Posts Tagged ‘empathy’

Yes, We Can Learn to Be Happier

March 17, 2024 — Professor Bruce Hood at the University of Bristol wants us to know that we can indeed learn to be happier. He has been teaching the Science of Happiness there since 2018 and measuring the results over time. Collaborating with Catherine Hobbs, Sarah Jelbert, and Laurie Santos in Higher Education, he reports that coursework in positive […]

Brendan Fraser Wins an Oscar for The Whale

March 13, 2023 — It was nothing short of cathartic for many people toiling in the tricky space of advocacy for people living with obesity. Brendan Fraser last night won an Oscar, Best Actor, for his portrayal of Charlie in The Whale. His character, Charlie, is dying from complications of obesity and the movie depicts him as a very […]

Learning from Anger About Obesity Guidance

February 13, 2023 — Perhaps you’ve noticed. Our lives, especially our professional lives, have an abundant supply of hostility these days. So seriously, should we be surprised by the anger welling up from people with strong feelings about guidance on medical care for young persons who face health issues because of obesity? No. But learning from this anger might […]

Obesity Guideline for Youth Draws Global Interest

January 12, 2023 — The new obesity care guideline for youth from the American Academy of Pediatrics is drawing global interest. On BBC World News, Geeta Guru-Murthy asked ConscienHealth’s Ted Kyle about this guideline and the need for medical care in young persons with obesity. Click here or on the image above for this brief video. The response to […]

Drawing a Line Between Critical Thinking and Behavior

January 16, 2022 — Critical thinking is vital for progress. It really doesn’t matter whether the goal is overcoming obesity, COVID, or economic hardship. Rigorous, objective analysis allows us to recognize the truth of the situation we’re dealing with and then find solutions. But that’s not the end of the story, because the behavior that flows from critical thinking […]

Distinguishing Empowerment, Empathy, and Pity

May 12, 2021 — Two days into a week of intense meetings about obesity science and policy at #ECO2021 and #COS7, one thing is hard to miss. The quality of research and analysis is strong. But people living with obesity are front and center. In fact, we see strong confident voices for persons living with obesity. Not sad victims. […]

When Encouragement Drifts Toward Offense

July 24, 2017 — These days, advice and encouragement comes to us all from many directions, and especially from social media. Subtle or blunt, empathetic or insufferable, it keeps coming. Recently a fitness expert warned us against telling people that obesity is highly heritable: This isn’t a helpful message. Instead, take the opportunity to make the point that a […]

The Evidence for Caring in Healthcare

January 20, 2017 — Is your doctor spending more time with your electronic medical record than he’s spending with you? If so, you’re not alone. But you’re also probably not receiving the most effective care possible. A growing body of evidence suggests that genuine empathetic caring may be essential for good health outcomes. Empathetic caring is especially scarce for […]