Posts Tagged ‘sensationalism’

When it comes to obesity, it seems everyone is looking for clickbait. Facts are incidental. So this week, we have wildly differing news headlines about U.S. obesity prevalence. The Harvard Gazette tells us we have an “astounding surge” in obesity prevalence. Axios tells us there’s “good news” on obesity prevalence. Where does the truth lie? […]

The attention economy has been getting a lot of, well, attention lately. In fact, the phenomenon is nothing new. People have been competing for the attention of Americans since the rise of cheap daily newspapers in the 19th century. But lately it seems that the quest to command attention is taking over more and more […]

The new MAHA (Making America Healthy Again) report on the health of American children is out and, in a word, things are terrible. In the words of the report, “it presents the stark reality of American children’s declining health.” We have a whole generation at risk because of toxic chemicals, ultra-processed food, unnecessary medical treatments, […]

Narratives are powerful. One of the early dominant narratives of the rising demand for Ozempic and related drugs was all about Hollywood, appearances, and privilege. But Bloomberg has a counter-narrative for us. The center of gravity for Ozempic demand is not Hollywood. It’s really Bowling Green, Kentucky. The food environment here is more Waffle House […]

In a certain way, Ozempic and TikTok were made for each other. One is the most viral social media of the moment. The other is an omnipresent sensation in medical therapy. Both of them fill a vacuum in popular culture. For TikTok, the vacuum might be boredom – though we admit that this assessment comes […]

Clickbait is a new spin on an old thing. Sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll used to be the formula for drawing eyes to advertising. Now the hottest clickbait is sex, alcohol, and GLP-1 drugs. People magazine tells us this month that GLP-1 agonists “may impact the desire to drink alcohol or have sex.” Oh […]

If we didn’t know better, we might think Anahad O’Connor and the Washington Post are deliciously clever satirists. They have a new contribution to the catalog of conspiracy theories. In short, O’Connor explains that the reach of HAES (Health at Every Size) messaging comes from a Big Food conspiracy. This plot involves registered dietitians aiding […]

Clickbait journalists are taking aim at clickbait nutrition influencers and we wonder: Who benefits from this fracas? Late last week, the Washington Post ran a story exploring the phenomenon of dietitians who are active in social media. Their thesis: “Registered dietitians are being paid to post videos that promote diet soda, sugar and supplements on […]

Clickbait headlines are running wild on the subject of advanced obesity medicines – even in formerly responsible news sources. Over the weekend, for example, USA Today warned us that there’s dark magic in these medicines. It seems the mere availability of new and more effective obesity meds can cause people to lose their minds. They […]

We can hear the rumble. The UK media sensation machine is gearing up for an onslaught of weight loss headlines that will misdirect millions of people about an important medical advance. If you have any doubt, sample the headlines from mainstream UK news sources. The Independent captures the spirit of British press on this subject […]