May 11, 2020 — We’ve heard it many times before. Confronted with a daunting medical and scientific challenge, someone comes along to tell us that they can whisk away all that complexity. “I call it a beautiful puzzle,” said one person recently. He was describing how it really won’t be so hard to tame the coronavirus pandemic and get […]
May 10, 2020 — Butt out. It seems like such simple advice. Yet it’s rarely heeded. Especially when it comes to people clucking about someone else’s size and weight. Two recent examples are top of mind. First, we have Adele who quietly lost some weight without first getting permission. And then we have Abby Ellin wondering aloud in the […]
May 9, 2020 — So…this happened. The Journal of Internal Medicine published an open-source article on race and obesity. In doing so, the journal paired it with an infographic incorporating a racial stereotype, apparently lifted from a movie. Furthermore, the imagery depicted a diet of honey, soda, and cupcakes. Our primary conclusion is that the journal has published an […]
May 8, 2020 — One of the very few blessings of the pandemic lockdown has been a respite from keto mania. Yes, we’ve had to blot out stupid talk about the Quarantine 15. Nonetheless, rants from true believers in ketogenic diets have been on the back burner. Interest in keto everything is down by more than half from where […]
May 7, 2020 — Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis – NASH – is a more severe form of fatty liver disease that can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Like other complications of obesity, people can develop NASH even if their BMI does not fall into the range of obesity. Just like obesity, the prevalence of NASH is growing and the treatment […]
May 6, 2020 — As the coronavirus pandemic rages on, politicians discuss a quick return to normal – whatever that is. But we see many mounting mashups of wildly contradictory extremes. Perhaps none is more striking than the growing contradiction between massive food waste, insecurity, and hunger. Food Banks Overwhelmed Food banks are facing unprecedented demand for their services. […]
May 5, 2020 — Weight talk can be hazardous to one’s mental health. Right now, we hear a lot of it in connection with the coronavirus lockdown. But perhaps it’s utterly pointless. Because the folks who make digital scales at Withings tell us they can see little evidence of excessive quarantine weight gain right now. The company released an […]
May 4, 2020 — We’re learning a lot about health scams. When people feel scared and desperate, promises of a “game-changer” for a dread disease (e.g., COVID-19) can arouse passions. But an objective look at actual evidence brings the truth into view. Then the scam becomes a mess for people who fell for it. That experience should be instructive […]
May 3, 2020 — Medical care is in a mess right now. All care, it seems, is urgent care. Primary care offices are empty. Many providers face the possibility of this pandemic tipping them from financial strain to bankruptcy. But can we really afford to set aside important medical care for urgent care? Unprepared for a Pandemic Different health […]
May 2, 2020 — Alternative facts are never helpful. This is especially true in the midst of a health crisis. People need actual, reliable facts to make good decisions – not a self-serving story. And yet, we see facts dismissed in discussions of discrimination, obesity, and COVID-19. Yet another large study emerged this week that points to real risks […]
