May 31, 2023 — Plenty of people have strong feelings about metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) for young persons. The idea that it might even be an option for youth can inflame the passions of people who are happy to dictate what medical care should and should not be available to other people. This response drew a lot of […]
May 30, 2023 — Let’s talk about lame excuses for denial of care in obesity. Writing in Quartz yesterday, Analisa Merelli explained the challenge obesity treatment presents for health insurer. The challenge comes down to this: “The line between healthcare and lifestyle can be blurry.” In this way of thinking, insurance companies must decide if the intentions are right […]
May 28, 2023 — “Money makes the world go around.” Joel Grey and Liza Minnelli explained this in Cabaret. But sorting it out in healthcare – and specifically in obesity care right now – is quite a challenge. A lot of money is in play and so the tension between greed, health, and obesity care is painfully obvious. The […]
May 26, 2023 — Some health insurance plans seem to be panicking. For years, the order of things was simple. People with obesity had only themselves to blame and besides, nothing could be done about their condition. So health insurers routinely denied coverage for medical care of obesity. “Regardless of any potential medical benefit” was the language written into […]
May 25, 2023 — Are we ready for a re-think of obesity and metabolic health? Ready to change the conversation about obesity medicines and bariatric surgery? Sergio Santoro, Scott Shikora, and Ricardo Cohen certainly think so. Writing in Obesity Surgery, they say it’s time to say goodbye to bariatric surgery and move on to the framework of metabolic surgery. […]
May 23, 2023 — A pair of reports on Monday raised the possibility that we may soon have oral obesity meds that match the remarkable effectiveness of injections. One of these drugs is an oral formulation of semaglutide that’s already available at a much lower oral dose for diabetes under the brand name of Rybelsus. Novo Nordisk makes it. […]
May 20, 2023 — ECO2023 closed today with a clear focus on future progress in obesity. Lee Kaplan offered a view of what that future might look like with a focus on access and delivery of chronic care for obesity. Kaplan told us the future of obesity care lies in getting beyond merely saying that obesity is a disease. […]
May 19, 2023 — One question that holds us captive in obesity is the question of its origins. Why has its prevalence been rising so relentlessly now for decades? At ECO2023, this question inserted itself into one of the major themes of the meeting – a pursuit of the determinants of obesity. Commercial Determinants Emma Boyland and Aileen McGloin […]
May 18, 2023 — It is impossible to miss. At ECO2023, we are seeing tremendous excitement about advances in obesity care – mixed with concern about what happens when those advances meet with reality. As ECO2023 unfolds, we’re hearing more about the advances that new obesity medicines are offering, but we’re also hearing reminders about the gap between the […]
May 17, 2023 — The current sensation around advanced medicines for obesity all too often focuses on a single outcome – weight loss. On the opening day of ECO2023, a symposium by the SQOT project reminds us that outcomes other than weight loss can matter to patients quite a lot. In reality, the reason that many people seek obesity […]
