October 24, 2016 — ObesityWeek 2016 in New Orleans is barely a week away. ASMBS and the Obesity Society (TOS) have wedged an incredible wealth of new information into this short week. Sorting through the options is already a challenge and program information just keeps coming. More than a thousand research abstracts will be presented. So you better plan […]
August 3, 2016 — A careful new case-control study fills important gaps in knowledge about bones at risk after bariatric surgery. Catherine Rousseau and colleagues published their finding in The BMJ that the risk of bone fractures goes up by 30% after bariatric surgery. The site of fractures also shifted to a pattern that is more typically seen in […]
March 20, 2016 — Another study is adding to the evidence that bariatric surgery is probably the best bet we have for diabetes remission. In a randomized, controlled clinical trial, David Cummings and colleagues found that surgery beats diet and exercise for remission of type 2 diabetes. In this relatively small, well-controlled study, 60% of surgery patients had remission of […]
November 23, 2015 — Five major medical groups have filed a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, charging 27 states with healthcare discrimination that violates the Affordable Care Act. They cite denial of access to surgical care for obesity that discriminates against people based on pre-existing conditions, disabilities, and gender. All […]
August 19, 2015 — With a little less than 18 months to work with, Let’s Move! Executive Director Debra Eschmeyer has an impressive to-do list: bring revised nutrition facts labeling over the finish line, rally support for gains in school nutrition, and prepare for the post-presidency phase of Let’s Move! Leadership of some of the top scientific and professional […]
August 1, 2015 — The American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP) announced this week that they will change their name to the Obesity Medicine Association on October 2 this year. The society is making the change “to better align with the widespread recognition of obesity as a chronic disease among health care professionals.” Oddly enough, this name change completes a […]
July 29, 2015 — Late yesterday, FDA approved the first of two gastric balloon devices under review to treat obesity. The ReShape dual balloon is the first new treatment for obesity to be approved for explicitly short-term use — it must be removed after six months or less. On the plus side, it would appear to fill a significant gap […]
February 20, 2015 — A new analysis of cross-sectional data for bariatric surgery patients provides a case study in the hazards of punchy headlines for complex medical issues. Daniel Schauer and colleagues constructed a model for survival benefits from bariatric surgery. Their model raises the possibility that bariatric surgery for super obesity (BMI>60 in this case) might not help people live longer. […]
January 28, 2015 — About a month ago, the highest court of the European Union touched off a fierce debate about the relationship between obesity and disabilities. Today, all of the major organizations with expertise in obesity have stepped forward to clear up some of the silliness that came out of that debate. The Obesity Society, the Obesity Action Coalition, […]
November 10, 2014 — With most people back at home or off to their next meetings, observations from ObesityWeek are becoming memories and the basis for planning next year’s meeting in Los Angeles. From an informal poll of the best and brightest in obesity, here are the top ten observations from this intense experience of the week just past. Build […]
