Follow the accumulating evidence and observations that shape our view of health policy and obesity
January 19, 2021 — It’s hard to miss that we’re having a crisis of trust. That’s because it’s playing out very loudly in American politics. You might have heard about the riot in Washington, DC – a horrid spectacle fueled by mistrust. But the crisis of trust reaches much further than politics. In fact, trust is essential for science […]
January 18, 2021 — The intersection of obesity and eating disorders in teens requires urgent attention, write Hiba Jebeile and colleagues in a new paper. But attention is lacking. Policymakers talk much about childhood obesity. Beyond the talk though, health policies do little to offer help for the youth and families affected. Likewise, screening and care for youth with […]
January 17, 2021 — Appearance has come to dominate our concept of what is healthy. And in turn, our culture links both appearance and health to virtue. Thus, when Cosmopolitan invites 11 women with wildly different appearances to describe their personal journeys to good health, Twitter has a fit. The cardinal sin seems to be declaring This Is Healthy! […]
January 16, 2021 — In a more innocent time, Schlitz, the beer that made Milwaukee famous, was also the beer with sunshine vitamin D. “A priceless source of vigor,” claimed the advertising. Similarly sunny claims are bubbling up for vitamin D in this time of COVID-19. These claims are based on observed correlations. But thinking that vitamin D might […]
January 15, 2021 — To be an educator might not mean much for a person’s income. But it confers tremendous power over the lives of students and thus our communities. Two publications this week remind us of the great power that educators have – for better or worse – in weight bias. Affirmation by a Teacher In a video […]
January 14, 2021 — It’s safe to say that 2020 was a year of remarkable news headlines. It seemed every day a different issue was catapulted into the discourse of society via the media. One of the best things to come out of a media-prevalent year like 2020 was discussion. Without discussion, we cannot learn from each other. We […]
January 13, 2021 — Mistakes can be hard to admit. We see vivid examples. Someone makes a grievous error and yet claims their actions were “totally appropriate.” Even though they’re obviously wrong. Likewise, when a journal makes a mistake by publishing a flawed paper, a retraction can be quite difficult. But that’s precisely what Scientific Reports did yesterday. The […]
January 12, 2021 — Isaac Bashevis Singer told us we must believe in free will – there is no other choice. Thus, many of us put a great deal of energy into resolutions at this time of year. Often, they involve an effort to eat more healthfully. Resolve fades. Though 77 percent of resolutions last for at least a […]
January 11, 2021 — In the relationship between exercise and weight, one article of faith has held up for years. Exercise is a valuable tool for preventing weight gain. Though you can’t outrun a bad diet, experts are quite clear that exercise helps to maintain a lower weight. However, a new randomized study in Obesity asks a key question. […]
January 10, 2021 — It never fails. In the UK, Cosmopolitan can stir up a controversy simply by suggesting that people of all sizes can have good health. A provocative cover story did the trick. Piers Morgan is happy to participate and stir the pot. But in the end, this is not a story about obesity. In fact, conflating […]
