Archive for April, 2017

Does North Korea “Have a Handle” on Obesity?

April 20, 2017 — Implicit bias has a way of slipping out from time to time. On the subject of obesity, an aspiring British politician let it slip earlier this week. James Cracknell named North Korea and Cuba as “the two countries of the world that have got a handle on obesity.” “They are quite controlling on behavioural change,” […]

Evidence-Based Policy or Policy-Based Evidence?

April 19, 2017 — Is evidence-based policy no more than a useful myth? Political science professor John Boswell clearly thinks so. And current headlines might suggest he’s right. Facts get twisted. Policymakers do what they want. Boswell explains his view in a paper that Governance will publish soon. For a case study, he uses bariatric surgery guidelines recently adopted by Britain’s National Institute […]

Magic Technology Cures for Diabetes and Obesity

April 18, 2017 — When people are desperate, magical thinking abounds. Even at the New York Times. Right now, you can read about how Silicon Valley technology is going to “tackle weight loss and diabetes with video chats.” With the help of mock apple cobbler and veggie omelets, an accountant and her husband have lost 120 pounds and avoided taking insulin. […]

Is Sleep Becoming Fashionable?

April 17, 2017 — Now that physical activity has become a fashion statement, will sleep be next? Dubious claims about powerful achievers who can thrive without sleeping much are giving way to sleep as a status symbol. And of course, that opens the door to commerce. A $400 Billion Economic Burden – And an Opportunity The RAND Corporation estimates […]

Nordic Food Patterns Going Global for Health

April 16, 2017 — Admittedly, we’ve fed you many glowing words about the Mediterranean diet. So if you’re looking for something different, consider The Nordic Way. Like the Mediterranean diet, the Nordic diet is a satisfying way of eating, with deep roots in culture. And it has an impressive body of science to document health benefits. Arne Astrup, Jennie Brand-Miller, and […]

Maine: Another State Works on Better Obesity Care

April 15, 2017 — This chick hasn’t hatched. But the conversation is encouraging. Yesterday, Maine State Senator Nate Libby presented a bill in committee to reduce obesity and chronic disease rates in Maine by providing better obesity care. LD 1162: “An Act To Reduce the Incidence of Obesity and Chronic Disease in Maine” Specifically, Libby’s bill would provide better access […]

Diabetes Rising Relentlessly in Kids

April 14, 2017 — This week in the New England Journal of Medicine, a new report provides the clearest picture of diabetes trends in kids that we’ve ever had. It’s not a pretty picture. We see new cases of  diabetes rising relentlessly in kids. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes cases are rising. Startling Trends in Black and Native […]

Learning When Childhood Obesity Prevention Fails

April 13, 2017 — What do you do when a study fails to show the outcome you expected? When a strategy doesn’t work? When a carefully planned childhood obesity prevention strategy has no effect? In Pediatrics this week, Julie Lumeng and colleagues faced that very outcome. They tested the effects of a program for kids in Head Start aimed […]

Bumping Through Some Unfriendly Skies

April 12, 2017 — Forgive the schadenfreude here. But United had it coming. The airline summoned security Sunday to violently toss a doctor out of his seat. They literally dragged him off their plane and bloodied his face in the process. United had oversold the flight and wanted to take the doctor’s seat for one of its employees. The incident makes a perfect ad […]

Moving from Obesity Myths to Theories

April 11, 2017 — Busting obesity myths is great sport. Those myths are are abundant, annoying, and problematic for people who want to move on to real solutions for the harms of obesity. Ruopeng An and Roland Sturm do a fine job of busting those myths, drawing upon their research funded by the Rand Corporation. Myth #1: Obesity Is an Epidemic of […]