January 18, 2019 — “An insidious scourge that has nothing to do with with head trauma is ravaging retired N.F.L. players,” says Ken Belson in the New York Times. It’s a sensational opening and a catastrophizing angle on NFL obesity. But unfortunately, Belson offers more sensation than insight. Plus an unhealthy, heaping dose of stigma. “Huge Men Unable to […]
January 11, 2019 — Gestational diabetes (GDM) is one of the most common complications of pregnancy. And it can be serious. As obesity rates are growing, so too is GDM’s prevalence. But new research suggests that we’re missing the mark with the first-line strategy for preventing GDM. A new study from Pennington Biomedical found that diet and exercise prescriptions […]
December 18, 2018 — Two recent articles have us thinking about the harm that might come from hanging on to weak dietary advice. One is all about salt. The other is about dairy fat. But underneath it all is core problem. Some of the dietary advice taken as gospel is grounded in associations and suppositions. It never goes through […]
December 17, 2018 — 2018 is quickly fading into history. All in all, it’s been a year of some remarkable progress in obesity and health. Much of it is steady and encouraging. More healthcare providers building skill in obesity care. Less explicit weight bias. More options and a little less misinformation about obesity. Those are some of the good […]
November 2, 2018 — “’Obesity’ is not the health risk it has been reported to be,” says the HAES® Fact Sheet. But that assertion stands in stark contrast to the findings of a new study in Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology this week. The study adds to a large body of evidence and begs a question. At what point does […]
October 28, 2018 — Has a big butter bias bitten the BMJ on the backside? Roughly 180 academics from all over the world have signed an open letter to the BMJ. They’re asking for better editorial rigor at one of the BMJ journals – The British Journal of Sports Medicine. What prompted this? A series of articles seeming to promote a pro-butter […]
October 23, 2018 — Yesterday at FNCE, dietitians witnessed an event with a split personality. Was it a debate? Or was it a conversation? The title said it was both – a debate and a conversation on weight management and Health at Every Size®. (People in the HAES movement want you to know, that’s their trademark.) Whatever it was, […]
September 24, 2018 — The USPSTF is one of those acronyms that provides a good test of sobriety. If you can say it five times quickly, you’re either completely sober or a hopeless health policy geek. It stands for the United States Preventive Services Task Force. Last week, the task force affirmed that primary care providers should refer adults […]
September 10, 2018 — A striking pair of papers in JAMA Surgery offers powerful food for thought about bariatric surgery. The first is a systematic review of how safe and effective it is for Medicare patients. The second is a commentary from well-respected health policy researchers. After reading these papers, we see a huge huge gap. On one hand, we have […]
September 7, 2018 — We’re just one month away from National Obesity Care Week. It’s October 7-16 this year. But now is the time to make your plans and pledge to take action. Here’s why. 1. Weight Bias Is Blocking Progress Weight stigma starts early and hits hard. It has devastating effects on health and quality of life at […]
