Follow the accumulating evidence and observations that shape our view of health policy and obesity
October 4, 2019 — At the fall meeting of the Obesity Medicine Association, it’s plain to see. A critical mass is building for delivering real obesity care. More than 1,100 clinicians are gathering in Boston to learn more about the science and clinical practice of obesity care. In fact, many of them have come to prepare for the board […]
October 3, 2019 — I come from a large Italian family where eating, and lots of it, was a priority. In college, I was very active and my weight was under control. Once I graduated, and especially after marriage and kids, my weight skyrocketed and I was clearly developing obesity. My love of eating and my weight led to […]
October 2, 2019 — It feels like adolescent obesity care is about ten years behind the recent progress in care for adults. Of course, we have the foundation of intensive behavioral support, though it’s hard to find effective programs for this age group. Very few options for pharmacotherapy are approved for teens. Finally, surgical treatment is becoming a bit […]
October 1, 2019 — “I am outraged and bewildered,” says Christopher Gardner. The line forms back there, Professor Gardner. Five – yes, five – papers in the Annals of Internal Medicine today are whipping up a flaming hot controversy about nutrition guidance broadly and red meat specifically. The bottom line from all these papers? Maybe we need to admit […]
September 30, 2019 — Business leaders are figuring out that we need more effective strategies for reducing the impact of obesity. New data published in Obesity now adds to the understanding of this need. People with obesity are less likely to have employment. If unemployed, they’re less likely to find work. And if they’re working, absences due to illness […]
September 29, 2019 — The assumption that too much sugar explains our problem with obesity has become ambient white noise. Most people just accept it. Inconvenient facts fade into oblivion. Modelers grab the megaphone claiming to have evidence that sugar is the cause and the key for overcoming obesity. It’s easy enough to solve for the answer you like […]
September 28, 2019 — Remember the the McDonald’s seaweed burger? It was called the McLean Deluxe. Also later called the McFlopper. To replace some of the fat in a typical burger, food scientists pumped seaweed extract and soy into a modified beef patty. Back in 1991, plant-based diets were not a thing – low fat everything was it. But […]
September 27, 2019 — “It’s about time.” That was the instant reaction of Sarah Bramblette upon reading a new review of lipedema science in Obesity. Bramblette is a tireless advocate for people living with lipedema and lymphedema. The title of the review – A Call To Action! – pretty well describes everything she does. But inaction is more typical […]
September 26, 2019 — A new systematic review in the International Journal of Obesity offers a global view on the state of obesity medicine education. It’s definitely a good news, bad news story. The good is that we have plenty of reason to believe that obesity medicine education helps. But the bad news is that the current extent of […]
September 25, 2019 — Oh dear. Low quality carbs are down in the American diet, but it’s not good enough. Nutrition scientists from Harvard and Tufts say the glass is half full. We’re eating too many bad carbs. Fang Fang Zhang, a senior author of a new paper in JAMA, explains: Although there are some encouraging signs that the […]
