We turn to doctors to treat cancer, addiction and high blood pressure. And, they have a lot of training and tools to help us. Why is that not so with obesity?
Dieting fads have been around for more than a century, but none of them has been shown to curb obesity long-term. The good news is that scientific evidence is revealing treatments that do work.
Despite the efforts of millions of Americans, obesity rates continue to climb. Why is it so hard to lose weight and to keep it off? It’s a lot more complicated than just pushing back the plate.
Health care providers often recommend exercise to overweight people as a way to lose weight, but that often does not work. Injuries can occur, and frustration can mount. Can walking with them work?
Dieting is a setup. The act of dieting causes physiological changes that make it hard to continue dieting successfully. Here’s how the body fights back when some people try to lose weight.
Living near lots of fast-food outlets doesn’t automatically encourage weight gain in your neighbourhood, but coupled with a lack of exercise facilities, it just might.
Research shows that children attending schools with low-quality food environments, in poorer neighborhoods, gain more central body fat – putting them at risk of obesity and cardiometabolic disease.
Governments must understand that the factors making cities convenient and productive also make their residents prone to obesity. They must confront this challenge with intelligent, focused policies.
South Africa has problems with hunger and obesity and both are linked to malnutrition. But solutions like taxes, education, regulating food advertising and labelling can help the problem.
Loneliness shortens our life spans and some studies suggest it’s even more lethal than obesity. We are physiologically and psychologically primed for connection, so don’t shrug off your loneliness.
For centuries, people have been trying to lose weight in all sorts of ways – including drinking vinegar, avoiding swamps and stocking up on grapefruit.
Professor and Programme Director, SA MRC Centre for Health Economics and Decision Science - PRICELESS SA (Priority Cost Effective Lessons in Systems Strengthening South Africa), University of the Witwatersrand