May 11, 2018 — Two years ago, Rhythm Pharmaceuticals made a big splash with a study showing impressive efficacy for their super targeted obesity drug, setmelanotide. That paper in the New England Journal of Medicine showed setmelanotide could reverse obesity in patients with a rare POMC gene defect. Now, researchers have published new data showing promise in patients with […]
May 10, 2018 — The picture is stark. Writing in the Atlantic, Olga Khazan says bariatric surgery is out of reach where people need it the most. The five states with the highest rates of self-reported BMI in the range of obesity are WV, MS, AL, AR, and LA. But not one of those states requires insurers to cover […]
May 9, 2018 — Evangelism draws its primary meaning from the practice of spreading Christian beliefs. But it also carries a broader meaning of zealous advocacy. And you don’t have to spend much time dealing with obesity to run across some of those zealous advocates. So it’s no surprise that evangelical weight loss programs have sprouted in many churches. […]
May 8, 2018 — How much does physical appearance matter in the military? After all, national security relies more and more on technology. This question jumps out from a full day workshop on obesity in the armed forces at the National Academies. The answer depends in part on the branch of service. Physical functioning and health are certainly important […]
May 7, 2018 — This is a tricky subject. That’s because ConscienHealth most definitely supports puppies. And owning a puppy can have benefits for health and well being. It encourages people to get out and get moving. But as a cure for obesity and heart disease, they come up short. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop news sites from publishing clickbait […]
May 6, 2018 — The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) held its annual summit – Innovating a Healthier Future – last week in Washington, DC. PHA came to life in 2010 as an offshoot of Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign. The mission is to “leverage the power of the private sector to bring lasting systemic changes that improve the […]
May 5, 2018 — Friday brought a perfect occasion to step back and appreciate a decade of progress in obesity research. Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess Mary of Denmark visited the obesity research center of Novo Nordisk in Seattle. Four years ago, that research center did not even exist. Today, it’s generating an impressive stream of new drugs. […]
May 4, 2018 — This isn’t too mysterious. A number of recent studies are making it ever more clear that even small bits of exercise can give you a boost – in health and happiness. It doesn’t take long bouts of intense activity. From the Journal of Happiness Studies You gotta love this journal. Peer-reviewed and devoted to the scientific […]
May 3, 2018 — It’s become a bit of a cliché. Poverty and obesity seem to travel together. Though obesity rates are rising among all social and economic groups, populations under the most pressure suffer disproportionately. But that begs a question. How does the relationship between poverty and obesity work? Reversing the Usual Assumption The typical assumption is that […]
May 2, 2018 — Vermonters are ticked. It’s time to implement the new Nutrition Facts label and they’re afraid it will give their beloved maple syrup a black eye. The label calls out added sugar. And pure maple sugar is what their syrup is all about. Yesterday, Vermont maple producers and legislators staged an event to protest an FDA […]
