March 18, 2021 — This week, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) published a new draft recommendation on screening for diabetes and pre-diabetes for people with a high BMI. Until now, the recommendation has been to screen everyone with a BMI over 25 at age 40 and up. But the new recommendation, if it becomes final, would expand […]
March 16, 2021 — Bias and stigma are not confined to obesity. And in fact, a considerable body of research tells us that far too many people with diabetes experience it and it is greatest in people who require insulin, have more difficulty controlling the disease, and have a higher BMI. Though stigma can be a problem for people […]
February 24, 2021 — Good news seems a bit rare these days. So reading that a robust new analysis says type 2 diabetes incidence is dropping in high-income countries prompts more questions. Is this trend real? Or is it an artifact of this one, very large dataset? Does this represent progress? Or merely a shift in the global patterns […]
February 19, 2021 — The lifespan expected for a baby born in America during the first half of 2020 dropped by a year, compared to what it was in 2019. But for a Black child, the drop in life expectancy (2.7 years) was more than three times worse than for a White child (0.8 years). Life expectancy for a […]
February 2, 2021 — It is now becoming apparent that the connection between diabetes and COVID-19 is a two-way street. On one hand, people with diabetes are at risk for more severe cases with COVID-19. On the other hand, it seems that COVID-19 is at work in new cases of diabetes. In fact, diabetes may come to about 14 […]
September 18, 2020 — More experience with COVID-19 tells us that the relationship between COVID-19 and cardiometabolic health is more than a passing thing. It starts with the risk that obesity confers for worse outcomes with COVID-19. That was the first clue. But that’s not the end of it. Because people are learning that the effects of COVID-19 can […]
August 4, 2020 — Just how important is bariatric surgery for someone living with obesity in the midst of a pandemic? We’re getting all kinds of advice about how to best take care of ourselves in this stressful time. Barely a day passes without another study confirming the reasons for concern. Obesity raises the risk for hospitalization and death […]
July 3, 2020 — The cost of delayed care for chronic diseases – such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes – is steep in this pandemic. In fact, three separate analyses this week give us a glimpse of excess deaths in the early months of this continuing tragedy. But unfortunately, pinning these numbers down is a tricky business. However, […]
May 4, 2020 — We’re learning a lot about health scams. When people feel scared and desperate, promises of a “game-changer” for a dread disease (e.g., COVID-19) can arouse passions. But an objective look at actual evidence brings the truth into view. Then the scam becomes a mess for people who fell for it. That experience should be instructive […]
February 5, 2020 — We’re guilty. Like many others walking down the street, it seems we can’t do it without the aid of our phone. Can that same phone help with weight? A new study in Obesity says yes. A little bit. In the short term. Mobile apps can indeed help. A Meta-Analysis Xue Cai and colleagues analyzed data […]
