June 21, 2022 — While many researchers are having scholarly debates about their competing models for obesity, they focus primarily upon how food is doing it to us. Is it the excessive supply of hyper-palatable, ultra-processed food? Or is it all about carbs and insulin? But nowhere in these lovely models is there any focus on factors that go […]
June 18, 2022 — Two new studies in AJCN provide observations on the relationship between health outcomes and fast food, take-out, café, or home-cooked meals. These studies find an association of worse outcomes with fast food and take out. But the real question is, why? What are the causal relationships behind these observations? In an editorial, Barry Popkin suggests […]
June 13, 2022 — Though we hate to say it, we are entering into a time of increased food insecurity. Of course that will bring a toll of death from hunger. It also likely means a further rise will come in non-communicable diseases such as obesity. But why? Why is it that food insecurity has such a link to […]
April 23, 2022 — The buzzwords are flying. Diversity, equity, and inclusion is such a common theme that all you have to say is “DEI” and people will nod solemnly. The same goes for social determinants of health – SDOH. However, the Northeast Business Group on Health (NEBGH) has gone further to connect the two and identify some real […]
April 15, 2022 — The drumbeat is growing louder. “Ultra-processed foods are trashing our health – and the planet,” say four nutrition scientists from Deakin University. It would be hard to find a clearer definition of these products as our enemy. Yet another set of distinguished nutrition scientists argue that ultra-processed alternatives to meat and dairy can offer valuable […]
January 7, 2022 — We are stuck in an infinite loop, it seems. Yet again, we have a new report in MMWR to tell us that Americans are eating too few fruits and veggies. In fact, only one in ten meet the recommendation in the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans. That’s one and a half to two cups of […]
December 11, 2021 — Increasingly, the world has two problems that should not go together: persistent high levels of food insecurity and growing rates of obesity. How can this be? The short answer is that there’s no short answer. Food insecurity is largely a function of income and, in wealthier countries, poverty can mean a higher risk for obesity. […]
October 17, 2021 — FNCE 20201 opens today online. But pre-meeting symposia yesterday set the table for four days of rich information flowing about food and nutrition. COVID is still with us, so the meeting is virtual. Thus an outstanding session on nutrition, equity, and COVID-19 hit the mark especially well. In particular, it drew us into thinking more […]
September 6, 2021 — In a 2015 review now cited more than a thousand times, Kate Pickett and Richard Wilkinson do not equivocate. The relationship between income inequality and poor health meets criteria for causality. The causal path involves violence and other problems with social structures. So reducing inequality will improve public health and wellbeing. Predicting COVID-19 Deaths In […]
August 28, 2021 — Half a loaf is better than none, wrote John Heywood in his 1546 book of proverbs. So should we be thrilled that the USPSTF is making a “huge” change to diabetes screening for people with overweight and obesity? Or is this only a half-measure that will do nothing if people don’t have access to care […]
