March 10, 2019 — Questioning an article of faith invariably gets people into trouble. In matters of religion, some questions might make you guilty of heresy. You might find yourself isolated or expelled from your community. History holds stories of some gruesome deaths for heretics. On the subject of obesity, nutrition, and health, uncomfortable questions are often unwelcome. Especially […]
March 9, 2019 — Is food a problem or a pleasure? In promoting healthy choices, could it be that we actually nudge people in the opposite direction? New research in Psychological Science suggests, once again, that this might be the case. Nicolette Sullivan and colleagues conducted a series of experiments to arrive at this finding. In short, they found […]
March 7, 2019 — Professor Roy Taylor has a passion for shaking diabetes into remission. Two year results are in for the DiRECT trial of an intensive weight management program using meal replacement shakes. The goal is to put type 2 diabetes into remission. The program met the goal in 36 percent of patients after two years. Thus, we […]
March 6, 2019 — This is nothing but explicit, outrageous bias at work. The Times reports that Tusla – the child and family agency of Ireland – assigns “negative recommendations” to people with obesity who want to adopt a child. Of course, a medical clearance is a routine part of the evaluation for people seeking adoption. If someone has […]
March 6, 2019 — United Behavioral Health is systematically “ignoring the effective treatment of members’ underlying conditions,” says U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph Spero. In an ongoing case, the judge issued a scathing decision against this division of United Healthcare. This case is all about access to care for mental health and addiction. But it perfectly illustrates the playbook for […]
March 5, 2019 — Three decades have passed since McDonald’s started selling us fast food salads. Consumers want to eat healthy – whatever that is. So fast food outlets are serving us ever more healthy-sounding food that tastes great. In larger portions, with more calories and more sodium than ever. These are the findings of new study by Megan […]
March 4, 2019 — It sounded like she was thinking about scrambling eggs. “I don’t want to crack open Medicare Part D for obesity meds,” said this bright young Senate health staffer last week. “Don’t you think a lot of this is coming from depression?” she asked. Such are the questions we hear from some policymakers about obesity care. […]
March 3, 2019 — Siri, what should I eat? Well, that cheesecake looks good. In the New York Times today, Cardiologist Eric Topol explains that artificial intelligence (A.I.) tells him cheesecake and brats get an A+ for his personalized nutrition needs. In contrast, oatmeal and squash get a C-. But there’s just one problem. Topol likes the oatmeal and […]
March 2, 2019 — Eggs are coming on strong, but your beloved cheeseburger is under siege. Certain political pundits say that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is going to take away your cheeseburger. However, the truth is that the real threat to that cheeseburger comes from market forces. The Endangered Cheeseburger Consumers simply don’t want as much red meat these days. More […]
March 1, 2019 — “I just worry about opening the floodgates.” These are the kinds of things you might hear when you talk to folks who’ve never lived with obesity about access to care. But undaunted by such implicit bias, 35 volunteers made more than 100 visits with their elected representatives to ask for real action now on obesity. […]
