News Archive for November, 2020

Free vitamin D supplements will be sent to over two million clinically vulnerable people in the UK this winter. Over 80% of patients hospitalised with COVID-19 are vitamin D deficient compared with the general population. In a small study, a high dose of vitamin D appeared to reduce the severity of COVID-19. While some scientists […]

The coronavirus pandemic has put a spotlight on obesity because it is clearly a risk factor for worse outcomes. But now it’s becoming ever more clear that patients have options. A new study from the Cleveland Clinic suggests that bariatric surgery may cut the risk of hospitalization from COVID-19 by half or more. The lead […]

This is the ultimate Friday news dump. FDA approved a highly innovative, highly targeted treatment for obesity – setmelanotide – Wednesday night. Just before a four-day holiday. The company announced in on Friday – timing one would typically choose for news they want to hide. But this is really good news for the treatment of […]

It’s time for a shift in media narratives about obesity in Western Australia. So says the Health Consumers Council of Western Australia, in concert with the government there. The HCC is a nonprofit voice of the health consumer. It works across many health issues to ensure people have a say in health policy. HCC listened […]

We have come to an odd relationship with food, because we are full of contradictions. This American Thanksgiving holiday brings those contradictions into sharp view. While an increasing number of Americans are going hungry, we’re celebrating a national feast day that is a time to give thanks for abundance. Hunger Soaring with the Pandemic At […]

Implicit bias about obesity is a funny thing. In the middle of a conversation about it, someone tells us, “Sure, it’s biological. But you can’t just go eating burgers and fries all the time.” Invite people to share their thoughts about obesity and you get images of a mom gorging herself on a ridiculous burger. […]

We are waiting, but we should not. A tremendous gap in care for obesity stands open. It is the gap between primary care for obesity that people need and an uncomfortable silence that persists – at best. Because right now, if the silence is broken, most often patients receive only vague advice to lose weight. […]

For some time, it’s been clear enough that obesity increases the risk for severe symptoms with COVID-19. CDC warns that even mere overweight status might be a source of risk. But what about the risk of infection in the first place? Some studies suggest a link. However, we would advise caution in accepting that conclusion. […]

This month has brought considerable progress on NASH treatments. Yet it’s hard to know when we will have real progress in medical care for this silent epidemic. Getting FDA to yes on new treatments seems to be a challenge. Nonetheless, we have news of two new studies that suggest promise for new NASH treatments. One […]

Make no mistake about it. The times are changing. A new order is coming and old ways of doing things will not suffice. We are not merely talking about a change of leadership in Washington. We are talking about bigger changes. These changes come from people fed up with an old order of things that […]