September 17, 2019 — At the National Academies yesterday, we found ourselves immersed in mixed messages on obesity. The occasion was a public workshop on effective communications strategies for obesity. OCEANS President Faith Newsome summed it up for us: I left with a lot of questions, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We talk about “solutions” and promote “healthy” […]
September 3, 2019 — Yesterday in Copenhagen, ten outstanding advocates for people living with obesity gathered. They came from all over Europe and North America. And for a little over two hours, they presented compelling personal stories about their lived experiences with the disease. These DEEP talks draw upon Disease Experience Expert Panels that Novo Nordisk assembles to guide […]
August 31, 2019 — Tough to solve an issue if we don’t talk about it. But a number of dietary issues appear to be off the table for the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Red meat? Too hot to handle. Ultra-processed foods? Nope. Sodium? Not on the issue list. The 2020 Guidelines may just skip over some of the […]
August 29, 2019 — With deep gratitude, we note a milestone this morning for ConscienHealth. We just hit the mark of 40,000 fans on our Facebook page. Since we offer these updates and commentaries pro bono, it’s always nice to know that someone is finding the bono in our prose. To our dear readers, we say thanks. Emphatically. Thanks […]
August 27, 2019 — The Kurbo kerfuffle has revealed a lot about how grownups are dealing with childhood obesity. Because mostly, they’re not. In fact, most of them are totally out of touch with the reality of childhood. But in sharp contrast, Michelle Cardel and Elsie Taveras bring a refreshing dose of reality and balance with a new commentary […]
August 22, 2019 — My struggles with weight and health began when I was 3, after my parents got married and my mom got a promotion. Her job became more stressful, home-cooked meals became rare, and healthy living wasn’t a priority. My mom, my dad, and I all began to put on weight. We tried cooking at home more […]
August 20, 2019 — We have a problem. Right now, roughly a hundred million people in the U.S. have obesity. This is a chronic disease that leads to diabetes, heart disease, certain forms of cancer, liver disease, osteoarthritis, and a host of other conditions. But for the most part, people receive no medical care for obesity. A new report […]
August 18, 2019 — Last week, the introduction of Kurbo by WW prompted a flutter of twittering about weight and health and childhood. Twitter exploded with strong opinions from people who didn’t need to know much about Kurbo to render judgment. In today’s guest post, our friend Sarah Bramblette offers a very personal perspective on having options in childhood. […]
August 10, 2019 — Velveeta ain’t what it used to be. That’s because consumers now don’t want ultra-processed food. Thus, 474 million dollars just disappeared from the balance sheet of Kraft Heinz. It’s all about the fading, intangible goodwill value of processed food brands. Serious Financial Pressure for “Big Food” Food marketing is all about building goodwill for brands […]
August 4, 2019 — The closing day of YWM2019 began and ended with acceptance and commitment. First, Jason Lillis presented a brilliant session on using our own values to empower healthy changes. Then, at the end, attendees told their own true stories of acceptance and commitment to live their best lives. It was a perfect pair of bookends for […]
