September 20, 2015 — At the second annual Sentara Obesity Management Conference, building community-based obesity care provided a taste of reality that stands in stark contrast to abstract models filled with evolution, equity, empowerment, engagement, and other buzzwords. More than a hundred healthcare professionals from all over Virginia gathered for an understanding of how integrated teams are delivering urgently needed care […]
September 19, 2015 — A remarkable study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine this week, demonstrating that type 2 diabetes care with an SGLT2 inhibitor (empagliflozin) both reduces weight and extends life. Of course, the most remarkable part of the study is the survival benefit that empaglifozin provides. In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial over just three years, the study […]
September 18, 2015 — It’s getting pretty hard to ignore the possibility of a huge missed opportunity for better health outcomes caused by not considering bariatric surgery sooner for diabetes and obesity. Another study was published this week that finds better 5-year outcomes in people treated surgically for diabetes and relatively mild obesity in comparison to people treated medically. This […]
September 17, 2015 — Even a cursory look at employer wellness strategies reveals some striking contrasts in what employers are up to. But one thing is clear. Engaging employees in health and wellness is an area of growing focus and obesity continues to be a key target for such efforts. Mercer, an employee benefits consultancy, said yesterday that 42% […]
September 16, 2015 — A very retro story is at the top of the news — but it’s not a good one. Air India has decided that flight attendants with excess weight are excess baggage and they have declared 130 of them “permanently unfit for their jobs.” This would not have been shocking five decades ago when airline advertising […]
September 15, 2015 — You gotta admire the power of imagination and personal enterprise. Maybe it had to happen. With everyone sporting yoga togs and rescuing dogs, doga yoga was a concept just waiting to soar. Mahny Djahanguiri is the latest with a book on how to incorporate your favorite furry friend into your yoga routines. Her timing seems right […]
September 14, 2015 — Hiding behind headlines about how diet sodas are linked to eating more junk food is a huge pink elephant that health reporters are ignoring. Though the notion of diet sodas being some sort of gateway to junk food had more zing, that same study found a five-fold bigger increase in daily calories linked to alcohol consumption. That’s […]
September 13, 2015 — The line between treatment and prevention is especially blurry when the subject is obesity, diabetes, and the many other diseases that result from obesity. Since 2002, we’ve had a well-documented intervention for obesity that effectively prevents progression to type 2 diabetes for people with obesity: The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP). Full and free access to […]
September 12, 2015 — We’re feeling a little sympathy for fat shamers today. It’s been a rough week, capped by the news yesterday that Nicole Arbour was fired from her role in an upcoming movie — Don’t Talk to Irene — because of her vicious fat shaming video, Dear Fat People. Canadian Film Director Pat Mills explained: [I’m making] […]
September 11, 2015 — A heightened response to the food cues that surround us is one of the ways that our brains protect us from starving, losing weight, or staying at a reduced weight. When you’re hungry, images of food capture your brain’s attention, look more appealing, and get in the way of focusing on anything else. So a […]
