Archive for the ‘Consumer Trends’ Category

Will There Be a “Contagion Effect” of GLP-1s in Families?

June 13, 2025 — Thoughtful reporting by Jackie Snow in the New York Times prompts us to wonder about the possibility of a “contagion effect” from GLP-1s in families. When a parent receives highly effective treatment for obesity, what might the effect be on other family members? Of course, any answers to this question come from anecdotal observations. They […]

Humility Marks the Line Between Cynicism and Skepticism

May 25, 2025 — Are we cynical? For many of us, the answer is clearly yes. News feeds give us ample reasons for general distrust of the motives of others, for thinking that self-interest is driving the actions of policymakers. Misinformation, conflicts of interest, and an apparent disregard for facts are impossible to ignore. Skepticism is certainly warranted, but […]

Legal Semaglutide Compounding Ends Today, So What’s Next?

May 22, 2025 — The game is over. Today is the day legal semaglutide compounding at scale ends by decree from the FDA. Compounding pharmacies have known this day was coming since February when the agency determined that the shortage of semaglutide from Novo Nordisk was over. Well-informed patients who have depended upon compounding for affordable access to a […]

A Startling Transition in Leadership at Novo Nordisk

May 18, 2025 — “Today, we salute you, Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen,” writes Dave Knapp on his widely-read substack commentary. After a startling transition in leadership at Novo Nordisk, Jørgensen is now the outgoing CEO. Jørgensen is the CEO who guided the successful launch of Ozempic and Wegovy. He made the company into one of the most valuable in Europe. […]

Novo Nordisk Obesity Sales Drop, Stock Rises, Go Figure

May 7, 2025 — The word of the day in obesity is volatility. Minutes ago in Denmark, Novo Nordisk announced their first quarter business results and revealed a 13% drop in obesity drug sales, a reduction in their sales forecast, and yet the response in European stock markets was that the stock rose in value. In fact, it rose […]

As Legitimate GLP-1 Compounding Ends, Rabbit Holes Open Up

May 2, 2025 — The last legitimate path for GLP-1 compounding closes on May 22 and consumer protection advocates are worried about rabbit holes opening up to exploit the desperation of some patients. Yesterday, the National Consumer League (NCL) released survey results to suggest a great deal of confusion and misinformation about off-brand versions of GLP-1 medicines. Perhaps more […]

Saying Autism and Obesity Are “Preventable” Raises Ire

April 27, 2025 — Our Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has a knack for raising ire. He does it in many ways. But on the diverse subjects of autism and obesity he uses the same word – preventable – to do it. The problem is not the word itself. The problem comes from false […]

Puffing Up “Half-Assed” Nutrition with Protein

April 20, 2025 — Morgan Gates sums up his approach to nutrition for the Wall Street Journal succinctly: “I found that if I prioritized protein and half-assed the rest of everything else, it gave me the body I wanted.” Gates is 28-year-old sales rep. He’s a consumer who has clearly absorbed a certain thread of health claims from food […]

Metabolic Surgery Numbers Plunging? Not Exactly

April 16, 2025 — Back in October, JAMA Network Open published a research letter suggesting that metabolic surgery numbers were “plunging” because of GLP-1 medicines. They claimed to observe a 26% drop in surgeries between 2022 and 2023 for privately insured patients. A few months later, the authors issued a correction and said the actual drop was more like […]

A Mashup of Whole Milk, Science, and Dietary Guidelines

April 6, 2025 — Get ready. A few months have passed since the Scientific Report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Committee became final. But honestly, it seems like another lifetime when that was published. That was before the installation of the MAHA regime at HHS that is de-emphasizing vaccines, firing scientists, and promoting cod liver oil and “healthy” fries. […]