Follow the accumulating evidence and observations that shape our view of health policy and obesity
March 21, 2025 — The new administration in Washington says it wants to Make America Healthy Again by bringing an intense focus on chronic disease. This is a concept we endorse without reservation. But talk is turning into balk when it comes down to following through on the scientific research essential for reducing the burden of chronic disease. A […]
March 20, 2025 — It’s unmistakable. A quick look at the upcoming meeting of the American College of Cardiology in Chicago tells us that obesity care has a growing role in cardiology. The meeting starts March 29 and a total of 27 educational sessions will focus on obesity. Three late breaking publications – two for semaglutide and one for […]
March 19, 2025 — Intriguing observations on the effect of retatrutide on cancer progression in mice appeared Friday in NPJ Metabolic Health and Disease. Retatrutide is the first triple agonist to progress in clinical development for obesity. Lilly said recently that they expect to release phase three clinical trial data for it later this year – earlier than previously […]
March 18, 2025 — We’ve been living with the consensus report of the Lancet Commission on Clinical Obesity now for two months. Enough time has passed for feelings about the strengths and limitations of this work to take shape. A new commentary in the BMJ yesterday brings a sharp focus to the struggle of defining and dealing with current […]
March 17, 2025 — Nothing succeeds like success. And thus, the success of GLP-1 medicines for obesity seems to be prompting a re-ordering of marketing for packaged food. Under the Healthy Choice brand, ConAgra has begun promoting an ON TRACK badge that identifies their meals as “GLP-1 Friendly,” as well as high in fiber and protein. ConAgra Senior VP […]
March 16, 2025 — A regulatory detail deep within the thicket of FDA rules is getting sharp attention. This week, HHS Secretary RFK Jr. asked FDA to find a way to restrict something called GRAS. That stands for generally recognized as safe. Right now, a food company can “self certify” that a chemical food additive is GRAS. Then they […]
March 15, 2025 — A new analysis in JAMA Health Forum yesterday shines a harsh light on pricing for new obesity medicines. In a rigorous econometric analysis, researchers found that new and highly effective medicines for obesity – Wegovy (semaglutide) and Zepbound (tirzepatide) – are both overpriced. They also found that the price and value of Wegovy was out […]
March 14, 2025 — Twenty-nine years ago, scientists discovered that GLP-1 agonists, acting in the brain, could regulate feeding behaviors. In a keynote address to the Columbia Cornell Obesity Medicine course yesterday, Richard DiMarchi presented a compelling, detailed description of how this all unfolded. Way back in 1996, DiMarchi and colleagues at Lilly sought a patent for using a […]
March 13, 2025 — Over the last few decades, there have not been a lot of bright spots for metabolic health. But here’s one. A new paper in Diabetes Care tells us diabetes mortality actually dropped between 2000 and 2019. The authors, led by Hasan Nassereldine, suggest that the decline in diabetes deaths could be due to the adoption […]
March 12, 2025 — It’s no secret. We have reservations about the expansive use of the label “diet-related” disease for a stunning array of conditions that have many different causes. Even for obesity, that label is problematic. But we’re used to it. We were not ready, though, for the news this week that the most senior health official in […]
