The Early Bird Study, Exercise, and Waistlines
A sage once said, “There is always enough evidence in the universe to prove anything.” This is certainly true of obesity research, which is rife with controversy. Take, for instance, the Early Bird Study, which started out with the intention of establishing the relationship between childhood obesity and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, or NIDDM, or Type […]
Fat Boy Thin Man: Michael Prager
Fat Boy Thin Man is Michael Prager’s memoir of “a fat and troubled childhood that lasted almost 35 years.” He spent more than 10 years over the 300-pound mark. When Prager hit 365, he opted for standard addiction treatment, just like any substance abuser might, upon realizing that he’s in the grip of a lower […]
Bob Greene, Oprah's Healthstyle Guru
Oprah Winfrey is a mentor and role model for millions, so naturally it makes sense to check out who she gets her advice from: trainer Bob Greene. The Best Life is his website, and we’re here to find out what he’s been telling Oprah. Greene’s program has four main prongs: healthy meal plans, simple baby […]
National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
Our guest columnist today is President Barack Obama… Just kidding. Actually, what we have here is a quotation from the Presidential Proclamation that was issued on the first day of this month, to announce the first National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, September 2010: Our history shows that when we are united in our convictions, we […]
Unintended Consequences of the Food Revolution
Usually we have no sympathy to spare for the fast food industry, but it seems like even when it tries to do better, things don’t work out somehow. Thanks, Yunji de Nies and Claudia Acosta of ABC News, for reporting on this. When Yum Brands introduced grilled chicken in 2009, the corporation certainly didn’t foresee […]
School Lunch Critic Mrs. Q
Robin Shreves, a stay-at-home mom who writes about eco-friendly food options, recently interviewed Mrs. Q, a teacher in the American Midwest with a mission to improve school lunches. She frankly admits to not having all the answers. To learn more, she encourages communication with her network of social media “followers,” which includes teachers, parents, and […]
Is Surgery a Good Solution?
Dr. Thomas A. Buchanan is in favor of the “minimally invasive weight-loss surgery” as the solution to the childhood obesity epidemic, and he has said as much in the Obesity journal. Reacting against his opinion, Katherine Gustafson says, Wow, now I think I’ve heard it all. Here’s a great idea: Let’s not help our too-fat […]
Obesity, Binge Eating, and Fooling Ourselves
Camille Noe Pagan specializes in writing about health and nutrition, and also likes to bake, so it’s no surprise that she took an interest in a study conducted by McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School on the topic of eating disorders. Pagan talked with the study’s lead author, Dr. James I. Hudson, who is associated […]
Fast Food, Hospitals, and Cravings
Fast food and hospitals are the two concepts that should not be found together in the same sentence. And yet, their relationship grows cozier all the time. It was with some dismay that Dr. Pretlow recently noticed a TV commercial for the Blizzard Children’s Miracle Network. Actually, the word that came to mind was “disgusted.” […]
Anti-Obesity Rules and Unintended Consequences
Did you know that, in the United States, one out of three school districts offers its students items from a fast-food chain? It says so in a CNBC special report called “One Nation, Overweight” and compiled by Scott Wapner. The most common is a certain brand of pizza, which seems determined to make kids not only […]