Archive for July, 2019

Money Can’t Buy Love, But Active Living Brings Joy

July 11, 2019 — Does money bring happiness? That’s a matter of some debate. Though poverty doesn’t do it, research suggests that money isn’t always the best answer for pursuing happiness. In fact, recent research suggests that active living might bring more joy than money. Exercise and Mental Health In Lancet, Sammi Chekroud and colleagues published a large study […]

Dealing with Health, Erasing Stigma and Bias

July 10, 2019 — Regarding obesity as a disease is associated with lower weight bias among physicians. That’s the title of a new study in Stigma and Health. Before now, researchers have had experimental evidence. They’ve shown that positioning obesity as a disease could reduce weight stigma and bias. Now, in addition, this new study gives us real world […]

Doubts About Dietary Options for Heart Health

July 9, 2019 — Could it be that chasing dietary options for heart health is pointless? Commenting on a new study in Annals of Internal Medicine, Amitabh Pandey and Eric Topol express doubts: Diets and supplements are 2 of the most intense areas of public interest but are among the most lacking in adequate data. Unfortunately, the current study […]

Facing Facts About Obesity – Selectively

July 8, 2019 — The angst caused by Cancer Research UK’s Obesity-Is-Like-Smoking campaign is continuing to bubble. At this point, approximately 6,000 people have signed a petition asking the charity to stop it. We’ve been clear enough about how bad this campaign is. However, it’s worth noting a surprisingly thoughtful argument for the campaign from Deborah James. Believe it […]

Getting Tangled Up in Added Sugar

July 7, 2019 — How much added sugar is in a five-pound bag of sugar? It’s taken a while, but FDA has come up with a final answer to this challenging question. None. It’s all sugar, nothing added. The same goes for honey, molasses, or maple syrup. It turns out that the definition of “added” can be quite tricky. […]

Can’t Reverse Obesity Trends Without My Pet Project

July 6, 2019 — As health authorities in the U.K. whip up fears about obesity, it becomes fodder for entertainment writers. With a witty headline, Brian Beacom tells us that he has the answer for obesity. “There’s fat chance of tackling obesity without school sports investment,” he writes. Of course, not a shred of evidence supports his assertion. But […]

No, Cancer Research UK, Obesity Is Not Like Smoking

July 5, 2019 — Presumably, the folks at Cancer Research UK (CRUK) knows something about cancer. Sadly, though, they’re proving that they don’t understand obesity. They’re spending a bundle of money to promote a false meme that equates obesity with smoking. It’s a clever lie, but it’s still a lie. Smoking is a behavior. Obesity is a condition. They […]

Seriously? Fake Meat Will Save Us?

July 4, 2019 — What will you be grilling for your summer holiday feasts? Hot dogs are a traditional favorite. Why not substitute some fake meat made of pea protein? Hot dogs – despite a beloved cultural image – have never been an especially wholesome food. For more on this, we refer you to Upton Sinclair’s expose on the […]

Five Things to Know About Bullying and Weight Bias

July 3, 2019 — The ugliest aspect of weight bias finds its purest expression in bullying. Bullies have an instinct for finding a person’s vulnerability and using it to tear a person down. They are intentional and relentless. Bullying gives them power over their victim. Because our culture has an unhealthy obsession with thinness, weight bias enables bullies. It […]

Pasteurized Bacteria for Metabolic Syndrome?

July 2, 2019 — Beware of pilot studies. However, we have a fascinating one for you. Nature Medicine published this study yesterday. It’s a randomized, controlled trial of 32 subjects in three arms. Clara Depommier and colleagues found that a daily supplement of pasteurized bacteria (Akkermansia muciniphila) could improve some of the markers of metabolic syndrome. Specifically, they saw […]