Archive for September, 2017

The Odd Codependence of Fat Shaming and Fat Acceptance

September 20, 2017 — “I refuse to let my daugher be taught by a fat teacher.” So says an opinion writer for the Daily Mail in a recent opinion article that she’s milking for all the attention she can get. In an odd expression of codependence, she tries to justify her heinous views by saying that fat activists have […]

Child’s Play: Mixing Values with Data

September 19, 2017 — How can insignificant results be clinically significant? It happens. Especially when researchers believes that their program must have a big effect. Consider this conclusion from a recent study of an program to promote more play: Although the differences between intervention and control were not statistically significant, the effect size indicates clinical significance. Promoting Physical Activity Through Child’s Play […]

Searching for Bias? Look in the Mirror

September 18, 2017 — “We need a safe space to rethink our assumptions.” This phrase came from a recent summary panel on food environments and obesity prevention. Later, the speaker explained. We need that safe space, she said, because a disproven assumption puts funding at risk. So people are reluctant to speak candidly. It was a stark reminder. The […]

Marketing the Ingredients for a Lousy Diet in Brazil

September 17, 2017 — Brazil has a serious public health problem growing in plain sight. Obesity is now a larger problem than hunger in South America’s biggest economy. A detailed report in the New York Times today paints a picture of multinational food companies expanding their businesses in Brazil with disastrous results. The Brazilian Ministry of Health reports that […]

The Language of Weight Stigma and Bias

September 16, 2017 — How Everyday Language Casually Stigmatises Obesity – And What to Do About It Obesity is a highly stigmatised condition. Those with obesity are frequently subject to prejudice and ridicule at home, school, work, and even from health care professionals. Every day, they face social rejection and are deemed lazy, unattractive, unmotivated and unhappy. Alarmingly, many obese […]

Vegetarian: Reason, Politics, and Personality

September 15, 2017 — Does everything have to be about politics? Can’t we just have convivial meals and enjoy the food? Maybe it does and maybe we can’t. So says a growing body of research on motivations for a plant-based style of eating. Openness, Political Interests, Conservativeness, and Conscientiousness Tamara Pfeiler and Boris Egloff describe how these personality traits […]

30,000 Fans of ConscienHealth: Thank You!

September 15, 2017 — Well, you’ve done it.  You have just pushed us over the milestone of 30,000 Facebook fans and 5,000 Twitter followers. To every fan, follower, subscriber, and reader, we say thank you. We surely can’t compete with our President’s twitter following. But it’s impressive that so many of you follow the mix of obesity, health, science, […]

Battling a 130-Ton Fatberg in London’s Sewer

September 14, 2017 — It’s an odd balance. Icebergs are melting. But the biggest fatberg ever recorded has congealed in London’s sewer. It’s 130 tons and 250 yards of cooking fat, wipes, diapers and other stuff folks should never have flushed down the drain. Breaking it up and removing it will take three weeks of hard, smelly work. An […]

The Young Science of Built Environments and Obesity

September 13, 2017 — Are we building places that harm our health? Yesterday, distinguished professor Jim Sallis told us, unequivocally, yes we are. At the National Academy of Sciences, he opened a survey of the young science of built environments and obesity. The Roundtable on Obesity Solutions sponsored this workshop. Rarely Studied Until the 21st Century Well into the […]

Living Large in France and Other Fashion Statements

September 12, 2017 — Fashion has long been a safe harbor for fat shaming – both subtle and explicit. Headlines from New York Fashion Week might make you think this harsh reality is fading fast. But a broader view would say not so fast. French culture prizes both style and cuisine, and according to Gabrielle Deydier, that puts a […]