News Archive for September, 2018

If you want to understand where the future lies in obesity medicine, Aaron Kelly suggests you look closely at precision medicine. At the fall summit of the Obesity Medicine Association yesterday, Kelly offered a tantalizing overview of this approach. But for now, he cautioned, clinicians have to fall back on a more pragmatic approach. In […]

The language of obesity is a tricky business. Nobody likes being called obese. But it doesn’t stop there. Common wisdom tells clinicians to be very careful about the O-word in any form. Obesity clinics don’t tend to have long lines of patients waiting at the door. Weight management clinics attract more clients. However, new research […]

At the Obesity Medicine Association (OMA) meeting in Washington, DC, it’s becoming visible. Medical and surgical obesity care have sometimes existed in completely separate spheres. But these two distinct spheres are growing closer together. For the sake of better patient care, we see a trend toward integrating medical and surgical obesity care. We can see […]

Honors for the best nutrition news fable of the week goes to Fox News. That’s because intrepid reporter Meredith Lepore made magic from a dense review article on energy requirements for cognitive work. From that humble starting material, she conjured up some great clickbait. Don’t think twice about grabbing an extra donut, she says. So […]

It’s one of those metaphors that we’re hearing more often. Folks at the Pew Trusts say the “food is medicine” concept is simple. If people eat nutritious food, they’ll need fewer meds. They’ll go to the emergency room less. And they’ll stay out of the hospital. A Role for Medically Tailored Meals California is funding […]

Weight Watchers has just performed a neat trick. It lost a ton of dead weight and gained 4.5 percent on its stock price. All in one day. Henceforth, the company formerly known as Weight Watchers shall be simply WW. Wellness that Works.™ A Long Time Coming The handwriting has been on the wall for years […]

The USPSTF is one of those acronyms that provides a good test of sobriety. If you can say it five times quickly, you’re either completely sober or a hopeless health policy geek. It stands for the United States Preventive Services Task Force. Last week, the task force affirmed that primary care providers should refer adults […]

Brian Wansink has a gift for conceiving research into eating behavior that has long been “catnip for the media.” Now, after a year of contesting accusations of misconduct, he’s resigned from Cornell University. Last week, JAMA retracted six of his papers in a single day. According to Retraction Watch, that makes a total of 13 […]

Yesterday, we had the privilege of participating in a remarkable forum in San Francisco. The Pacific Business Group on Health (PBGH) assembled a diverse group of experts and employers. Together, we considered how healthcare addresses obesity. We gained a view of how employers can innovate on obesity care. Obesity Might Break the System For a […]

Perhaps your mother told you cleanliness is next to godliness. That concept found its way into a 1778 sermon by John Wesley. But it’s even older than that. Ancient Babylonian and Hebrew religious texts have the earliest references. Now, CMAJ wants to put cleanliness next to obesity. Could there be a clean connection? An Association with […]