April 15, 2019 — We’re not especially fond of rankings for obesity. They can spark sensationalism. Back in 2008, journalists had great fun with a CDC report that identified Huntington, WV, as “America’s fattest city.” Jamie Oliver swooped in to offer an enlightened diet to the city and its children. He sobbed for the cameras when the city didn’t […]
April 8, 2019 — Many folks working on childhood obesity prevention love the numbers for toddlers between 2010 and 2014. That’s because they found a temporary dip in obesity at that specific time for that specific group. The latest chapter in this story appeared in Pediatrics last week. Madeleine Daepp and colleagues published a very detailed analysis of obesity […]
April 2, 2019 — The Partnership for a Healthier American (PHA) came from a desire by First Lady Michelle Obama to do something about the ever rising levels of childhood obesity. It was the private complement to her Let’s Move! campaign. But here’s the thing. The word obesity was absent from the vocabulary of PHA. It’s been all about […]
April 1, 2019 — A broad coalition of health, nutrition, environmental, and animal rights activists are creating quite a stir today with an ambitious new policy proposal. The Lean New Deal aims to stop the obesity syndemic in its tracks. At the same time, it will erase the problem of climate change if fully implemented. This is the product […]
March 30, 2019 — This is tricky. On Friday, the HHS Office on Women’s Health gathered a very diverse group. We came together to talk about talking about health behaviors and body image. The talk that has people concerned is in public health messages meant to promote health. But sadly, public health messaging – however well intended – sometimes […]
March 27, 2019 — Victory is right around the corner. It’s not easy, but the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Heart Association (AHA) have finally figured out how to win the war on childhood obesity. They’ve published a joint position paper that calls for taxing sugar-sweetened beverages and curbing advertising for such products. Benjamin Winig of […]
March 21, 2019 — The simple and prevalent view of obesity is that it results from bad choices in diet and exercise. However, that view omits the role of a major factor – stress. In the Annual Review of Psychology, Janet Tomiyama offers an excellent review of the vicious cycle of stress and obesity. Multiple Pathways The connection between […]
March 12, 2019 — Crisis. It’s a time of intense difficulty. Or it’s a time when a difficult, important decision must be made. And finally, it can be a turning point toward either failure or recovery. For decades now, all the talk about childhood obesity has been about crisis. That crisis talk is spreading around the world as childhood […]
March 4, 2019 — It sounded like she was thinking about scrambling eggs. “I don’t want to crack open Medicare Part D for obesity meds,” said this bright young Senate health staffer last week. “Don’t you think a lot of this is coming from depression?” she asked. Such are the questions we hear from some policymakers about obesity care. […]
February 26, 2019 — “All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast,” according to author and journalist John Gunter. It also helps with academic achievement and school attendance. However, despite the fervent wishes of the breakfast fan club, breakfast is not the cure for obesity. If you have any doubt, you’re just not paying attention. And a new study today […]
