News Archive for January, 2018

Resistance to public health policies is the reason that obesity is growing relentlessly. Especially resistance to a sugar tax. That deadpan comment from a health and obesity expert is impressive, opinionated speculation. It came at a recent roundtable of experts to explore strategies for reducing obesity. And the pitch is working. All over the world, […]

The range of health benefits from exercise is really quite remarkable. A longer, happier life, better sleep, better memory, and better health – just to name a few. But how can using your muscles have such a profound effect on your whole body? Well, it turns out that your muscles talk to the rest of your […]

Respect for human diversity is a slippery goal. You might assume that public health policies advance that goal. But a new analysis from Ximena Ramos Salas and colleagues suggests that the opposite is true. Policies aimed at obesity can contribute to bias against people living with it. Five Pervasive Themes Ramos Salas found five problem […]

Panera want you to know that they will sell you a better egg sandwich than anyone else. This is a natural extension of their smug advertising that tells us they sell “food as it should be.” So now, they’d like a little help from FDA. They want the agency to crack down on fast food […]

We eat for many reasons, and one of those reasons is pleasure. Beautiful, appetizing food beckons us, even when we’re not physically hungry. Researchers label those qualities of food as hedonics. Food marketers know that these are the qualities that sell their products. And now, neuroscience suggests that women may be more sensitive than men […]

It’s an uncomfortable notion sparking intense interest. Are people catching obesity from others in their social networks? A new study in JAMA Pediatrics lends further credibility to this idea. But the big question remains a puzzle. Exactly how does that work? A Natural Experiment Ashlesha Datar and Nancy Nicosia used data from the Military Teenagers’ […]

Will taxing sodas bring us more alcohol consumption? That’s the heretical question raised by a new study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. The answer they found is a bit complicated. But it’s clear that less soda can mean more beer. Many Choices for Food and Beverages Food and beverage taxes as a […]

Can we educate consumers about healthy portions? Even if we do, will this have an impact on obesity? This and a host of other questions swirled through an intense day of discussions at Georgetown University Monday. The Georgetown Social Enterprise Initiative convened this closed-panel discussion. Portion Sizes Growing with Obesity While the prevalence of obesity […]

NBC canceled The Biggest Loser for good reasons, but Schlumberger doesn’t seem to care. Yesterday, this oil industry employer kicked off a $10,000 workplace weight loss contest. They might be telling themselves they’re promoting employee wellness. But they would be wrong. At Best Counterproductive, Dangerous for Some The Biggest Loser was a controversial spectacle from the very […]

One of the hottest concepts in obesity is precision medicine. That’s especially important because obesity is different in every person who experiences it. One person might respond beautifully to a given treatment. Then that same treatment will have disappointing effects in the next person. So it’s exciting to see new landmark research in Cell Systems that […]