News Archive for February, 2017

It’s time to stop and say thanks. Thanks to the thousands of readers who take the time to consider the ideas and news that we share every day. Thanks to growing numbers of people who request our daily update in their inbox. You have plenty of stuff filling that inbox. So we’re quite flattered that you […]

Have you seen the headlines this week about research that proves fasting can cure diabetes? Basic science research is building a wealth of knowledge about obesity and the metabolic dysfunction that results. Research in animals is providing invaluable clues for treating this disease. But let’s face it. Reporting on this research is sometimes abysmal. The […]

Will it take an act of Congress to advance more evidence-based strategies to treat and reduce obesity? Chief Research Officer Ross DeVol of the Milken Institute thinks so. Writing in the Huffington Post this weekend, he says: The total health and economic cost to treat health conditions related to obesity exceeds $1.4 trillion annually. If we fail […]

The medical benefits of bariatric surgery for teens with severe obesity has become increasingly clear as trials such as the Teen-LABS study are providing more data on long-term outcomes. In Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology this month, two more studies (here and here) provide evidence for long-term benefits. Subjective Resistance But the more difficult hurdle is […]

The advancement in mobile devices has led to significant growth in the mHealth industry. Smartphones are now pre-built with health sensors, which has made it easier for users to track their health. But what trends should we expect in 2017 that will reshape the mobile health industry? In a special guest post, our friend, JenTechnology, offers […]

Morning meals have a way of creeping into our reflections on healthy dietary patterns. Questions about breakfast’s effect on weight, which plagued us for years, have mostly been settled. Skipping breakfast  won’t make you fat. But now along comes a study in the March issue of Obesity that raises a new question. Do morning people have […]

An impressive new three-year study of 3 mg liraglutide for obesity (Saxenda) finds that this therapy provides a large reduction in the risk of developing diabetes in people who have prediabetes. Published yesterday in Lancet, investigators found an 80% reduction in the risk of progressing to diabetes. In a post-hoc analysis, they made further assumptions […]

We feel the world diminished by the loss of a very fine man this week. George Blackburn, MD, PhD, died on Tuesday at his home in Boston. President-elect Caroline Apovian of the Obesity Society explains: My friend and mentor George Blackburn was truly the father of nutrition and obesity medicine. He is someone who supported […]

A good friend who struggled all his life with severe obesity once confided to us: “Obesity isn’t really a disease, is it? I mean, you can’t catch it.” But, if you stop to do the math, it turns out that you can. Math models of disease transmission show that obesity can indeed spread through social […]

Atrocious nutrition headlines are back. Health reporters are telling us that “eating two slices of buttered toast a day can double the risk of diabetes.” Fortunately, that’s not what the study says. The study was just published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The data comes from a randomized, controlled study of the effects of […]