October 12, 2021 — Progress is all around us but it’s not always obvious. Explicit weight bias is getting better, but implicit bias is as bad as ever – perhaps worse. So when people catch themselves and walk back from implicit expressions of bias, we find cause for celebration. Making errors is easy, but to correct errors – especially […]
October 10, 2021 — The numbers make it crystal clear. One of the long-term effects of the COVID pandemic will be a jump in child obesity. And it’s not hard to trace that back to the mental health of children and families. Late last week a new report in Pediatrics provided a stark reminder about the impact of COVID […]
October 2, 2021 — Healthy eating patterns improve health. Right? So when a new study in Clinical Pediatrics tells us that kids with obesity who follow any of three healthy eating patterns will improve their cardiovascular health, should we believe it? Unfortunately not. Because in fact, the statistical significance of their findings about healthy eating reflects an error. Not […]
September 29, 2021 — As severe obesity has grown to take a toll on a growing number of children and teens, clinical care is evolving. In 2019, the American Academy of Pediatrics said it plainly. Youth with severe obesity need better access to bariatric surgery. The authors of that position statement conceded that most of the young patients for […]
September 18, 2021 — In our weight-obsessed culture, the talk about weight gain during the pandemic has been incessant. So the presumption is that obesity has risen in the pandemic. But the data to tell us if this is true is slow to emerge. And like everything else about this pandemic, it’s very likely that the effects have been […]
September 3, 2021 — For 53 years, Camp Shane was a place where parents sent kids with overweight and obesity. It called itself “a summer weight loss camp…not a fat camp.” But no more. The camp shut down on July 13 with the owner telling reporters that the problem was a staffing shortage. At the time, the Connecticut Office […]
September 1, 2021 — We thought we were done with this. But the stress of the pandemic is unrelenting. That stress is hitting families especially hard and it’s showing up in child health. Notably, more data is telling us that obesity is rising especially fast in younger kids. A new research letter in JAMA tells us that the prevalence […]
August 25, 2021 — September is at our doorstep and it is National Childhood Obesity Month. In the course of this month, you will hear lots about healthy eating and active living. This has been the dominant theme since this observance began. The implicit message is to urge families and youth to heal themselves. Not a bad idea, but […]
August 13, 2021 — A decade has passed since President Barack Obama signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act into law. In this time of great polarization, any big policy decision can generate controversy and this one is no exception. The purpose was to improve the quality of nutrition provided in school lunch and breakfast program, But some want to […]
May 28, 2021 — It has long been true that health systems delay care for teens with severe obesity. Health plans stall and do their best to avoid paying. Many pediatricians are uncomfortable with the subject. Parents are unsure of what to do and often feel blame for their child’s medical condition. Guilt and blame breed denial and delay. […]
