Sometimes, all it takes is one traumatic experience, where an obese person will put up with any amount of pain and dysfunction rather than see a doctor.

What are some of the discouraging obstacles that obese patients face?

A huge societal disruptor like a pandemic can bring about unforeseen changes, trends, and movements. It can create new professions and new opportunities.

As the pandemic celebrates its anniversary in the U.S., we are looking again at the deadly confluence between poverty, COVID-19, food insecurity, and obesity.

The current lack of exercise messes up adults and children alike, and millions of children are being hurt by changes in the federal school nutrition programs.

Of course, saving lives comes first, but the growth of obesity will lead to loss of life, too, and for many people, a huge loss of quality of life.

Some people in positions of authority believe that, if ever there was a time for appropriate, suitable, warranted panic, this seems to be that moment.

What seems to be hurting a lot of people, especially during this pandemic, is their lack of anywhere near enough movement in general.

Kids stuck at home need something to do, and a parent who is grasping at the last straws of sanity might find inspiration anywhere.

Sometimes we need to accept “good” as the best we can do under the circumstances, and let good be good enough.

By and large, parents are suffering from the demands of multitasking, trying to pay the bills, and being in charge of their kids’ screen time and exercise.

Research shows that once added to the body, weight is difficult to banish with exercise. The preferred method of maintaining a normal weight is to not gain it.

Many people love to exercise because they are in very close communication with their own reward systems, and recognize a good thing when they feel it.

Why is “diet versus exercise” such an irritatingly persistent discussion? Because of emotional and financial issues.

We are tracking the history of exercise advocacy through the past few years. The debate revolves around diet vs. exercise and about both in relation to obesity.

Genetics and environment can both foster tendencies when it comes to exercise and overall health, but neither factor inevitably signals destiny.

Maybe students should be able to get to school by biking or walking. Unfortunately, it’s not safe or possible in many U.S. cities, unlike in Europe.

Over the last decade, there has been a lot of debate about the efficacy of exercise to achieve weight loss and what should be done about making it more available to the young.

Close as conjoined twins, obesity and COVID-19 are always meddling in each other’s business and doing each other favors.

Does exercise achieve weight loss? Belief in the doctrine of “move more” comes and goes, and it is interesting to follow the progress of the idea through time.

People who have gained unwanted pounds due to being cooped up and unable to get enough exercise to use up the calories might find others’ experiences helpful.

For people who always found it difficult to “eat less,” life is more problematic than ever. The “move more” part of the old equation is also disrupted.

With regard to age, the virus does not discriminate. It also goes after obese people, including kids, more zealously than it does healthy-weight people.

COVID-19 may predispose people to baldness, just as it makes them more vulnerable to developing obesity.

The association of celebration with feasting is one of humankind’s oldest social phenomena. This truth brings spectacular joy and also quite a lot of anguish.

Let’s face it, for some people, having a less social holiday season this year could be a much-needed respite.

The basic principles of obesity avoidance are relevant to the feasts and festivals of many religious traditions, at any time of year — Christmas included.

For months, a citadel of wishful thinking that children don’t easily contract and spread the virus had been constructed. Now it began to crumble.

The virus has every reason to embrace obesity as the optimal human condition for its purposes, and the harmful alliance works both ways.

In this virus-saturated environment, a major theme of public discussion is the harm being done to kids who are unable to get enough exercise. What can we do?