The hottest Health & Wellness Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Health & Wellness Topics

On Being Goofy

Ladyparts • 838 implied HN points • 19 Mar 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-Acceptance Physical activity Mental well-being Relationships
  1. Being true to your authentic, goofy self is important and can be valued by those who appreciate you for who you are.
  2. Embracing your quirks and unique qualities can lead to fulfilling relationships where you are accepted and celebrated.
  3. Sometimes, stepping out of your comfort zone and facing challenges on your own can lead to personal growth and empowerment.

Study Shows Lack of Link Between High BMI and COVID Deaths

Weight and Healthcare • 698 implied HN points • 22 Mar 23
🏥 Health & Wellness COVID-19 Research Body Weight Health Inequality Fat Activism
  1. Some studies rushed during the pandemic suggested a link between high BMI and COVID deaths, but a recent umbrella review found serious quality concerns with these conclusions.
  2. The study focused on the quality and certainty of the evidence regarding the association between high BMI and COVID mortality.
  3. Healthcare inequalities can impact outcomes for higher-weight individuals, and research often pathologizes body size without fully considering all confounding factors.

The Anxious Generation is Almost Here

After Babel • 2390 implied HN points • 11 Dec 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Parenting Book release Childhood Technology
  1. The book discusses the impact of overprotection in the real world and underprotection in the virtual world on children.
  2. The book suggests actions like making schools phone-free and holding social media companies accountable are needed for a healthier childhood.
  3. The book aims to empower teachers, parents, and Gen Z to understand the issues and work together to reclaim a more grounded, less digitally dependent life.
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The Problem with the Edmonton Obesity Staging System – Part 1

Weight and Healthcare • 539 implied HN points • 27 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity Healthcare Weight Stigma Mental health
  1. The Edmonton Obesity Staging System focuses on categorizing fat people based on weight-related health issues, despite lacking evidence of the benefits of aggressive weight management.
  2. Critics argue that the system pathologizes bodies solely based on size and overlooks other factors like weight stigma, healthcare inequalities, and weight cycling.
  3. The system's stages imply that health issues are directly tied to obesity but fail to address the fact that these issues affect people of all sizes, suggesting a need for a shift in focus toward holistic health support.

Key Words That Have a Different Meaning In Weight Science Research

Weight and Healthcare • 539 implied HN points • 17 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight Science Research
  1. The concept of 'long term' in weight science research can be misleading, with studies claiming 'long-term' follow-ups that are actually quite short.
  2. The term 'significant' in weight science research can be manipulated to make small weight losses seem important, leading to misleading conclusions.
  3. The idea of 'success' in weight science research is often based on short-term weight loss without considering long-term health outcomes, contributing to the perpetuation of flawed weight loss paradigms.

Friday Q&A: answering your COVID questions

Are You Okay? • 539 implied HN points • 15 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness COVID Prevention Risk Assessment Boosters Masks
  1. Public health experts suggest waiting 6 months after either a vaccine dose or infection to get a COVID booster.
  2. Fit-tested masks may only protect against exposure for a couple of hours; staying away from infected individuals while prioritizing sleep, good food, exercise, and outdoor time are key.
  3. For vulnerable family members, especially those with autoimmune diseases or elderly, balancing social interactions and precautions remains a challenge despite vaccinations and boosters.

Friday Q&A: a mental health roundup

Are You Okay? • 539 implied HN points • 28 Jul 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Aging Anxiety Alcohol Trauma
  1. As people age, they may encounter different life changes and challenges that can contribute to feelings of anxiety, such as health issues, social isolation, and economic worries.
  2. Anxiety is a complex condition influenced by genetics, life experiences, health status, and lifestyle choices. Seeking help from medical professionals and engaging in self-care practices can help improve overall mental health.
  3. Despite alcohol temporarily reducing anxiety symptoms for some individuals, there is a connection between alcohol and anxiety, especially in those with a family history of alcoholism and anxiety disorders.

COVID 2023 (part 1)

Logging the World • 538 implied HN points • 01 Jul 23
🏥 Health & Wellness COVID Evolution Admissions Long Covid
  1. COVID numbers in 2023 are significantly lower than previous years, with restrictions lifted and admissions decreasing for months.
  2. 2023 has been relatively quiet in terms of new COVID variants, with no significant growth in headline variants, but the possibility of an evolution remains.
  3. While concerns about future COVID waves persist, it is suggested to enjoy the present moment and not overly worry about potential scenarios.

Psychedelic-assisted therapy and tribal health: 5 Questions for Indigenous scholar Marlena Robbins

The Microdose • 530 implied HN points • 27 Feb 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychedelics Mental health Public Health
  1. Access to psychedelics on tribal land faces government regulations and limits on self-care.
  2. Bridging traditional Indigenous ceremony with Western science shows the importance of incorporating cultural practices.
  3. Psychedelic-assisted therapy administered through tribes provides culturally informed care, understanding unique ethnic perspectives.

What I wish someone had told me about starting a meditation practice

Sasha's 'Newsletter' • 2171 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Meditation Mindfulness Practice Awareness Techniques
  1. Beginner meditation instructions can be overwhelming and may not suit everyone's experience.
  2. Maintaining broad awareness during meditation can be more calming and natural than narrowing focus to specific sensations.
  3. Adopting a permissive and curious attitude towards meditation practice can lead to more meaningful experiences.

Human Disease Costs $250 Billion Annually Thanks to Toxic Forever Chemicals

SHERO • 314 implied HN points • 11 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Public Health Plastics
  1. Toxic forever chemicals in plastics are linked to human diseases costing $250 billion annually.
  2. Plastics contain harmful chemicals like bisphenols and phthalates that disrupt the endocrine system.
  3. Research shows strong evidence of the detrimental health effects of EDCs on conditions like cancer, diabetes, obesity, and reproductive disorders.

February is American Heart Month: what screenings are available for cardiovascular disease?

News from Those Nerdy Girls • 255 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Heart Health Disease Prevention Physical activity Healthy Lifestyle
  1. Screening for cardiovascular disease involves checking for risk factors like high blood pressure and cholesterol.
  2. Various screenings like EKG, stress test, and coronary calcium score CT scan can help assess risks and symptoms of cardiovascular disease.
  3. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise, balanced diet, and quality sleep can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The first mistake when you wake up to Cluster B

Disaffected Newsletter • 1119 implied HN points • 21 Mar 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Personal Development Psychology Family Dynamics Emotional Well-being
  1. It can be hard to recognize when someone has a Cluster B personality disorder. Often, the person themselves doesn't see anything wrong and believes others are the problem.
  2. When dealing with someone who has a Cluster B disorder, being honest about your feelings may backfire. They are unlikely to accept criticism and could react negatively.
  3. Setting firm boundaries is important when you're dealing with difficult relationships. Sometimes, taking strong action is necessary to protect your own well-being.

Don't Panic, It's Just Cancer

Daniel Golliher • 314 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Cancer Mental health Personal Growth
  1. The author shares their experience with Hodgkin's lymphoma and emphasizes the importance of psychological well-being during cancer treatment.
  2. Reading about other people's experiences with cancer can provide reassurance and guidance for those going through similar journeys.
  3. Writing about personal experiences can help others facing similar challenges feel supported and understood.

Do Small Pharmaceutical Industry Payments Really Influence Doctors?

Weight and Healthcare • 519 implied HN points • 16 Aug 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Medical Ethics Health Research
  1. Studies suggest that even small pharmaceutical industry payments can influence doctors' prescribing patterns
  2. The amount of money received from pharmaceutical companies correlates with increased rates of prescribing brand-name drugs
  3. Research shows that receiving payments from the industry is linked to higher prescribing costs and a greater proportion of branded medication prescribing

Steps for Practitioners to Advocate for Higher-Weight Patients/Clients

Weight and Healthcare • 519 implied HN points • 28 Jun 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Advocacy Weight Stigma Healthcare access Body positivity
  1. Recognize that higher-weight individuals deserve respect and healthcare, regardless of their size.
  2. Shift to a weight-neutral paradigm to support patients in the bodies they have, focusing on health rather than weight loss.
  3. Identify gaps in caring for higher-weight patients, work towards a healthcare system accessible to people of all sizes, and advocate for systemic change.

Weight Loss Surgery and Kids Part 1

Weight and Healthcare • 519 implied HN points • 29 Jul 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight Loss Children Surgery Healthcare Obesity
  1. The study questions the effectiveness of nonsurgical weight management programs in children and emphasizes the need for long-term outcome data, especially regarding weight loss surgery.
  2. The conflict of interest with the authors, who have significant ties to weight loss companies and surgery programs, raises concerns about the objectivity of the study's findings.
  3. Lack of control groups, short follow-up periods, and small sample sizes in the research undermine the conclusions supporting weight loss surgery for children.

Fighting Weight Stigma by Ending Weight Pathologization - Part 2

Weight and Healthcare • 519 implied HN points • 15 Jul 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight Stigma Fat Activism Body positivity
  1. The study focused on using qualitative methods to understand weight stigma by involving medical students and fat community members in narrative workshops.
  2. Participants in the study recognized the complexities of weight stigma in healthcare, including the impact of assumptions, power dynamics, and lack of trust in fat patients' stories.
  3. The intervention helped create depathologizing and empathetic interactions, undermining the power dynamic in medical authority and emphasizing the importance of humanizing interactions to combat weight stigma.

Beachbody's Pseudo Rebrand – I Tried It So You Don’t Have To Part 2

Weight and Healthcare • 519 implied HN points • 24 Jun 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Fitness Body Image Nutrition Weight Loss
  1. Beachbody's rebrand to 'Bodi' still heavily focuses on weight loss rather than health.
  2. The programs offered by Beachbody continue to emphasize slimming, sculpting, and weight loss, lacking representation for diverse body types.
  3. Beachbody's MLM structure and 'wellness coaches' perpetuate the narrative of weight loss over true health and fitness goals.

What To Do When Weight Stigma Makes You Want To Avoid The Doctor

Weight and Healthcare • 519 implied HN points • 07 Jun 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight Stigma Healthcare Mental health Advocacy Self-care
  1. Weight stigma in healthcare can lead to higher-weight individuals avoiding going to the doctor altogether.
  2. It's important to advocate for yourself when facing weight stigma in medical settings and not let it deter you from seeking care.
  3. Bringing along an advocate and practicing how to deal with weight stigma in advance can help improve the healthcare experience.

Friday Q&A: dismissed by doctors; ADHD vs. inattention; vaccines before visiting baby; & osteoporosis meds

Are You Okay? • 519 implied HN points • 23 Jun 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Wellness Mental health Parenting
  1. Medical tests may not always show the full extent of a person's suffering. It's important to communicate to your doctor how your symptoms impact your daily life.
  2. Distinguishing between normal inattention and ADHD can be tricky. Look for consistent patterns of behavior and consider seeking professional advice if unsure.
  3. Advocating for yourself and ensuring your story is heard in medical settings is crucial. Ask questions, seek clarity, and don't hesitate to communicate your concerns.

Why do I forget jobs I have completed?

Brain Pizza • 728 implied HN points • 31 Dec 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Cognitive Science Memory Psychology Self-care
  1. People often forget what they did at work, even if they were busy. This can make it hard to recall specific tasks later.
  2. Our brains sometimes have trouble accessing completed tasks from memory. It's like they get filed away and are hard to find when we need them.
  3. The Zeigarnik Effect explains that we tend to remember unfinished tasks better than completed ones. This means we might focus more on what’s still left to do rather than what has already been accomplished.

Big Pharma Saved My Life

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 653 implied HN points • 31 Jan 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Medical treatment Personal Stories Chronic Illness
  1. The American healthcare system has many problems but still plays a crucial role in saving lives.
  2. Personal experiences highlight the importance of pharmaceutical advancements in treating serious health conditions.
  3. Faith and medical technology together can have a profound impact on survival and recovery from critical illnesses.

Applying The Bradford Hill Criteria To Social Media Use and Adolescent Mental Health

After Babel • 787 implied HN points • 17 Dec 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Addiction Social media Adolescents Public Health
  1. Heavy social media use is linked to poor mental health in teens, like depression and anxiety. This effect is often stronger in vulnerable groups, especially girls.
  2. The Bradford Hill criteria help us explore if social media actually causes mental health issues instead of just being correlated. It's a framework to understand more about how risks might affect health.
  3. Not all social media use is harmful; some might even be okay. The key is moderation and understanding the potential risks, especially for those who might be more affected.

Friday Q&A: Galleri cancer testing; Ozempic; lipoprotein(a) & heart disease; depression vs. seasonal blues

Are You Okay? • 439 implied HN points • 10 Nov 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Medication Preventive measures
  1. The Galleri cancer test is a non-FDA-approved blood test that claims to detect over 50 types of cancer, but has limitations in accuracy with false negatives and false positives.
  2. When it comes to cancer screening, it is crucial to follow evidence-based recommendations such as mammography for breast cancer, colonoscopy for colon cancer, and other specific tests for high-risk individuals.
  3. For those concerned about cancer risk, focusing on known preventive measures like maintaining a healthy lifestyle, limiting alcohol and processed food intake, and regular exercise is important, alongside consulting with a healthcare provider for personalized screening recommendations.

Money, Sex, and In-laws

Polymathic Being • 56 implied HN points • 07 Dec 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Relationships Sexual Health Family Mental health Financial Health Communication
  1. Money: Be transparent and treat finances as a team—talk about values, set shared goals, and avoid secret spending or "my money vs your money" dynamics.
  2. Sex: Talk openly about needs and create intentional intimacy beyond the act itself. Emotional availability and mutual respect help keep desire and connection alive.
  3. In-laws: Make your spouse the primary relationship and set kind, clear boundaries with parents to avoid enmeshment. Decide as a team and protect your marriage's autonomy.

Novo Nordisk (Finally) Faces Some Consequences for Their Deceptive Marketing Tactics - Part 1

Weight and Healthcare • 639 implied HN points • 29 Mar 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Pharmaceuticals Marketing Deception Regulations
  1. Novo Nordisk faced consequences for deceptive marketing tactics such as using astroturf organizations and promoting their drugs without disclosing ties.
  2. The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry suspended Novo Nordisk for breaching their code of practice related to a promotional course and inducing healthcare professionals to prescribe their drug.
  3. Novo Nordisk's appeal for the breach was unsuccessful, leading to public reprimand for failings and suspension for two years from ABPI membership.