December 19, 2018 — We are in the midst of a secular holiday season that primes us to fill up on purchases. Stimulate the economy. Seasonal feasts and gift exchanges empty our bank accounts while stuffing our bodies and our lives. But advocates for minimalism emphasize filling up on experiences rather than stuff. Stuffocation In his book Stuffocation, James Wallman […]
December 17, 2018 — 2018 is quickly fading into history. All in all, it’s been a year of some remarkable progress in obesity and health. Much of it is steady and encouraging. More healthcare providers building skill in obesity care. Less explicit weight bias. More options and a little less misinformation about obesity. Those are some of the good […]
December 4, 2018 — No doubt, the intentions behind this headline were good. “Obesity is too dangerous to normalize,” said a letter to the editor on Sunday in the Washington Post. That letter came in response to a commentary about plus-size fashion that pleaded for clothes that will let bigger women simply be themselves. And feel good about it, […]
December 1, 2018 — Plus fashion is growing up and perhaps moving into the mainstream. It’s inevitable. In a world where roughly 75 percent of the population is living at a high BMI, fashion that focuses only on stick-thin models can’t survive. But growing up is hard. So plus fashion is in its awkward phase, as Washington Post fashion […]
November 9, 2018 — At ObesityWeek in Nashville next week, it will be easy to miss some gold nuggets of insight. Because so much is there, all at once. But a session you should truly not miss is The Scoop on Food Labeling from Inside the Industry. Why? It’s especially timely. The fine print for added sugars is finally […]
November 3, 2018 — The fitness industry is booming. Since 2000, gym memberships have nearly doubled. Health clubs generate revenues of $87 billion per year around the world. In addition, we’re spending money on fitness togs and gear as if our lives depend upon it. And maybe, just maybe, some people are improving their health. But we’re not putting […]
October 5, 2018 — Who are they to judge? Overcoming anthropometry through fat bodybuilding. The journal Fat Studies published and has now retracted that hoax study. But this was not a one-off hoax. It was part of a series, concocted to make a point. Academic grievance studies are corrupting scholarship, say Helen Pluckrose, James A. Lindsay, and Peter Boghossian. Harvard lecturer Yascha Mounk […]
October 3, 2018 — The fairy tale farm evokes images of pigs rolling in muddy pig pens, cows grazing in green pastures, and hens happily sitting on eggs in wooden hen houses. While this may have been the scene in the 1890s, the reality today is not so pretty. Increasing demand, corporatisation of agriculture, and the expectation of low […]
October 1, 2018 — The government machine that will grind out 2020 dietary guidelines is already rumbling along. Thanks to an act of Congress, sustainability probably won’t be much of a factor. Nonetheless, consumers are already focused on this dimension. You can see it clearly in fast casual restaurant marketing. Trendy chains are fighting to persuade you that they […]
September 27, 2018 — 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 […]
