July 16, 2020 — For most people, it’s invisible. But looking at the world through the eyes of a well-informed person living with obesity, it’s easy to see. Healthcare is not for us. Obesity care is mostly out of reach. Bariatric surgery is for the privileged. In fact, new research from the University of Georgia tells us that people […]
July 14, 2020 — The interaction between COVID-19 and obesity is producing diverse responses. From some folks we hear denial. From elsewhere, we hear that concerns about obesity are expressions of racism. Still others will tell us that their favorite diet advice is the answer. Of course on Twitter, low-carb diets for COVID-19 are a hot topic today. But […]
July 4, 2020 — “I’m tired of people suggesting I should feel guilty about racism,” someone told us recently. That sentiment is a near-perfect expression of white fragility. Many people enjoy the unearned privileges of being white in a racist society. But they don’t like to think about it. Likewise, many people who are fit, able, and thin enjoy […]
March 17, 2020 — A pandemic such as COVID-19 has a way of raising difficult issues to confront. Questions about who’s at risk also raise issues about stigma and bias. On top of that, when the pandemic overruns our capacity for healthcare, triage becomes a reality. In Italy, physicians on the frontlines of this pandemic are facing difficult decisions […]
January 10, 2017 — In high-deductible health plans, we have a powerful idea that is not what it seems. The idea is pretty simple. Lower the cost of health insurance. Give people higher deductibles for routine care that might not be necessary. Suddenly, people are more sensitive to the cost of unnecessary health care. But the results of a […]
