December 11, 2018 — High intensity interval training (HIIT) just got another boost in the scientific literature. A new study in Experimental Biology and Medicine tells us that HIIT might be especially helpful for brain health in people with obesity. Small Study, Surrogate Endpoint This is a fascinating study. Researchers evaluated the effect of HIIT and more moderate exercise […]
November 3, 2018 — The fitness industry is booming. Since 2000, gym memberships have nearly doubled. Health clubs generate revenues of $87 billion per year around the world. In addition, we’re spending money on fitness togs and gear as if our lives depend upon it. And maybe, just maybe, some people are improving their health. But we’re not putting […]
November 1, 2018 — Knowing what you believe can be extremely important. But for science, that’s not enough. There’s a big difference, for example, between believing that intermittent fasting can help patients with diabetes and measuring the clinical outcomes that it produces. Likewise, believing that an Active Classroom intervention can boost activity levels at school is not the same […]
October 8, 2018 — Diet is a four letter word. People who hate the word like to point out that it starts with die. So it is that more or less everyone agrees dieting does not work for the long term. But this is where the confusion starts. Because sustainable changes to long-term patterns of diet can make a […]
September 1, 2018 — Yes, you can spot neighborhoods with high obesity rates from outer space. But it’s not about the people you can see. It’s about the physical features of neighborhoods that provide clues about where obesity lives. A new paper in JAMA Network Open explains. Spotting Features That Predict More Obesity Adyasha Maharana and Elaine Okanyene Nsoesie […]
August 30, 2018 — A fascinating new study in the JCI Insight is spawning some tantalizing headlines. “Cardio Boosts Metabolism More Than Strength Training” says the Independent. Wow! Can a study of just ten healthy men really support such a sweeping claim? The short answer is no. But it’s still a fascinating study. A Careful Metabolic Study Thomas Morville […]
August 18, 2018 — Ask any school teacher. Children have a tough time sitting still. But maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe we should not be taming that impulse to wiggle and squirm and get up and move. In fact, a careful new study suggests that kids with excess weight might be healthier if they get up and move […]
August 8, 2018 — At the National Academy of Sciences yesterday, the Roundtable on Obesity Solutions got a bit of a jolt. It came in the form of an afternoon spent reflecting on the counterintuitive physiology of obesity. One roundtable member summed it up nicely. “This way of thinking about obesity just smashes our old models for solving the […]
July 11, 2018 — New data on almost 13 million people, from 200 countries around the world, points to a tenfold increase in rates of obesity among children and adolescents over the last four decades. This is the largest study of its kind and it paints a startling and depressing picture of a world with soaring childhood obesity. The […]
July 2, 2018 — How can this be? Reporters tell us that Americans are exercising more while obesity rates are increasing. It was the latest National Health Interview Survey data that prompted reporters to write such headlines. Between 2006 and 2017, the percentage of adults who say they meet aerobic exercise guidelines went from 41% to 53%. The numbers […]
