August 17, 2019 — Kids these days. Social media seems to consume them. Gen Z, also known as the iGen, has grown up with smartphones and these apps. So it often defines the generation. Cranky codgers might decry it, but thoughtful researchers look at the potential benefits and harms. An association with psychological distress crops up as a worry […]
August 15, 2019 — Beware of pilot studies with claims of effectiveness. “A pilot study is not a hypothesis testing study,” says Andrew Leon in a cogent summary of what pilots can and can’t do. But it’s oh so tempting to jump on effect data from a pilot study. Especially when you believe in what you think it tells […]
August 12, 2019 — A new trend, anticipated by many, seems to be gaining momentum. For decades, deaths due to heart disease have declined in wealthy countries. But now, that decline is slowing. In fact, it’s going in the opposite direction now for several countries – including the U.S. These observations come from a new study in the International […]
August 10, 2019 — Velveeta ain’t what it used to be. That’s because consumers now don’t want ultra-processed food. Thus, 474 million dollars just disappeared from the balance sheet of Kraft Heinz. It’s all about the fading, intangible goodwill value of processed food brands. Serious Financial Pressure for “Big Food” Food marketing is all about building goodwill for brands […]
August 7, 2019 — We’ve known for a while that weight bias is especially strong in the UK. But with a viewpoint in Radio Times, Michael Buerk is breaking new ground. He has moved beyond simple weight bias into vile hate. Let people with obesity die to save the state money, he says. “They’re weak, not ill.” Bubbling Ignorance […]
August 4, 2019 — The closing day of YWM2019 began and ended with acceptance and commitment. First, Jason Lillis presented a brilliant session on using our own values to empower healthy changes. Then, at the end, attendees told their own true stories of acceptance and commitment to live their best lives. It was a perfect pair of bookends for […]
August 2, 2019 — Hundreds of people are gathering for the annual Your Weight Matters Convention in Tampa this weekend. But before the event started, an impressive group of activists gathered yesterday. They came early for the latest in training for advocacy. It’s vital work for the OAC. The work is necessary because health plans (insurance companies) create hurdles […]
August 1, 2019 — How much are physical activity guidelines helping? If you judge by recent trends in NHANES data, not too much. In addition, two recent papers give us reason to think this shouldn’t be surprising. That’s because fitting physical activity into lives already consumed with work can be quite a challenge. So patterns of work, leisure, and […]
July 29, 2019 — It’s time to confess. We are tired of people – scientists, advocates, and health reporters alike – who claim they have the answer for weight loss. Or obesity. It’s just not true. For just about any option, the truth is that results will vary. Case in point: dietary strategies. Right now, word of mouth and […]
July 28, 2019 — We all love to beat up on BMI. That measure may be good for epidemiologists who need a way to define obesity in a population. But it’s not so good for defining obesity in an individual. For that matter, it’s not the definition for obesity itself. Obesity is excess adiposity that harms health. And a […]
