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Weight-Loss Drugs Earn Piles, Boatloads, and Oodles

Tatyana Meshcheryakova February 17, 2026 No Comments

As a simple search reveals, what are loosely called GLP-1 drugs have been a hot topic for a long time. Many people make plenty of profit from them, but published reports indicate some dissatisfaction among companies and individuals who would prefer, rather than a mere plenitude, to reap piles, boatloads, and oodles of money instead. As one authority explains,

GLP-1 is the natural hormone that your body makes… Semaglutide is the medicine that copies what your natural hormone does… You are not taking the hormone itself. You are taking a medicine that knows how to do the exact same job as the hormone.

The Garrison Center, a renowned think tank, has been calling public attention to matters related to semaglutide, to the point where some characterize this focused attention as whistleblowing. The colorful metaphor is borrowed from sports, where when an official lets out a blast on his whistle, that constitutes a ruling that the action taken by a player on either team was outside the realm of actions permitted in the game.

The trouble started because, although Novo Nordisk holds a patent on semaglutide, when there was an officially-declared shortage, another outfit was allowed to make and sell it too. Thomas L. Knapp thoroughly explains what happened when the telehealth company Hims & Hers had the temerity to sell semaglutide at a lower price than the rightful patent holder. Given that Hims & Hers would not even be allowed to market the stuff in the first place, had an exception not been made, this was regarded as a very hostile move.

The Novo Nordisk legal team pointed out that not only was the shortage officially declared over, erasing the justification for letting the other company sell the product, but something else was glaringly wrong, namely:

The fact is that their medicines are untested, and they’re putting patients at risk.

At this point, the whole narrative takes an unexpected turn, and journalist Knapp points out an absurdity:

[T]he difference between semaglutide from Hims & Hers and semaglutide from Novo Nordisk is the name on the label.

Novo Nordisk was charging around $150 a month, and Hims & Hers aspired to sell the same amount of the identical product for about $50 a month. But that detail is minor, compared to another matter, described as follows:

The whole POINT of Novo Nordisk’s attempt to enforce its patent is to CREATE a shortage of semaglutide in pill form… The patent, if enforceable, allows Novo Nordisk to charge customers AT LEAST three times as much for its pill as the market says it can be sold profitably for. Hims & Hers wouldn’t offer it for $50 if it expected to lose money doing so.

The purpose of patents, Knapp explains, is…

[…] to create artificial shortages so that inventors don’t have to compete with others who may copy their inventions — or even independently invent similar things… While I’m skeptical for the wildest claims about the benefits of GLP-1s, they’re clearly beneficial to enough people, in enough ways, that we should ask why governments are handing out price-gouging opportunities, in the form of monopolies, on them.

This is a gnarly situation whose resolution could resonate far and wide, affecting much more than this tempest in an industrial teapot. Meanwhile, despite widespread and fanatical acceptance, it is totally possible that the entire semaglutide market, which may have promised too much too soon, could totally collapse.

Your responses and feedback are welcome!

Source: “Is GLP-1 the Same as Semaglutide?,” SemaglutideMedics.org, 11/13/25
Source: “Semaglutide: Artificial shortage is Novo Nordisk’s business model,” TheGarrisonCenter.org, 02/10/26
Image by Peggy_Marco/Pixabay

WHO: Global Nutrition Progress Is Stalling

Tatyana Meshcheryakova February 13, 2026 No Comments

A recent report presented to the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board delivered troubling news: global progress on maternal, infant, and child nutrition has largely stalled. In some areas, it’s even moving backward.

Despite years of international commitments and development programs, six major global nutrition targets are now officially “off track.” Rising anemia rates among women, persistent childhood stunting (being too short for their age due to chronic undernutrition), increasing childhood overweight, and stagnant improvements in birth outcomes reveal a growing crisis that experts are calling a silent epidemic, particularly across Africa and other vulnerable regions.

The implications are profound. Nutrition is not just about food — it shapes survival, lifelong health, cognitive development, economic productivity, and equity.

Let’s take a closer look at what’s happening and why it matters.

Anemia in women is a reversing trend

One of the clearest signs of regression is the rising prevalence of anemia in women of reproductive age. Global commitments under Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) aim to cut anemia rates in half by 2030. Instead of declining, rates have increased from 27.6% in 2012 to 30.7% in 2023.

Anemia — often caused by iron deficiency but also linked to infections, poor diets, and poverty — reduces the body’s ability to carry oxygen in the blood. For women, this can mean increased risk of maternal mortality, higher likelihood of preterm birth, low birth weight infants, and reduced physical capacity and productivity. The rise reflects deeper systemic challenges, such as food insecurity, climate shocks, infectious diseases, gender inequality, and fragile health systems.

The double burden of malnutrition

The world is now grappling with what experts call the “double burden” of malnutrition — undernutrition and overweight existing side by side. Undernutrition remains widespread, as 150.2 million children under five are stunted.

An additional 136.3 million children could face stunting by 2030 if trends continue. Childhood wasting (dangerously low weight for height) affects 6.6% of children, well above WHO’s 5% target threshold. Low birth weight rates have barely improved, decreasing only slightly to 14.7% globally. Stunting affects brain development, school performance, and earning potential later in life. It locks families and nations into cycles of poverty.

Childhood overweight is rising

At the same time, childhood overweight has climbed to 5.5% globally. This rise is linked to food systems that increasingly provide cheap, ultra-processed foods while healthy options remain inaccessible or unaffordable. This nutritional paradox — hunger and obesity existing simultaneously — reflects structural weaknesses in global food systems.

A crisis of inequality

During WHO discussions, member states emphasized that this is not just a nutrition problem — it’s a crisis of inequality. The African region bears the highest global burden of stunting and anemia. Conflict, displacement, and climate change are worsening food insecurity.

In fragile states, entire health and supply systems are disrupted. Climate shocks destroy crops, armed conflicts displace families, and economic instability limits access to nutritious foods. The result is a compounding nutrition crisis, particularly in low-income and conflict-affected regions.

The formula marketing controversy

A heated debate also emerged over the marketing of breast milk substitutes. Several nations criticized aggressive commercial practices that promote formula feeding in vulnerable communities. Critics argue that misleading marketing undermines breastfeeding, targets low-income families, and prioritizes profits over public health.

Concerns were raised about online and cross-border marketing practices, including unregulated digital advertising and product safety recalls. Public health advocates insist that governments must strengthen monitoring and enforce international marketing codes to protect breastfeeding, which remains one of the most effective and cost-efficient interventions for infant survival.

Micronutrient supplementation

While advocacy groups pushed for stronger regulation of formula marketing, industry representatives emphasized the importance of micronutrient supplementation. Iron, folate, iodine, and calcium supplementation during pregnancy can significantly reduce anemia, maternal mortality, and preterm birth. Many experts agree that supplementation programs can be a cost-effective public health strategy, particularly in high-risk populations.

Shrinking aid in a growing crisis

Perhaps the most alarming backdrop to this discussion is declining international nutrition funding. Development assistance for nutrition is estimated to have dropped between 9% and 17% in 2025.

At the same time, no country is currently on track to meet all nutrition targets, dietary diversity is worsening in multiple regions, and vulnerable populations are expanding due to climate change and conflict. Reduced funding threatens to undo years of progress and increase preventable child deaths. Experts are calling for nutrition to be treated as an essential component of primary health care, not a secondary development issue.

The road ahead

The WHO report should be a wake-up call. Without stronger political commitment, better coordination, and sustained investment, global nutrition goals will remain out of reach.

Malnutrition may be described as a “silent epidemic,” but its consequences are anything but silent. They shape the health, survival, and potential of millions of women and children.

According to the experts, reversing the current trend will require protecting nutrition funding, strengthening primary healthcare, supporting fragile and conflict-affected regions, regulating harmful marketing practices, and building resilient and equitable food systems.

In a nutshell, nutrition is not optional — it’s foundational. And the time to act is now.

Your responses and feedback are welcome!

Source: “Maternal and Child Nutrition Backslides: WHO Report Reveals,” Health Policy Watch, 2/6/26
Source: “Maternal, infant and young child nutrition,” WHO, 12/9/25
Image by Mikhail Nilov/Pexels

As the Twig Is Bent

Pat Hartman February 12, 2026 No Comments

In childhood obesity, mental and emotional health issues play a very large role because of the inherently reciprocal nature of the relationship. Often, those very same mental and emotional health issues can be partly of physical origin. We occupy flesh and blood bodies that produce vital signs, so it could hardly be otherwise.

There are all sorts of possibilities. If a problem originates and is situated in a physical location on the body, it might grow another side and manifest more seriously in the mind. Or, something going on in the mind could show up as a physical result, like obesity.

There are people who consciously choose physical habits that aren’t “good for them,” knowing full well that whatever the consequences may be, they are not as frightening as the potentially alternative conditions like nightmares, a tendency to weep spontaneously, or a socially embarrassing tic. Compared to a lot of potentially miserable situations, getting fat is not a steep price to pay for sanity.

Depending on current circumstances, a person might be very grateful to have two possibilities. Sometimes, choosing the lesser of two evils is the only way out. Remember the impossibly trite but infinitely wise saying “It is what it is”?

It is what it is

One way or another, thinking about these matters too much can be inconvenient, or even dangerous. A mental/emotional roadblock can exist, then morph into a different class of problem… like one with a physical result… like obesity.

It is unfortunate, but even someone whose head is in pretty good shape can self-sabotage by just habitually, unthinkingly eating too much unconsidered food. Then, the resulting obesity can adversely affect that person’s mental and/or emotional health. Then, the resulting stress can lead this individual to eat more… and so on, back and forth… for 50, 60, or 70 years.

Something different

The National University of Singapore recently presented the public art exhibition titled VOICE, short for “Visualising Obesity’s Impact from Childhood Experiences.” Created by researchers, artists, and college students, the event’s basic idea originated with research from highly respected institutions. The show attracted a great deal of favorable attention, and not just in academic circles. The impetus behind it was research that examined…

[…] how childhood obesity is experienced as a complex social and psychological phenomenon, and shaped by family dynamics, school environments and broader societal norms.

Not surprisingly, this ambitious goal turned out to be a tall order. It has never been easy to overcome the twisted societal expectations that impose a burden on any class of people. Such deep-seated prejudices have dimensions and aspects that are easily and often overlooked when they become a seamlessly integrated feature of the culture.

The creators told the press that the informal format “allows audiences to engage with these stories at their own pace, creating space for reflection, empathy and deeper understanding.” Interactive exhibits included one that offered the visitor an opportunity to write down a slur that might be used against an overweight person, and display it on a wire sculpture:

[T]he exhibition presents an immersive collection of photographs, 3D-printed artifacts and personal narratives. Together, these works invite reflection on how everyday language, social attitudes and intervention approaches around weight can leave lasting impressions on children as they grow up.

In other words, to bend the twig will influence the shape of the tree, just as it always has done and will continue to do.

Other layers

One aim of the free-admission art show was “to open up conversations beyond physical health.” Another was to guide viewers toward looking “beyond physical health outcomes to consider how early experiences can shape wellbeing into adulthood.”

Many participants recounted how seemingly casual remarks about weight, repeated pressure to lose weight without guidance, or public scrutiny of their bodies contributed to feelings of shame, isolation, and low self-worth. They disliked the sensation of being labeled, observed as if they were lab animals, or otherwise stigmatized.

For some reason, Singapore is perceived as a particularly dicey part of the world for obese people to live in. Dr. Jumana Hashim told the press,

While ample research has been done to uncover the risk to physical health, there is a gap in the understanding of how living with obesity can impact mental health…

This is why we dive in to understand the people, places and processes that shape these experiences so that we can inform future weight management interventions, ensuring we don’t perpetuate the risk of any unintended mental health consequences.

Attendees were invited to consider and create art about such aspects as the labels that society is all too eager to bestow upon its overweight members. Among outcomes and results that are to be hoped for and worked toward are “positive, empathetic communication by parents, teachers and others, and to avoid language and practices that reinforce stigma or shame.”

Prof. Leonard Lee noted “the importance of empathy-focused, multi-level interventions that involve families, educators and healthcare practitioners, rather than placing responsibility solely on children.” Prof. Lee also emphasized that weight management efforts need to be presented “in ways that are sensitive to children’s mental and emotional wellbeing.”

Meanwhile, afflicted humans will continue to cultivate mental and emotional resilience, formulate coping strategies, and find sources of support.

Your responses and feedback are welcome!

Source: “Shining the spotlight on the hidden mental health impact of childhood obesity,” ews.nus.edu.sg, 01/30/26
Image by Roman Biernacki/Pexels

Numerous Plus Frequent Equals Fitness

Pat Hartman February 10, 2026 No Comments

In far too many cases, weight management within the family is a tricky proposition. An existing problem might be so troublesome that just one more aggravation could be disastrous. For instance, if either the mother or father is a step-parent, psychological issues might be messing things up already — to the point where sensitivity about a child’s weight problem could only make matters worse. Even if both are the natural parents, one of them might take an unsympathetic attitude like, “Nobody in my family is fat. That comes from your side, so you deal with it.”

About a decade ago, the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior published a study of the program (based on Social Cognitive Theory) known as Fit Families, focused on self-perception among the child participants. The entire family-based program was delivered over seven weeks, with each session lasting nearly three hours, and it wasn’t just talk.

Sessions began with a meal as an incentive for attendance, to make attendance more manageable for busy families, and served as examples of nutritious, quick meal plans that families could replicate at home.

Following this, a registered dietician delivered nutritional information; another pro suggested and demonstrated physical activities; and a counselor talked about positive attitudes. The study’s lead author, Martha Archuleta (Ph.D., RD), wrote, “Goal-setting was stressed during the sessions and each topic included a hands-on activity and discussion.”

The key word is fitness

A different program with the same Fit Families name (which is, after all, a rather obvious choice) was begun in conjunction with the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and WIC. Participating families are encouraged to follow three basic precepts: move more, make every bite count, and make every sip count.

“Move more” also encompasses the goal of watching less — in other words, of cutting down screen time, especially the passive kind. Ideally, the aim is to accomplish at least an hour of physical activity each day, while limiting TV, gaming, and other screen-oriented activities to two hours per day or less. Other goals include the consumption of more fruits and vegetables. Sugar-based beverages are definitely discouraged, while straight water, and lots of it, is strongly recommended.

This particular program is aimed at children from two to four years of age, which makes excellent sense because when they are so young, they absorb behavioral suggestions like little sponges. Of course, this tendency can be problematic, because they also regard every single thing they see their parents do as not only suggested, but mandatory.

The magic words — numerous and frequent

Some truths we just intuitively grasp, because real-life evidence makes them so obvious. Hold your hand over a fire, and barring an extremely rare and improbable circumstance, you will soon be inspired to pull it away. Duh! But science does not operate on that principle, and neither does government funding. In most cases, “It’s just common sense” is not a viable case.

For an idea to earn credibility and funding, generally the first requirement is a demonstrable fact: proven by experienced scientific experts, documented by qualified scholars, and verified by additional competent authorities.

This will hardly come as a surprise, but if the goal is obesity prevention in children (or weight loss among the already obese), efforts toward change work better if they are numerous and frequent. Consequently, a few years back, a study was performed to prove that “Interventions implemented at a greater frequency and number were associated with improved weight loss compared to less frequent sessions.”

A high-intensity program works better than the other kind, and works best if administered in a strict academic setting. That stubborn fact provides plenty of opportunity for graduate students to prove their worth, because they are expected to figure out how to turn aspiration and intention into accomplishment.

In the world, what works for everybody, all the time? Almost nothing. Even the dreaded dengue fever fails to consistently overcome its targets. It kills at least 20,000 victims every year, but at the same time, a lot of people who catch it don’t really catch it, in the sense that they fail to develop any symptoms. When even such a horrible disease “can’t win ’em all,” surely no anti-obesity program can be expected to produce guaranteed results.

Your responses and feedback are welcome!

Source: “Family-based weight management program improved self-perception among obese children,” ScienceDaily.com, 06/06/16
Source: “High intensity specialized intervention content following family-based intervention yields improved,” 2MinuteMedicine.com, 11/07/17
Image by geralt/Pixabay

Overweight Awareness Monitors at Home

Pat Hartman February 5, 2026 1 Comment

Gender roles are still very much in place, and if Mother does most of the shopping and cooking, she controls what appears on the dinner table. Or maybe Dad cooks, and Mom does the monthly weigh-in or waist measurement. A recent post pointed out how beneficial it would be if all parents in the dicey situation of being expected to keep an eye on a child’s weight were able to do that effectively.

Related posts have been picking away at the challenge of how to encourage parents to engage without arousing new instances of counterproductive behavior patterns that have already done incalculable damage.

Revolutions do happen

Several decades back, Parent Effectiveness Training (P.E.T.) began a long reign of ascendency among the child-rearing demographic in general. Grown-ups found Dr. Thomas Gordon’s advice easy to take on board, and children responded to the techniques. (As a bonus, parents found that the same precepts could often be adapted to the sometimes brutal and stifling adult world.)

P.E.T. revealed itself as being pretty close to a one-size-fits-all program. In the obesity prevention realm, what seems to be needed is a similarly effective method of dealing with the potentiality of a child developing a weight problem — without increasing the likelihood that the child will develop a weight problem.

Home, sweet what?

Where do weight problems come from? One clue is revealed by an article titled, “Children whose parents lack warmth more likely to grow up obese, study finds.” The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children has proven very useful over the years to the numerous researchers who have mined it for all sorts of raw data and suggestive conclusions. Some of the matters it looked into included…

[…] the association between parenting style during early childhood and a child’s weight later in childhood and in early adolescence, late adolescence and early adulthood.

Conscientious self-reporting by the adults originally involved helped sort them into four categories, according to parenting style:

1. authoritative (maintain clear boundaries but are also warm)
2. authoritarian (maintain strict discipline and show little warmth)
3. permissive (empathic but have few rules)
4. neglectful or uninvolved (emotionally uninvolved and have few rules)

The offspring of 2 and 4, authoritarian and neglectful, were…

[…] more likely to have a higher weight than those who experienced authoritative parenting. The results for permissive parenting were not statistically significant.

Researcher Alexa Segal told a journalist, “Authoritarian mothers are characterized by being demanding and controlling, while having low warmth and responsiveness,” said Segal. This style sounds familiar to the fans of comedian Marc Maron, as we have seen.

Prof. Louise Baur of the World Obesity Federation has pointed out the difficulty of raising healthy kids in the modern world. On the other hand,

This study highlights the fundamental importance of parents in raising healthy children.
Parents who are able to set appropriate limits for their child, while bringing warmth and sensitivity to the relationship, may be better able to help their child be as healthy as possible.

But then… There is always the risk that parental participation, or even just a reasonable level of concern, could backfire and be perceived as fat-shaming. When emotions are raw, almost anything that another person says or does is susceptible to interpretation as hostile. Despite a helpful website that offers an entire series of articles about obesity prevention, sometimes the chemistry simply isn’t right.

Perhaps the best answer is, hook the kid up with Brainweighve, then stand back and hope they figure it out.

Your responses and feedback are welcome!

Source: “Parent Effectiveness Training,” GordonTraining.com, undated
Source: “Children whose parents lack warmth more likely to grow up obese, study finds,”
TheGuardian.com, 10/18/22
Image by trthiet182/Pixabay

WHO’s New Global Guideline for Healthier School Meals

Tatyana Meshcheryakova February 4, 2026 No Comments

Children spend a large portion of their day at school — learning, eating, growing, and forming lifelong habits. That’s why what they eat in school isn’t just fuel for the day; it’s an investment in future health. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently released a landmark global guideline recommending evidence-based policies to create healthier school food environments, with the goal of shaping healthier generations who thrive both physically and academically.

As we’ve written over and over, across the world, children are facing a “double burden” of malnutrition: rising rates of overweight and obesity, alongside persistent undernutrition. In 2025, an estimated 188 million school-aged children and adolescents — about 1 in 10 — were living with obesity, a figure that now surpasses the number of children who are underweight globally. These trends have long-term implications, increasing the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease later in life.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, emphasizes the stakes:

The food children eat at school, and the environments that shape what they eat, can have a profound impact on their learning, and lifelong consequences for their health and well-being.

Healthy eating habits begin early — and schools are uniquely positioned to foster them. With an estimated 466 million children receiving school meals globally, schools influence not just nutrition intake but also social norms around food. Yet, until now, there has been limited global guidance on how to ensure these meals truly support healthy diets.

WHO’s whole-school approach

For the first time, the WHO is urging countries to adopt a whole-school approach, ensuring that all foods and beverages provided in schools and available throughout the broader school food environment are nutritious and support healthy dietary habits.

The new guideline highlights actionable recommendations:

Establish Healthy Food Standards (Strong Recommendation). Schools should set standards or rules that increase the availability, purchase, and consumption of healthy foods and beverages, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and water. Unhealthy options high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats would be limited.

Use “Nudging” Strategies (Conditional Recommendation). Encourage healthier choices through subtle changes like adjusting the placement and presentation of foods (e.g., putting fruit at eye level) and changing pricing to make healthier options more attractive. These recommendations tap into behavior science to make the healthy choice the easy choice.

Policy is only the first step

Guidelines and standards are essential, but policies must be backed by effective monitoring and enforcement. According to the WHO Global database on the Implementation of Food and Nutrition Action (GIFNA), as of October 2025, 104 member states had policies on healthy school food, and nearly three-quarters included mandatory criteria on school food composition. Only 48 countries had policies restricting the marketing of foods high in sugar, salt, or unhealthy fats.

To develop this guideline, the WHO brought together international experts from diverse disciplines through a transparent, evidence-based process. It now serves as a cornerstone for WHO’s broader initiatives, including efforts to stop the global rise in obesity and promote nutrition-friendly schools. The guideline is designed to be flexible: useful for national ministries of health and education, as well as subnational and city authorities responsible for school food programs.

According to the WHO, it is committed to helping countries translate these recommendations into real change. This includes technical assistance, knowledge-sharing, and collaborations with governments and partners.

To mark the launch, the WHO hosted a global webinar last January, bringing together stakeholders to discuss how to put the guideline into action (you can watch the recording here).

Your responses and feedback are welcome!

Source: “WHO urges schools worldwide to promote healthy eating for children,” WHO.com, 1/27/26
Source: “From lunch tray to lifelong health: WHO sets global standards for school meals,” UN.org, 1/27/26
Image by Antoni Shkraba Studio/Pexels

Parents As Overweight Awareness Monitors

Pat Hartman February 3, 2026 No Comments

Yes, of course parents are legitimate observers and recorders of their offsprings’ weight. However, this does not give them license to make a child’s life miserable by harping on the subject, or to blab about it to friends or strangers.

In a best-case scenario, a mom or dad is reasonable, tactful, sensitive, and several other adjectives that imply sanity, about how and when to weigh the child with a problem. If dangerous amounts of lard are obviously accumulating, what kind of reminder might be effective, and not make matters worse? It would be smart to seek advice from a qualified pro.

For instance, controversy might be avoided by designating a certain day once a month to check in with the scale and make a note on a chart. Although a parent has the authority to be an Overweight Awareness Monitor, and maybe even the ability to intervene reasonably, this is by no means an opportunity for sarcasm, shaming, threats, or any other brand of intimidation.

Parents need to have their stuff together

Just a few years back in Britain, a long-term study of 19,000 families concentrated on the emotional stability of new parents. The mothers and fathers of babies both have concerns, though not necessarily the same ones. The dads might worry more about making enough money to feed everybody and keep a roof over their heads. The moms might be more anxious about the new baby’s birth weight and their ability to figure out how to breastfeed successfully.

In any case, if parents feel shaky about their social, mental health, and economic situations, that can spell difficulty for the new family member. Researchers noticed a subtle difference between dads and moms:

The analysis found that fathers’ distress reported in infancy, but not during toddlerhood, was associated with steeper increases in BMI and excess body fat for both girls and boys. However, mothers’ distress reported in both infancy and toddlerhood was associated with steeper increases in BMI and excess body fat in only girls.

Every time a new subtlety or wrinkle is found in an aspect of parenting that is under the microscope, legions of graduate students rediscover the passion that brought them to the field in the first place, and renewed impetus to figure out exactly what is going on. Here is another quotation regarding this same University College London study, and others like it:

Distress experienced by mothers and fathers in the first few years of a child’s life, particularly during infancy, is linked with accelerated weight and excess fat gain from age 5 to 14 years, according to new research being presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) held online this year.

Next steps

When a child is on the verge of sliding over into the overweight segment of the population, it seems obvious that their parents ought to take an active part in keeping track of the stats, and to qualify themselves as capable of determining when some sort of professional intervention appears to be called for. But as we have seen, their best intentions and efforts may be impeded by problems they could use knowledgeable health with. And sometimes…

There are two words that experts especially regret having to apply to parents: “neglectful” and “authoritarian” — otherwise known as “not caring” and “caring too much” — because in either case, their children just might turn out overweight. And while these parenting styles may seem at first glance to be opposites, they have been determined by highly placed academics to spring from the same source: a lack of emotional warmth.

This was learned by observing the families of 10,000 children. Usually, such reluctance to accept interference is founded in a very basic belief that goes something like,

This is how my parents raised me, and I turned out fine.

Parents can be so defensive that many professionals, even those from such prestigious institutions as Imperial College’s Centre for Health Economics & Policy Innovation, tend to regard the subject as taboo. Naturally, Childhood Obesity News is eager to take a closer look at this thorny problem.

Your responses and feedback are welcome!

Source: “Emotional distress in fathers and mothers linked to heightened risk of overweight in their children,” 05/19/21, EurekAlert.org
Source: “Children whose parents lack warmth more likely to grow up obese, study finds,” TheGuardian.com, 10/18/22
Image by flaviopantera7/Pixabay

Overweight Awareness Monitors

Pat Hartman January 29, 2026 No Comments

Anyone whose idea of a good time is to catalog the cost (to the individual and to society as a whole) of obesity will never run out of opportunities for that sort of fun. By the time you are done looking at one aspect, another facet of the overall emergency that you just summed up a few months ago will be ripe for reevaluation and rife with news that is — surprise! — mostly discouraging.

There is, on the part of society as a whole, an attitude problem that manifests in public places. It’s as if certain folks believe they have been designated as Overweight Awareness Monitors. At a fraught moment in the past, this individual was mystically appointed (or anointed) by some unseen power to

1. Be aware of the body weight of everyone they encounter
2. Fulfill the duty of making that person aware of their disapproving reaction

Types of monitors

Some monitors operate from an advanced level of intellectual awareness. The information they really want to convey (“You are too fat”) might be snuck into conversation disguised as concern about the SNAP program, which is unable to feed as many people as need feeding. The Overweight Awareness Monitor who operates from this sophisticated level will do something like point out a news article stating that in the USA, 40% of adults and 21% of children are obese. Making a connection between those informational items is somehow more important than the undernourished kids.

For instance, the O.A. Monitor might mention that while it is sad that children go hungry, an annual study showed disturbing facts — like one quoted in 2023 regarding how almost a quarter of SNAP funds were being spent on “sugary drinks, desserts, salty snacks, candy, and sugar.”

To be fair, at the time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s advisory Food Pyramid, which is supposed to be a desirable example, “featured six to 11 servings of bread, cereal, rice, and pasta, but just a small two to three servings of meat, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts.” So maybe the blame should have been spread around a bit.

At any rate, starting this year, several states have made a whole slew of rules about what can and cannot be purchased with these funds. Then every once in a while, the zealous O.A. Monitor is lucky enough to grab onto a really alarming headline, like one containing the words “trillion dollar disease” that graced a Global Pediatrics article a couple of years back. That piece of journalism included the words “very expensive morbidity,” and the fact that it is often paired with malnutrition not only among the same populations but within the same individuals, and the dire statistical warning that “up to 82% of obese adolescents become obese adults.”

Advanced level monitors

The dedicated O.A. Monitor enjoys sharing such facts with people whose waistlines are expanding, and also gets a kick out of bringing parents of teenagers up to date with the latest information on adolescent obesity trends. A major 2024 report from WHO/Europe revealed “alarming disparities” in the health of teens from 44 surveyed countries. Fewer than half of them ate fruits or vegetables daily, while one in four self-reported “daily consumption of sweets or chocolate.” While boys counted for a lot of the statistics, girls seemed absolutely devoted to devouring more sugary foods and soft drinks than boys.

The examples of literature to draw from are multitudinous, and passing along such sad information is one of the ways that obesity-shaming busybodies have of reminding friends, relatives, and associates that their burgeoning waistlines are being noticed.

Your responses and feedback are welcome!

Source: “The Hidden Cost of Our Huge Problem with Obesity,” CATO.org, 07/03/23
Source: “Food Stamps Will Stop Covering Soda, Chips and Candy in 18 States by 2026,” WhenInYourState.com, 12/13/25
Source: “Obesity a triple pandemic, the trillion dollar disease: Prevention is imperative,” Global Pediatrics, March 2024
Image by poli_/Pixabay

Family Values and Trust Shape Decisions About GLP-1 Meds for Kids

Tatyana Meshcheryakova January 28, 2026 No Comments

When it comes to treating childhood obesity, medical decisions rarely happen in a vacuum. For families facing food insecurity, choices about care are shaped not just by medical advice, but by lived experience, cultural values, and trust in the healthcare system.

A recent study published in JAMA Network Open explored how caregivers make decisions about using GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), a newer class of medications increasingly discussed as a treatment option for pediatric obesity. Researchers found that caregiver experiences, trust, and family values play a central role in whether medication is considered, accepted, or declined.

As outlined by Contemporary Pediatrics, their findings point to three key areas that matter most in shared decision-making: Understanding barriers to lifestyle change, building trust and knowledge about treatment options, and aligning care with family values.

Why this study matters

Lifestyle changes, such as healthier eating and increased physical activity, have long been the first recommendation for managing childhood obesity. But for many families, especially those with limited access to affordable, healthy foods, these changes can be difficult to maintain and may not lead to significant weight improvement.

GLP-1 medications have gained attention as a possible tool to help bridge that gap. These medications work by affecting appetite and blood sugar regulation, and they’ve shown promise in supporting weight loss. However, families experiencing food insecurity may have unique concerns, priorities, and barriers that influence whether this option feels right.

As the study authors noted:

As new pediatric clinical practices surrounding the use of GLP-1 RAs take shape, it is essential to incorporate the voices of families affected by food insecurity.

How the study was conducted

Researchers interviewed 20 caregivers of children with obesity who were also at moderate to high risk for household food insecurity. All children had already participated in at least two months of physician-recommended dietary changes.

The interviews lasted about 45 minutes and explored knowledge about treatment options, access to healthy foods, motivation and challenges related to lifestyle change, and beliefs about medication use in children.

Most caregivers faced significant structural challenges:

90% were born outside the U.S.
75% used a language other than English for medical care
70% had low health literacy
80% of children were insured through Medicaid

These factors are important because they influence how medical information is received, understood, and trusted.

Three themes that shaped decisions

One was past experiences with lifestyle changes. Caregivers who saw noticeable improvements from dietary and activity changes often felt proud and motivated to continue without medication. For these families, lifestyle change felt like the “right” and most natural path.

But for others, months — or even years — of effort brought little visible progress. In those cases, GLP-1 medications seemed like a hopeful next step.

At the same time, many caregivers described serious barriers to maintaining healthy routines, including:

High cost of fresh foods
Time-intensive meal planning
Emotional stress around food and weight
Family conflict and pressure during mealtimes

Some caregivers described using emotional appeals or strict approaches to motivate their children, which sometimes increased stress across the household.

Trust — or lack of it — also played a huge role. Many caregivers had safety concerns about GLP-1 medications, especially because they are relatively new and frequently discussed in the media. Questions about long-term effects and side effects were common.

Personal experiences mattered as well. One caregiver shared hesitancy due to a past negative experience with weight-related medication. Others were more open if they had seen medications help friends or family members. Trust was mainly shaped by personal or secondhand experiences, cultural beliefs about medication use in children, and clarity (or confusion) in how doctors explained options.

The third item was beliefs about what “good care” looked like. Caregivers differed in how they defined the best way to care for their child. Some prioritized physical health above all, believing lifestyle change was the most responsible and safest path. For them, medication felt like a last resort.

Others placed strong emphasis on their child’s emotional well-being and the overall stress on the family. These caregivers sometimes saw medication as a way to reduce conflict around food, ease emotional strain, and relieve financial and time pressures.

What this means for families and providers

The study highlights that decisions about GLP-1 medications aren’t just medical — they’re deeply personal.

Researchers concluded:

A shared decision-making model and clinical education tools that honor these complexities are essential for delivering care that is both effective and equitable and should be the focus of future research.

For healthcare providers, this means:

Taking time to understand a family’s lived experience
Asking about food access and daily challenges
Exploring concerns about medication openly
Respecting cultural and personal values

For families, it’s a reminder that:

It’s okay to ask questions about safety and long-term effects
Your experiences and priorities matter in treatment decisions
There is no one-size-fits-all answer

So, the study clearly shows that for children with obesity in families facing food insecurity, treatment decisions are shaped by far more than a prescription pad. Past struggles, financial realities, emotional stress, cultural beliefs, and trust in medicine all come into play.

Your responses and feedback are welcome!

Source: “Themes identified for using GLP-1 RAs to manage obesity in food-insecure children,” Contemporary Pediatrics, 1/21/26
Source: “Perceptions of GLP-1 RA Use for Children With Obesity Among Caregivers With Food Insecurity,” JAMA Network, 1/7/26
Source: “We Need a New Approach to Prevent Obesity in Low-Income Minority Populations,” Pediatrics, 6/1/19
Image by Safari Consoler/Pexels

Obesity Costs Come in Many Guises

Pat Hartman January 27, 2026 No Comments

One aspect of human life that seems stubbornly unchangeable is the close relationship between obesity and poverty. Also, in some countries, people from certain racial backgrounds tend to be more financially stressed, so minority status becomes an element of the equation. Of course, other factors might intervene too, like the COVID-19 pandemic, which was also inextricably linked to race, poverty, and obesity.

Describing the relationship between obesity and the pandemic, the authors of a scholarly paper specified these as the most common (but not only) forces tending to increase obesity during the period:

[…] sociodemographic factors, physical inactivity, sedentary lifestyles, reduced sleep quality, increased technology utilization, harmful substance abuse, unhealthy food consumption, and psychological problems…

Since then, numerous studies in several countries have made a stab at reckoning the collective weight gain of their respective populations during those years. “Lingering” is a poetic word, but it loses all its charm when applied to the retroactive effects of a worldwide health crisis. The results are still with us, due to a chillingly basic fact: Once it moves into a child’s body, unpacks, redecorates, and arranges the furniture, obesity is a very difficult tenant to evict.

Full employment for math nerds

The globe currently supports a dismaying number of children and teens who, in an alternative universe timeline, would have weighed 70 pounds today but actually weigh 95, and equally impressive hordes of others who in that imaginary universe would have weighed 120, but actually clock in at 145.

If they haven’t already done so, creative statisticians could make a pretty close guess regarding the total amount of weight collectively gained by humans in various demographic categories. We can only hope they will also devote significant energy to figuring out how to reverse the trend.

Hot off the presses

A brand new cross-sectional, multi-site study of Long COVID (also known as LC) shows that it prefers to strike obese rather than healthy-weight individuals. Whether or not their disease lasts for an abnormal length of time, obese patients “tend to suffer worse physical and mental health outcomes.” Many in the medical field are convinced that there will be another pandemic, and are eager to prepare, but are not finding the backup this would require from governmental and other institutions.

The eternal two-way street

Even five years ago, an association was being noticed between the pandemic and the amount of obesity, and since then, there has been plenty of opportunity for researchers to make meaningful connections. About 70% of Americans were overweight or obese then, and the Mayo Clinic’s Dr. Donald Hensrud told the press,

During the pandemic, fitness centers have been shut down, our activity may be decreasing, or we may be working from home and not moving as much. In addition, our diet has changed. We may be eating more comfort food or eating what happens to be around the house rather than getting something that is healthier.

Poverty and/or obesity led to more COVID-19 cases, which then contributed to more obesity, which was difficult for families to manage. Massive disruption of the national economy forced many working parents to change jobs, work fewer hours, pay more for child care, or in some other way have their financial situation negatively impacted. When life becomes chaotic, there is not only less money to spend, but people get careless and neglect little details like making an effort to “eat healthy.”

An article by Jeff Krasno, published only a few days ago, noted that COVID-19 has been listed as the cause of death for more than 1.2 million Americans, but there are solid reasons to believe that number should really be much higher. He adds,

Obesity, vaccination, and COVID mortality are not independent variables. They’re downstream of deeper forces, including long-standing health behaviors, trust in institutions, access to healthcare, socioeconomic stress, political identity, and media ecosystems…

How did a wealthy nation with extraordinary medical resources end up in such a sorry state?

Your responses and feedback are welcome!

Source: “Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on obesity and its risk factors: a systematic review,” NIH.gov, May 2023
Source: “Obesity and Long COVID: intersecting epidemics?,” Springer.com, 01/22/26
Source: “How the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted issues of obesity,” MayoClinic.org, 01/19/21
Source: “The Political Fault Line: Politics, Obesity, & COVID,” Substack.com, 01/24/26
Image by jarmoluk/Pixabay

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The double burden of malnutrition

Childhood overweight is rising

A crisis of inequality

The formula marketing controversy

Micronutrient supplementation

Shrinking aid in a growing crisis

The road ahead

It is what it is

Something different

Other layers

The key word is fitness

The magic words — numerous and frequent

Revolutions do happen

Home, sweet what?

WHO’s whole-school approach

Policy is only the first step

Parents need to have their stuff together

Next steps

Types of monitors

Advanced level monitors

Why this study matters

How the study was conducted

Three themes that shaped decisions

What this means for families and providers

Full employment for math nerds

Hot off the presses

The eternal two-way street

Profiles: Kids Struggling with Weight

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About Dr. Robert A. Pretlow

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