February 16, 2019 — As the prevalence of obesity has grown, so has our fixation on programmed physical activity. If you’ve got the money and the time, odds are your kids are participating in youth sports. But are organized sports enough to ensure childhood fitness? A Study in Homeschooled Youth A new study of homeschooled youth suggests that organized […]
February 14, 2019 — Last year, the New England Journal of Medicine retracted and then published a revised analysis of the landmark PREDIMED study. With that action, it shook the world of nutrition science. Even now, there’s still a whole lot of shakin going on. What About 267 Secondary Publications? Just last week in the BMJ, Arnav Agarwal and John […]
February 12, 2019 — Will ultra-processed food kill you? Probably not, but two new studies provide some real evidence for caution about this dietary boogeyman. First, a large observational study in France finds a 14 percent higher risk of death in a people who eat more of the stuff. And then, an RCT from NIH shows that ultra-processed foods […]
February 9, 2019 — Pets not only make great companions, but they can also help you recover after suffering from physical and mental afflictions. Here are just some of the benefits having an animal buddy can offer while you’re healing. Better Mental Health Having an animal companion helps you become mentally healthier. Pets are capable of lowering loneliness, stress, and anxiety […]
February 4, 2019 — Three years ago, 45 global organizations endorsed guidelines recommending metabolic surgery to reverse type 2 diabetes. At about the same time the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced a big expansion of the Diabetes Prevention Program with great fanfare. But today, very few of the patients who could benefit from either of these options […]
February 2, 2019 — People who live in large bodies find themselves the target of fat-phobic and body shaming messages on a daily basis. Ellen Maud Bennett died of cancer on May 11, 2018, and she used her obituary to ask the medical profession to stop fat-shaming the ill. She is not alone. Weight bias is everywhere in our […]
January 31, 2019 — A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine is stirring up a complex mixture of feelings with some objective data about vaping. The study shows that e-cigarettes are 83 percent more effective than nicotine replacement products for helping people quit smoking. In the U.K., the reaction is positive. In the U.S., the reaction is […]
January 19, 2019 — Many dog owners regard obesity in their best friends with indifference or perhaps mild amusement. But new research tells us that this health condition is taking years from the lives of our dogs. It varies by breed. For German Shepherds, the difference was half a year. For Yorkies, it was two and a half years. […]
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 17, 2019 — Regulations are all around when it comes to food formulation and labeling. Some of the regulations are a simple matter of science and safety. Ingredients must be safe for human consumption. But some of it is a matter of principle. People have a right to know what’s in the food they’re buying. Even with all […]
