August 20, 2018 — Ask a thoughtful scientist precisely what has brought us a global pandemic of obesity and you are likely to get an ambiguous answer. We have plenty of suspects. But no sinuglar culprit. So the honest answer is IDK. Faking It vs “I Don’t Know” Most often, neither journalists nor policymakers let the facts get in […]
August 10, 2018 — Five months ago, we wrote about inflated claims of effectiveness from a pilot study of obesity prevention by Scherr et al. An independent group of researchers had written to the journal with concerns about the flawed analysis of the study. The flaws effectively canceled out the claims of effectiveness for the program. But Scherr et […]
August 9, 2018 — Journals are bursting with studies of childhood obesity this week. One appeared in Pediatrics. JAMA published two of them. Furthermore, all of these studies were randomized and controlled. On top of all that, JAMA published an editorial, describing “a glimmer of hope” for preventing childhood obesity. A Glimmer or a Wish? Unfortunately, we’re not seeing a lot […]
August 7, 2018 — Childhood obesity generates a lot of talk. But it might surprise you to learn how little we actually know about the natural history of this disease. And what little we know has been a bit discouraging. However, a new study by Danny Luan and colleagues offers some important new insight. Remissions, Though Not Typical, Are […]
July 27, 2018 — Growing up, I was the definition of meek. I also carried more weight on my frame and towered above my peers. Despite this, I was a good friend to my fellow elementary schoolers. However, In addition to my timid yet friendly nature, I was also painfully aware of my obesity from a young age, which affected […]
July 24, 2018 — Today we have another round of headlines, clucking about childhood obesity. Unfortunately, the UK is setting new records for severe childhood obesity. It’s such a shame, they say. Obesity is entirely preventable, said Max Davie to reporters. Davie is the officer for health promotion in the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. A Ten-Fold Increase […]
July 11, 2018 — New data on almost 13 million people, from 200 countries around the world, points to a tenfold increase in rates of obesity among children and adolescents over the last four decades. This is the largest study of its kind and it paints a startling and depressing picture of a world with soaring childhood obesity. The […]
July 9, 2018 — Harvard’s School of Public Health issued a press release last week that spawned a flood of headlines. Preventing childhood obesity is easy. They have scientific proof. All you need is a mom who follows five healthy habits. That’s right. Following those five habits will cut the risk by 75%. Habit #1: don’t weigh too much. […]
June 4, 2018 — People are convinced – perhaps with good reason – that the food supply has changed to give us more obesity now than ever before. Is it the sugar? Or is it the the fat? Many people chalk it up to their belief in the addictive properties of junk food. But we suggest considering that the […]
May 26, 2018 — The Mediterranean diet is all but dead to children in Mediterranean countries. The WHO’s Jao Breda described the problem at ECO2018 this week: The Mediterranean diet for the children in these countries is gone. There is no Mediterranean diet any more. Those who are close to the Mediterranean diet are the Swedish kids. The Mediterranean […]
