This came up in our monthly Subscriber Ask Me Anything discussion and it’s something I get asked about a lot – how can you advocate for a fat* friend/family member in a healthcare appointment? Get full access to Weight and Healthcare at weightandhealthcare.substack.com/subscribe
The co-opting of concepts from weight-neutral health community to sell weight loss (or obfuscate the harm it causes) is rampant. We’ve talked about this with the concept of weight stigma and fake anti weight stigma events , PR campaigns , and marketing . In today’s edition of “words mean things” we’re going to talk about the co-option of the concept of weight-neutral. Get full access to Weight and Healthcare at weightandhealthcare.substack.com/subscribe...
In my recent quick guide to creating a size-inclusive office , I mentioned troncoconical blood pressure cuffs and I heard from a number of people in healthcare who said that they had never heard of them so I thought I’d write a follow-up piece. Get full access to Weight and Healthcare at weightandhealthcare.substack.com/subscribe...
In part 1 we talked about the research (or lack thereof) around the ways in which GLP-1 drugs, taken in large doses for weight loss, might impact the absorption of other medications. Today, we’re going to hear from someone who was personally impacted by the issue. I received the following information from Jennifer Jonsson who gave me permission to publish it and use her name. Get full access to Weight and Healthcare at weightandhealthcare.substack.com/subscribe...
One of the questions I’ve been getting a lot is about how the new GLP-1 weight loss drugs (Novo’s Semaglutide Wegovy) and GLP-1/GIP co-agonist weight loss drugs (Lilly’s Tirzepatide/Zepbound) can interfere with the absorption of other medications. In part 1 we’ll look at the information around this and in part 2 we’ll have a personal story of someone who experienced it. Get full access to Weight and Healthcare at weightandhealthcare.substack.com/subscribe...
Let’s start today with what P-hacking is, and then we can talk about why we needed to talk about it in the first place. Please note this is an overview, there are many more layers and complications to this, these are the basics. Get full access to Weight and Healthcare at weightandhealthcare.substack.com/subscribe
In Part 1 I talked about the WaPo/Examination piece “As ob*sity rises, Big Food and dietitians push 'anti-diet' advice…General Mills warns of “food shaming"; dietitian influencers promote junk foods and discourage weight loss efforts.” I discussed my experience with being interviewed, as well as some basics about the piece. Today I’m going to talk about their methodology, such as it is. Get full access to Weight and Healthcare at weightandhealthcare.substack.com/subscribe...
The headline ran “As ob*sity rises, Big Food and dietitians push 'anti-diet' advice…General Mills warns of “food shaming"; dietitian influencers promote junk foods and discourage weight loss efforts.” (As is my policy, I don’t link to studies or articles that contain weight stigma, but I give enough information to Google.) Why am I calling it a hit piece? For two reasons, first because I know that the authors had every opportunity to provide a more balanced story, and second, because of their… l...
In part 1 we examined the massively misleading opening claim of the abstract of the new study “Long-term weight loss effects of semaglutide in obesity without diabetes in the SELECT trial” by Ryan et al, published in the journal naturemedicine, and we looked at the magnitude of the conflicts of the authors. Today I’ll dig into the rest of the study. Get full access to Weight and Healthcare at weightandhealthcare.substack.com/subscribe...
As you might imagine, I subscribe to a large number of medical publications and in the last couple of days I’ve been receiving updates from them falling all over themselves to breathlessly claim that weight loss was maintained for 4 years on Semaglutide 2.4mg (aka Wegovy) in the SELECT trial. The ways in which these claims are misleading are egregious and anti-science. In part 1 I’ll look at the initial claims and the people making them, in part 2 I’ll do a deeper analysis of the study. Get full...
This is the Weight and Healthcare newsletter ! If you like what you are reading, please consider subscribing and/or sharing! During the Q&A at a recent talk at a medical conference a healthcare provider at the end said “there is so much to do, what would you suggest is a good place to start?” There are plenty of places to start, but one that jumps to mind is in creating an accommodating office. Get full access to Weight and Healthcare at weightandhealthcare.substack.com/subscribe...
In part 1 we talked about the long-standing, evidence-free phenomenon of “jump-starting” weight loss using some kind of short-term extreme food/caloric restriction. Today we have another version straight from the doctor's office. Get full access to Weight and Healthcare at weightandhealthcare.substack.com/subscribe...
I received the following question from reader Deena: I love when you talk about the funding and other conflicts of interest of the people who write studies. It seems obvious that you don’t think disclosures are adequate, so I’m just wondering - what do you think that disclosures should include? Deena is exactly right, I do not think that disclosures as they are currently done are anywhere near adequate. So today I’ll talk about what I wish research disclosures included. Get full access to Weight...
In part one we looked at the staggering conflicts of interest and issues with the efficacy in the Semaglutide 2.4 (Wegovy) cardiovascular trial (Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Ob*sity* without Diabetes DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2307563) especially as compared to the deeply misleading claims in Novo Nordisk’s “ company announcement ” publicity stunt prior to publication. Today we’re going to dig deeper into the data, what there is of it, anyway. Get full access to Weight and Healthcare at we...
Today we’re going to talk about common advice that has long been a pet peeve of mine. It is advice that I, myself, have been given and that I’ve heard from countless people. It happens when someone (a fitness professional, a doctor, whomever) tells a higher-weight person that they should not lift weights/lift heavy weights/strength train etc. Get full access to Weight and Healthcare at weightandhealthcare.substack.com/subscribe...
In their zeal to medicalize and pathologize higher-weight bodies for profit, the weight loss industry (and the advocacy groups they fund, and the elements of healthcare they influence) have worked hard to claim that “ob*sity” is a disease and then manipulate the definitions of ob*sity to their best interest. Let’s look at some: Get full access to Weight and Healthcare at weightandhealthcare.substack.com/subscribe...
Moving forward I’m going to be writing about efforts on a number of fronts that are trying to recommend weight loss and, in particular, weight loss drugs to older adults. Much of this is part of the weight loss industry’s holy grail of getting their drugs approved by Medicare, so I wanted to provide some basics around this today. Get full access to Weight and Healthcare at weightandhealthcare.substack.com/subscribe...
Every single day I hear from people who have had terrible experiences with healthcare providers. I often write about issues with overt weight stigma and the weight-loss paradigm in working higher-weight with patients/clients. Today I’d like to discuss things that often get said in front of these patients, but not to them. These things can cause significant harm, including damaging the relationship between the provider and the patient, making the patient less likely to be open and honest, and dri...
This is the Weight and Healthcare newsletter ! If you like what you are reading, please consider subscribing and/or sharing! This is the final in a three-part series about Tirzepatide (Brand name Mounjaro for Type 2 diabetes and Zepbound for Weight Loss.) In part one we discussed the basics of the drug, in part 2 we discussed the authors of this study and finally, in part three we’ll finish discussing the most recent study on Zepbound - SURMOUNT -4. (the text in italics is from the study itself....
In part one I gave a summary of the drug Tirzepatide. Today we’re going to begin a look into the most recent study of Tirzepatide for weight loss under the brand name Zepbound - the SURMOUNT – 4 trial. Get full access to Weight and Healthcare at weightandhealthcare.substack.com/subscribe...
Zepbound (one of the brand names for Tirzepatide) is a newly approved “weight loss medication” (more on that in a moment) delivered by weekly injection. Today we’ll talk about the basics of the drug, and over the next two parts we’ll do a deep dive into the latest research. Get full access to Weight and Healthcare at weightandhealthcare.substack.com/subscribe
Reader Patty asked:”I’m confused, it seems like these new weight loss drugs have some dangerous side effects, but they are FDA approved so doesn’t that mean they are safe?” Thanks for the great question, Patty! Get full access to Weight and Healthcare at weightandhealthcare.substack.com/subscribe
On the days when I need some hope and good news, I think about Medical Students for Size Inclusivity . In their own words “We are a community of medical students raising awareness about the harms of weight discrimination in the healthcare system. We believe all people, regardless of their weight, body shape, and size, deserve equitable medical treatment and the right to pursue health". They do incredible work, including the GLP-1 Agonist informed consent projec t that I’ve linked to here before....
Reader Barabara asked: ”I’ve tried to look into the “science” Awaken 180 claims to rely on, but there’s not much to go on from their website. Similarly, I’ve tried to find out more about the founder, Paige Lopez, but only the basics seem to be available. Awaken 180 has quite a bit of traction in New England, and they have linked up with professional athletes, as well, which has broadened the appeal. Have you looked into Awaken 180, or would you be willing to do some digging? I would love to have...
Reader Lindsay sent this question in, and it’s one I hear a lot from healthcare practitioners in the Q&As after my talks: If I’m practicing patient-centered care, doesn’t that mean that if a patient’s goal is weight loss then I need to offer them weight management interventions? This is a tricky question, and I’m not going to make a yes/no pronouncement, but here are some things to think about... Get full access to Weight and Healthcare at weightandhealthcare.substack.com/subscribe...
Content note: Many of you requested this piece and I think it’s important to talk about, but I also want to let you know that today’s piece might be a tough read. It discusses the lack of care for, and harm done to, higher-weight patients by Bellevue Hospital’s weight loss surgery program. Please take care of yourself. An expose by the New York Times has revealed that New York’s famed Bellevue Hospital is churning patients through its weight loss surgery program: Get full access to Weight and He...
I received the following request from reader Anisha: I like the in-depth reviews you have of the studies for Wegovy, but I’m talking to a lot of friends and family about this and it would help to have something that’s easier to read. If you are open to writing it you would have my thanks! You got it Anisha! This is a quick guide to Wegovy/Ozempic for weight loss. Get full access to Weight and Healthcare at weightandhealthcare.substack.com/subscribe...
BMI-Based denials of care are about holding healthcare hostage for a weight loss ransom. A ransom that most people won’t be able to pay. Today I’m talking about resources that can be used to fight BMI-based denials for lumbar spinal surgery. Get full access to Weight and Healthcare at weightandhealthcare.substack.com/subscribe
Happy 2024! I am ready for another year of writing about the intersections of weight science, weight stigma, and healthcare and I’m glad you are here reading! This is the Weight and Healthcare newsletter ! If you like what you are reading, please consider subscribing and/or sharing! I received the following question from reader Lisa: I notice that when you write about things that can hurt larger people’s health you usually mention weight cycling, weight stigma, and healthcare inequalities. I’ve ...
This is the Weight and Healthcare newsletter ! If you like what you are reading, please consider subscribing and/or sharing! Part one of this was published on December 13 , but this piece was pre-empted when the USPSTF put forth dangerous dieting recommendations for children (remember that the public comment period ends January 16.) In the past I’ve written pieces specifically about issues and mistakes that are made with terminology that is used…let’s call it differently in weight science as wel...
