June 11, 2018 — Sunday morning at Nutrition 2018, the seemingly endless pursuit of good and bad calories continued. Five distinguished scientists presented diverse views. But it all adds up to the same thing. All calories make a difference. Energy balance is a helpful concept. And physiology usually wins. Jim Hill: A Complex Adaptive System Hill offered a detailed […]
June 10, 2018 — People won’t eat what they don’t like. So if we want them to eat healthy food, it must taste good. Of course, nothing is simple about making the healthiest food taste good to most people people. We are driven by evolution to eat sugar, salt, and fat – as well as protein. Our inherited tastes tell […]
June 10, 2018 — Yesterday’s opening session of Nutrition 2018, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, tackled the long-enduring debate about restricting choice in SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps). Many arguments exist for – and just as many against – restricting choice for SNAP participants to healthy foods and beverages. […]
June 9, 2018 — In their recent book, Jennifer Kavanagh and Michael Rich tell us that we’re suffering from truth decay. Public discourse now brings more disagreement about facts and their interpretation. They say the line separating facts from personal beliefs and opinions has become blurry. And thus, we have increasing difficulty with civil discourse and policymaking. Certainly, we […]
June 8, 2018 — Rarely does one innovation cover so many angles. But Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, is pushing every button with this one – a broccoli latte. Even though they might not fix our unhealthy food supply all by themselves, the folks at CSIRO are sure giving it a try. Drink Your Veggies Who needs a Vitamix […]
June 7, 2018 — Weight gain is a key feature of a normal, healthy pregnancy. But it’s also a tricky subject that comes back to the core question of what’s normal and healthy. Good nutrition is important for both mother and child. Too little or too much weight gain can bring problems. Two new studies shed some light on […]
June 6, 2018 — If you’re looking for good economic news, avert your eyes from healthcare. Trustees told us yesterday that Medicare will be insolvent only eight years from now. That’s three years sooner than the last estimate. One reason is that healthcare spending is growing faster now. Healthcare spending is up by 5.3% this year. Why? A new […]
June 5, 2018 — Reality collided with fantasy last night on AMC with the premier of Dietland. It’s the story of Plum Kettle, a smart writer for a shallow teen magazine who calls herself fat and just tries to fade into the scenery. But along the way, she gets noticed by feminist terrorists who are torturing unrepentant rapists and […]
June 4, 2018 — People are convinced – perhaps with good reason – that the food supply has changed to give us more obesity now than ever before. Is it the sugar? Or is it the the fat? Many people chalk it up to their belief in the addictive properties of junk food. But we suggest considering that the […]
June 3, 2018 — On Friday, an independent panel advising the World Health Organization backed away from a recommendation for taxing sugar to reduce obesity. Pakistan’s former health minister, Sania Nishtar, co-chaired the WHO Independent High-Level Commission on Noncommunicable diseases. She explained what happened: The reason behind the opposition of one commissioner in particular was with regard to the strength […]
