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Articles on Obesity series 2018

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A COVID-19 patient is connected to life-sustaining devices at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital in Oceanside, New York on April 14, 2020. Jeffrey Basinger/Newsday via Getty Images

COVID-19 reveals how obesity harms the body in real time, not just over a lifetime

The long-term effects of obesity have been well documented, but immediate effects have not been as evident. The coronavirus is changing all that, as those with obesity seem particularly vulnerable.
Doctors have told people who are overweight to exercise more and eat less, when in fact their overweight may be due to genetic or other factors that exercise won’t change. UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity

A doctor’s open apology to those fighting overweight and obesity

All too often the medical community ‘fat-shames’ patients trying to lose weight, when in fact obesity and overweight are complicated medical issues.
A mix of fats, such as those found in nuts, avocados, salmon and olives, could be healthy and more satisfying. Craevschii Family/Shutterstock.com

Let them eat more fat? Researcher argues that a balance of types of fat is the key

When did eating become so confusing? In the 1960s, studies began to show a link between heart disease and dietary fat, and fat was demonized. As it turns out, fat is nuanced and may not be so bad.
Natural supplements may be popular, but they can have dangerous side effects when they include prescription drugs. Oleksandr Zamuruiev/Shutterstock.com

Beware of natural supplements for sex gain and weight loss

Men who can’t take drugs for erectile dysfunction and overweight people who can’t lose weight sometimes turn to natural supplements, thinking they are safe. Many times, they are not.
Increasing the amount of exercise is one way to use the energy stored in fat cells, or to ‘burn’ fat. HoonQ/Shutterstock.com

How does your body ‘burn’ fat?

Trainers and fitness gurus often tell their charges how to ‘burn fat.’ But what does that actually involve? Here’s a Speed Read on something that actually takes a fairly long time.
The drive to overeat may be rooted in survival brain circuits. Phovoir/Shutterstock.com

Overeating? It may be a brain glitch

New weight loss approaches seek to switch off the brain patterns that drive overeating and weight regain. Here’s how that works, and how it could help you.
Woman in a doctor’s office. Overweight people often turn to doctors for help, but doctors often do not know how to help. Africa Source/Shutterstock.com

Why your doctor may not be able to help you lose weight

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?
The Wizard of Oz promised results he could not deliver but was convincing in his presentation. Diet wizards have done the same for decades. Insomnia Cured Here/Flickr.com

New medical advances marking the end of a long reign for ‘diet wizards’

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.
Pet obesity often says more about an owner’s relationship with their pet than the animal itself. Susan Schmitz/shutterstock.com

Why are so many of our pets overweight?

More than half of dogs and cats around the globe are overweight. Are well-intentioned owners to blame?
A woman exercising. Thousands of people will be doing the same this week in an effort to lose weight, a perennial resolution. UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity

Our fight with fat: Why is obesity getting worse?

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.
A man who is overweight walking alone in a park. Walking with a doctor could be helpful for overweight patients. Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity

Why walking with your doctor could be better than talking with your doctor

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?
A plate of fattening food is harder for some people to resist than others. Milan Gordic/Shutterstock.com

What thin people don’t understand about dieting

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.

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