietary equivalent of telephone booths. They imagine they can delay or avoid telling their customers how much sugar they’re pouring into their products. They imagine they can keep selling junk food into schools. Ignore Your […]

Does It Help if a Mother Thinks Her Child Is Overweight?

May 22, 2017 — What mother thinks is important. Children want a mother’s approval and mothers tend to see the best in their children. So is it a problem that mothers tend not to think of their children as overweight? Some researchers think so. “We know that parents tend not to recognise when their children are overweight or obese,” […]