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 […]
December 10, 2019 — Entrenched habits die hard. So it is with treating bariatric surgery as a last resort. In case you had any doubt, a new study in PLOS Medicine provides more reason to rethink this is a false premise for bariatric surgery. Jans Anders and colleagues found that when more time passes between the onset of diabetes […]
December 6, 2019 — Sizzle and substance mingle in a pair of recent publications about meal timing and metabolic function. This is definitely a hot topic. People packed into the session on this subject at ObesityWeek. You can also see interest growing in Google search volume. But, as these two papers illustrate, we should read with caution. An RCT […]
November 9, 2019 — We’ve had our full dose of Las Vegas. But ObesityWeek has given us more to think about than shows and casinos. With record attendance of 5,800, it was more than any one person could absorb. No doubt, everyone has returned home with a different experience from ObesityWeek. So here are our ten top take-home messages. […]
November 8, 2019 — “I don’t have the answer, but I intend to be provocative.” With those words yesterday, Barbara Corkey opened her challenge to conventional thinking about obesity. After more than three decades, obesity prevalence keeps rising. Along with trend, diabetes rates are rising, too. Why have we so clearly failed to reduce obesity and diabetes? Perhaps we […]
October 31, 2019 — Get ready for sensory overload. We’re heading to Las Vegas where roughly 5,000 scientists and professionals will focus on obesity next week, all week. It’s overwhelming. So your best bet is to make your top-ten list now. Because once you get to Vegas, you better have a plan. Here’s our top ten to give you […]
October 24, 2019 — Applying the science of health outcomes research to social determinants of health is bringing surprising insights. In fact, for chronic diseases like obesity, heart failure, and diabetes, delivering better nutrition might do more than merely prescribing medicine can. Also, it seems to seems to offer good value for money. Food Is Medicine? This catchphrase sometimes […]
October 23, 2019 — We have an effective treatment for preventing diabetes. It cuts the risk by 60 percent in people with prediabetes. For every person on Medicare, it saves $2,650. In just 15 months. But Medicare can’t figure out how to make it available to the people who need it. This is the sad story of implementing the […]
