The hottest Chronic Disease Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Health & Wellness Topics

Is It Possible to Be Healthy at Every Size?

Cremieux Recueil • 253 implied HN points • 24 Mar 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Chronic Disease
  1. Some people are labeled "metabolically healthy obese," but that category is defined inconsistently and applies to only a small share of people with obesity, mostly those with milder excess weight.
  2. Metabolically healthy obesity is often temporary — many people transition to metabolically unhealthy obesity over years, and even while 'healthy' they still face higher risks of diabetes, heart disease, and death than metabolically healthy lean people.
  3. Excess fat causes many harms beyond the metabolic markers (worse blood sugar control, visceral fat effects, cancer risk, sleep apnea, liver and joint damage, reproductive and inflammatory problems, and social harms), so the idea that people can be healthy at every size is not supported by the evidence.

OPINION: The GOP Plan to Right-Size the NIH and Provide Oversight Does Not Go Far Enough

Popular Rationalism • 693 implied HN points • 05 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Chronic Disease
  1. The GOP wants to cut the number of NIH disease centers and add political oversight, but that won't fix deeper problems. Chronic diseases are a big issue, and the focus needs to shift towards prevention, not just treatment.
  2. NIH spends a lot on traditional pharmaceutical research, but it often ignores integrative medicine, which could really help with chronic illnesses. More research into things like diet and lifestyle changes can make a big difference.
  3. #PlanB suggests decentralizing research by creating many independent labs that can focus on local health needs. It prioritizes prevention and transparency, aiming to better address the long-term health problems facing the country.

Big Food Is Killing Our Children

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 524 implied HN points • 10 Feb 26
🏥 Health Politics Chronic Disease
  1. Big Food and government-backed policies have prioritized profit over kids' health, pushing unhealthy foods that contribute to rising childhood obesity.
  2. The problem is large and growing: obesity rates in children have nearly quadrupled since the 1970s, about 36% of kids are overweight or obese, and roughly one in four teenagers now has type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.
  3. Even though the U.S. spends more on health care than any country, Americans are getting sicker with falling life expectancy and more chronic disease, and many parents no longer trust public health experts, fueling calls for change.

The changing (and perhaps surprising) geography of diabetes

Sustainability by numbers • 427 implied HN points • 02 Feb 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Chronic Disease
  1. Diabetes is rising much faster in South Asia, parts of Africa, the Middle East and some Pacific islands than in Europe or North America, with countries like Pakistan showing some of the highest age‑standardised rates.
  2. Rising overweight and obesity — even where undernutrition still exists — is the main modifiable driver of type II diabetes, and these increases have been rapid in many low‑ and middle‑income countries.
  3. Certain ethnic groups, especially South Asians, develop diabetes at lower BMIs because they tend to carry more visceral fat. That means modest weight gain leads to much higher risk, and many cases stay undiagnosed or untreated as health systems struggle to keep up.

Major NIH Nutrition Trials on Diet & Health Ignored

Unsettled Science • 1738 implied HN points • 11 Jul 25
🏥 Health Politics Chronic Disease
  1. Many important nutrition trials conducted by the NIH have been ignored when creating US Dietary Guidelines. This is concerning, as these studies were large and lasted several years.
  2. The results showed that low-fat diets and reducing saturated fats did not prevent major health issues like heart disease or cancer. In fact, some trials indicated that these diets might even increase health risks.
  3. The current nutritional guidelines still promote these low-fat recommendations, despite a wealth of evidence against them. There's a call for the NIH to stop funding studies emphasizing low-fat diets and saturated fat restrictions.
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Sunday Strip: Eat Real Food

Who is Robert Malone • 35 implied HN points • 15 Feb 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Chronic Disease
  1. Avoiding added sugar and eating real, whole foods can lead to weight loss and reduce the risk of pre-diabetes and other chronic diseases.
  2. Simple, consistent habits — not complicated plans — can be sustained long term and help keep 40–50 pounds off for years.
  3. Choosing real food supports farmers and local food systems, so your diet can benefit both your health and the community.

Here's what we're getting ourselves into

Your Local Epidemiologist • 2286 implied HN points • 21 Jan 25
🏥 Health Politics Chronic Disease
  1. Many people think natural things are always good, but that's not true. Some natural things can be harmful, like germs that cause diseases.
  2. It's important to rely on science rather than just the appeal of nature. Some human-made medicines save lives, even when natural solutions sound better.
  3. We need policies that look at the real issues affecting health, not just ones that follow popular but incorrect ideas about nature. Ignoring the complexities can lead to more health problems.

A Closer Look at the 2026 U.S. Food Guidelines

Experimental Fat Loss • 77 implied HN points • 11 Jan 26
🏥 Health Politics Chronic Disease
  1. The 2026 U.S. dietary guidelines emphasize "eat real food" and cut back on ultra-processed foods. They stop demonizing saturated fat and explicitly include full-fat dairy and traditional fats like butter and tallow.
  2. The guidelines push prioritizing protein (about 1.2–1.6 g/kg), which will likely nudge people from processed, seed‑oil‑heavy foods toward more meat and dairy and may help population health, though some individuals do better with lower protein.
  3. Because government guidance shapes hospital, school, military, and packaged food choices, this shift could meaningfully reduce seed oil use and change what Americans actually eat, making the institutional impact as important as the individual advice.

The Next, Episode #51

The Next Brand • 609 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Chronic Disease
  1. Ozempic, a GLP-1 agonist, is being hyped as a solution to obesity, but it may not address the real issues of metabolic health in America.
  2. Ozempic, despite its weight loss claims, may result in serious side effects, including muscle and bone loss, gastrointestinal events, and more.
  3. The push to fund drugs like Ozempic with taxpayer money raises concerns about cost, corruption, and missed opportunities to address root causes of health issues.

Seeing the Forest for the Trees

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1187 implied HN points • 10 Dec 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Chronic Disease
  1. Eating well is really important for health. A better diet can help reduce the risk of diseases and save money on healthcare.
  2. Staying active helps improve overall health, but many people find it difficult due to challenges like unsafe neighborhoods or busy schedules. People need safe spaces and support to exercise.
  3. Reducing substance use, like smoking and excessive drinking, is crucial for health. Public health efforts have made progress, but more work is needed to keep improving.

Reader Question: Why do they say that "obesity" is a chronic disease like asthma and type 2 diabetes?

Weight and Healthcare • 918 implied HN points • 01 Mar 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Chronic Disease
  1. Obesity being labeled as a chronic disease like asthma and type 2 diabetes is misleading and harmful.
  2. The weight loss industry benefits from portraying obesity as a disease, pushing for lifelong treatments like expensive drugs.
  3. The enmeshment of the weight loss industry in healthcare can lead to misinformation and harm, as well-meaning healthcare practitioners get caught up in it.

This new class of weight loss drugs are costly - but is there a greater price to ignoring the problem?

Second Opinion • 511 implied HN points • 30 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Chronic Disease
  1. Obesity is a complex chronic disease that needs to be treated seriously.
  2. New weight loss drugs are effective and show promising results, but they are costly and come with side effects.
  3. It's important to consider a variety of evidence-based solutions, including lifestyle interventions, in tackling the obesity epidemic.

Get ready to eat beans, peas, lentils--as cuts in meat, poultry, and eggs are proposed for next Dietary Guidelines

Unsettled Science • 800 implied HN points • 08 Nov 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Chronic Disease
  1. The new Dietary Guidelines may suggest eating less meat, poultry, and eggs for everyone. This change could encourage more consumption of beans, peas, and lentils.
  2. Changing the guidelines is important because they influence what food programs, like school lunches, serve. The guidelines can also impact health issues like obesity and diabetes in children.
  3. There seems to be a long-standing bias against animal foods in these guidelines, with a focus on vegetarian and vegan diets despite concerns about nutrient deficiencies from those diets.

Long Before Suspicions Arose About A Lab Leak, Government Scientists Were Fiddling With Bugs to Make Them More Deadly

The DisInformation Chronicle • 640 implied HN points • 28 Feb 23
🏥 Health Politics Chronic Disease
  1. Government scientists were conducting research to make bugs more deadly and contagious, potentially contributing to the increase in Lyme disease cases.
  2. There is evidence suggesting that Lyme disease may have an unnatural origin related to bioweapons research programs.
  3. There are challenges in addressing chronic Lyme disease, with issues surrounding testing, treatment, and the development of effective vaccines.

A (Draft) Blueprint for the Reorganization of the FDA

Who is Robert Malone • 15 implied HN points • 18 Nov 24
🏥 Health Politics Chronic Disease
  1. The FDA needs major changes to work better for public health. This involves improving transparency, reducing conflicts of interest, and focusing on its core mission of safety.
  2. A complete reorganization could help the FDA better respond to health issues in America and support local farmers while reducing the influence of big corporations.
  3. Revising laws and regulations can help increase the FDA's efficiency, making sure it promotes innovation in medicine while keeping the public safe from harmful products.