What do Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg, Amy Schumer, and Elon Musk have in common? They all tried weight loss medications, with varying success. Medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound may literally save or lengthen the lives of overweight people. If you need them, take them. Celebrities may be invested in looking their best, but […]
If you are obese, you increase food intake triggered by hunger, cravings, loss of control, and foraging behavior. You may not realize it, but you also have reduced metabolism when at rest. All of this leads to fat accumulation. Book Review: Nature Wants Us to Be Fat, by Richard J. Johnson, MD Dr. Johnson is […]
Obesity is a significant public health crisis. Weight Watchers (now WW) was consistently ranked as the top weight loss program. Imagine the surprise of its members to find that their trusted program filed for bankruptcy. Weight Watchers filed for bankruptcy to eliminate debt and to eliminate $1.15 billion in debt and focus on its transition […]
During his Senate confirmation hearing to serve as Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. suggested antidepressant drugs may be as addictive as heroin. Research doesn’t support his claim. “I know people, including members of my family, who’ve had a much worse time getting off of SSRIs than they have getting off of […]
Let me guess. You made a New Year’s Resolution to diet and exercise, and you’ve already faltered. You’re not alone. Based on a study published by Drive Research, 23% of adults quit their New Year’s resolutions by the end of the first week, and 43% quit by the end of January. If only there were […]
On Saturday, January 18, 2025, the world witnessed an unexpected and unprecedented event in the realm of social media: the sudden ban of TikTok. Authorities cited concerns over user data privacy and national security as the primary reasons for the ban. The announcement sent shockwaves through the global digital community of over a billion users. […]
If only life came with a blueprint for managing its ups and downs. We struggle through, with both strengths and weaknesses, doing the best we can. Sometimes life gets messy. We can look at research from UNICEF, UNESCO, and WHO, who named the top ten life skills. They are critical thinking, creative thinking, decision-making, problem-solving, […]
New Year’s Day represents a new chapter, prompting some people to reflect on past experiences and set intentions for the coming year. During the reflection, people assess accomplishments, identify areas for improvement, and celebrate successes. We can use those insights to set better goals and strategies for the upcoming year. Reviewing your progress can also […]
Politics can be contentious, but the Trump-Harris election almost became an act of mortal combat. For some families, home felt more like a boxing ring than a place of respite. More and more political differences are leading to divorce. Imagine a democratic wife who feels betrayed by her Republican husband because she perceives his vote […]
This is the last column in a series highlighting weight loss. I presented Prochaska and DiClemente’s Stages of Change model. You have moved past denial (pre-contemplation), recognized a need for change (contemplation), gathered information and resources (preparation), developed a plan of action (action), and have had success in the maintenance stage (maintenance). You are prepared […]