The hottest Obesity 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 Obesity
  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.

It's OK not to be fat

Noahpinion • 30000 implied HN points • 07 Jun 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. Losing weight can be more about paying attention to what you eat rather than just having strong willpower. Being mindful of how much you eat and when you stop can make it easier to lose weight.
  2. Technological solutions, like certain weight-loss drugs, may be better at addressing obesity than social solutions. These medications can help suppress appetite and lead to effective and sustainable weight loss.
  3. Weight loss doesn't have to be a moral or self-worth issue. It's just a matter of managing hunger and attention, and using tools to simplify the process can free up time for more important things.

If it was just linoleic acid depletion..

Experimental Fat Loss • 198 implied HN points • 22 Feb 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. Linoleic acid from seed oils is hypothesized to drive obesity and is stored in body fat, so tissue levels can take several years to fall after dietary change, which makes short-term studies a poor test.
  2. People on low-PUFA diets often see big early weight loss then long plateaus, and experimenting with different foods or additives (rice, sugar, vinegar, lowering salt/glutamate) sometimes produces new lows.
  3. If the linoleic-depletion model is true, further weight loss should be slow and tied to how fast adipose LA drops, but if the dietary additives are effective you should see steadier month-to-month losses; watching results over the next few months can help tell these apart.

The changing (and perhaps surprising) geography of diabetes

Sustainability by numbers • 427 implied HN points • 02 Feb 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  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.

The Scientifically Shaky Definitions of "Obesity"

Weight and Healthcare • 958 implied HN points • 27 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. The weight loss industry manipulates the definitions of obesity to suit their profit-driven agenda, claiming it as a disease and influencing healthcare elements.
  2. Common definitions of obesity by organizations like the CDC and NIH raise questions about objectivity and scientific accuracy in diagnosing obesity.
  3. The push by the weight loss industry to expand the market for weight loss drugs raises concerns about pathologizing higher-weight bodies and the need to shift away from a weight-centric paradigm.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Understanding the Obesity Bill of Rights - Part 1

Weight and Healthcare • 659 implied HN points • 20 Apr 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. The 'Obesity Bill of Rights' is part of a movement lobbying for insurance coverage for weight loss industry products and interventions.
  2. The language used in the 'Obesity Bill of Rights' is rooted in marketing from weight loss companies, not in science.
  3. The rights proposed in the 'Obesity Bill of Rights' seem to prioritize weight loss industry profits over actual healthcare for higher-weight individuals.

The Next, Episode #51

The Next Brand • 609 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  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.

Common Terminology and Statistics Issues- Part 2

Weight and Healthcare • 738 implied HN points • 27 Dec 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. Using percentages without proper context can be misleading, it's crucial to provide a full picture for accurate interpretation.
  2. Understanding the difference between relative and absolute risk in statistics can prevent manipulation and provide a clearer view of the data.
  3. Different methods for handling dropouts in trials, like LOCF and BOCF, can impact outcomes significantly and need careful consideration in research.

💊💉 Will the anti-obesity wonder drugs work wonders for the US economy?

Faster, Please! • 1553 implied HN points • 30 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Obesity
  1. GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy could change the way we treat obesity and have a huge positive impact on health. They work by helping individuals lose weight and may also lower the risk of serious diseases like diabetes and Alzheimer's.
  2. These medications could boost the US economy significantly. Estimates suggest that by improving health and productivity, they might help increase the GDP by about 0.5 to 1 percent in rich countries.
  3. The overall benefits of health innovations, including GLP-1 drugs, aren't fully captured in traditional economic measures. They can lead to a better quality of life and longer life expectancy, which is valuable beyond just the numbers.

Wegovy’s So-Called “Long-Term” Study

Weight and Healthcare • 758 implied HN points • 27 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. The study on Wegovy's long-term effects raised concerns about the definition of 'long-term' in the context of a 2-year study.
  2. The conflicts of interest among the study authors, who receive funding and support from Novo Nordisk, the drug manufacturer, raise questions about the study's credibility.
  3. The study revealed high rates of adverse events among participants taking Semaglutide, emphasizing the risks associated with such weight loss medications.

The Problem With “Classes” of “Obesity"

Weight and Healthcare • 678 implied HN points • 10 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. The concept of 'obesity' based on BMI can be problematic and does not account for individual health variations.
  2. Classifications of obesity, especially in healthcare, can lead to biased treatment recommendations favoring weight loss over evidence-based, weight-neutral care.
  3. The arbitrary nature of BMI 'classes' for obesity can result in significant differences in treatment recommendations with just small changes in weight, perpetuating weight stigma and inequality in healthcare.

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 Obesity
  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.

Reader Question: What is Relapsing Remitting Obesity

Weight and Healthcare • 639 implied HN points • 13 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. Relapsing Remitting Obesity is a term used in the context of repeated weight loss attempts followed by long-term weight gain.
  2. This concept of weight cycling has been shown to have serious negative impacts on health outcomes, which may be wrongly attributed to body size.
  3. The re-branding of weight cycling as Relapsing Remitting Obesity by the weight loss industry serves as a marketing tactic to perpetuate the cycle of failed products and interventions.

ObesityWeek and The Obesity Society - Part 1

Weight and Healthcare • 579 implied HN points • 25 Oct 23
🏥 Health Politics Obesity
  1. ObesityWeek is organized by The Obesity Society, serving the weight loss industry rather than focusing on supporting the health of higher-weight individuals
  2. The Obesity Society uses its research journal, Obesity, to publish articles that align with its weight-centric paradigm
  3. ObesityWeek is a lucrative event for The Obesity Society, with significant revenue coming from sponsors and exhibitors

Friday Q&A: Mounjaro vs. Ozempic; forgetfulness; the snoring bed partner; & COVID testing

Are You Okay? • 439 implied HN points • 24 Nov 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. Mounjaro and Ozempic are medications for treating type 2 diabetes; Mounjaro also has a version for obesity, Zepbound. Both types of drugs improve insulin sensitivity, reduce blood sugar levels, and promote weight loss.
  2. Forgetfulness about simple things like names of familiar items could be a part of normal aging rather than a sign of dementia. However, if there are persistent concerns, it's best to consult a healthcare provider.
  3. Maintaining a balanced lifestyle with a healthy diet, regular exercise, and realistic expectations is essential for the effective use of medications like Mounjaro, Ozempic, and related drugs.

Fat Shaming and Free Will

Richard Hanania's Newsletter • 3803 implied HN points • 17 Apr 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. Some argue that being overweight is not a choice, but a result of genetic and environmental factors.
  2. The concept of 'choice' is defined as a human behavior that responds to incentives.
  3. Shaming can play a role in influencing behaviors like eating and exercise, as seen with smoking cessation campaigns.

The Problem with the Edmonton Obesity Staging System – Part 1

Weight and Healthcare • 539 implied HN points • 27 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  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.

Weight Loss Surgery and Kids Part 1

Weight and Healthcare • 519 implied HN points • 29 Jul 23
🏥 Health & Wellness 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.

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 Obesity
  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.

Study Looks at Higher-Weight People and Nursing Practice

Weight and Healthcare • 499 implied HN points • 23 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. The nursing care of higher-weight individuals (Class III ob*sity) lacks high-quality evidence and requires better equipment and education for improved outcomes.
  2. Healthcare facilities often lack proper equipment to accommodate higher-weight patients, leading to patient harm and blaming of the patients instead of acknowledging the lack of accommodation.
  3. There is a need for more research and evidence-based practices in wound management for higher-weight patients, without using weight stigma as an excuse to deny care.

The Truth About ObesityWeek - Part 2

Weight and Healthcare • 439 implied HN points • 28 Oct 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. ObsityWeek focuses on promoting the weight-centric paradigm in healthcare by connecting weight with health and disease, potentially leading to harmful practices.
  2. Corporate influence is prevalent at ObsityWeek through sponsored symposia and key lectures, where pharmaceutical companies push for weight-centric treatments like medications and surgeries.
  3. There is a disconnect at ObsityWeek between celebrating weight loss industry figures and the lack of progress in reducing the population of higher-weight individuals, highlighting the profit-driven nature of the field.

The Truth About The Obesity Action Coalition

Weight and Healthcare • 639 implied HN points • 04 Mar 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) is not an advocacy group for higher-weight people, but predominantly funded by and lobbies for the priorities of the weight loss industry.
  2. OAC's priorities aim to expand Medicare coverage for weight loss interventions, revealing ties to the weight loss industry such as funding from companies producing weight loss drugs and surgical equipment.
  3. There are parallels between OAC's actions and the tactics used by pharmaceutical companies in the past, like Purdue Pharma, to influence healthcare organizations and profit from weight loss interventions.

Of Ozempic and Wegovy: Obesity can be an Illness

The Frontier Psychiatrists • 353 implied HN points • 21 Apr 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. Obesity can be considered an illness, impacted by factors like medications, lifestyle changes, and health conditions.
  2. Medical treatments like semaglutide (Ozempic) can help improve metabolic health in individuals with obesity and related conditions like diabetes.
  3. It's important to consider the risks of inaction in managing obesity and related health issues, alongside the risks of treatments, with a focus on improving quality of life.

Weight Loss Surgery and Kids - Part 4

Weight and Healthcare • 339 implied HN points • 09 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. Conflicts of interest exist among authors and funders, and data sources used lack adequate subjects and follow-up time to support recommendations.
  2. Surgery recommendations based on correlation between weight and health issues, rather than exploring confounding variables or comparing surgical interventions to health-supporting behaviors.
  3. Long-term safety and efficacy of bariatric surgery for children and adolescents is not fully supported by the limited data available, raising concerns about the validity of the recommendations.

Why Are We Getting Fatter? | Part III: Eating Fat Like Never Before

Mind & Matter • 196 implied HN points • 06 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. The type of fats we are consuming now is different from what our ancestors ate.
  2. Consuming high levels of omega-6 PUFAs while being deficient in omega-3s can promote inflammation and metabolic dysfunction.
  3. Changes in dietary fat consumption trends, such as a shift towards more plant-based fats, have influenced the balance of fatty acids we consume.

Ghosts of Diet Culture Past

Weight and Healthcare • 579 implied HN points • 24 Dec 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. Weight is not the direct cause of health issues, and mistaking correlation for causation can lead to harmful cycles in healthcare.
  2. Historically, fat people faced barriers like lack of insurance coverage and delayed care, impacting their health outcomes.
  3. Diet culture's focus on weight loss has often led to harmful practices without long-term benefits, perpetuated by the diet industry and healthcare providers.

Weight Loss Surgery and Kids Part 2

Weight and Healthcare • 299 implied HN points • 12 Aug 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. The study on weight loss surgeries did not focus on pediatric populations, making its relevance to children in question. The short follow-up periods in the study are concerning for assessing long-term implications of surgeries.
  2. The study authors' potential conflicts of interest raise concerns about the objectivity of their research, especially when making recommendations for surgical treatments, including for children.
  3. The study's methodology and statistical analysis may not present a comprehensive view of the risks and effectiveness of weight loss surgeries, potentially downplaying negative outcomes and psychological impacts.

What causes obesity & how to reverse it

Experimental Fat Loss • 339 implied HN points • 26 Jan 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. Cutting down on linoleic acid found in seed oils is key to reversing obesity. This type of fat is everywhere in modern foods and affects how hungry we feel.
  2. Many diets can help, but turning to either a low-carb (keto) or low-fat (carbo) approach can be beneficial, depending on what works best for you.
  3. Restricting protein intake can also aid in weight loss. Some people find eating less protein helps their body shed fat more easily.

Testing the Edmonton Obesity Staging System

Weight and Healthcare • 259 implied HN points • 30 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. The Edmonton Obesity Staging System classifies people based on health issues, but fails to prove the necessity or effectiveness of weight loss interventions for higher stages.
  2. The study authors have conflicts of interest in the weight loss industry, promoting a body-size-as-disease paradigm without concrete evidence of its benefits.
  3. Health-supporting behaviors like fruit/vegetable consumption and fitness were shown to be more important than weight management in improving health outcomes.

Why The WHO Shouldn't Grant Diet Drug Request To Be Added To Essential Medicine List - Part 3

Weight and Healthcare • 299 implied HN points • 15 Apr 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. The research on the effectiveness, harms, and benefits of diet drugs requesting to be added to the WHO essential medicine list has several key issues: short study durations not capturing long-term effects, small and non-representative study populations, minimal weight loss effects, and failure to adequately assess adverse events.
  2. Cost-effectiveness analyses supporting the diet drugs are based on assumptions that being higher weight correlates with lower health-related quality of life and a belief that the treatment will induce weight loss and health benefits, which are not adequately proven by the research cited.
  3. The research includes conflicts of interest, such as studies funded by the drug manufacturers, and lack of long-term data to support claims of efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness. These factors raise concerns about the suitability of these drugs for the WHO essential medicine list.

Why Are We Getting Fatter? | Part II: Decomposing Fats & Carbs

Mind & Matter • 157 implied HN points • 28 Dec 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. Calories are not interchangeable; different types of foods with the same caloric content can have distinct metabolic consequences.
  2. Total calories alone cannot account for the rise in obesity and diabetes rates; the macronutrient composition of diets has changed over time.
  3. Carbohydrate and fat intake have shifted over the years, with varying trends in protein, saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats consumption.

One Year of the Heart Attack Diet

The Heart Attack Diet • 139 implied HN points • 13 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. Polyunsaturated fats might be a likely cause of obesity and modern diseases, leading to weight gain and negative health effects.
  2. The traditional 'eat less, exercise more' weight loss advice can be ineffective, and experimenting with different diets and food components may lead to varying results.
  3. Sulphite preservatives and high polyunsaturated fat content in certain foods can have adverse effects on health, causing issues like hangovers and weight fluctuations.

Nutrition & Health News This Week

Unsettled Science • 772 implied HN points • 15 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. Harvard longevity expert David Sinclair faced challenges in his career due to questions about the science behind his longevity claims for resveratrol, affecting his reputation and leading to his resignation.
  2. Recent dietary guidelines in Germany emphasizing less meat and dairy in favor of grains and vegetables have raised concerns among experts, including questioning the soundness of these plant-based recommendations.
  3. A study using data from the influential Nurses Health Study at Harvard School of Public Health revealed that even those who followed U.S. dietary guidelines on fat consumption still gained weight, shedding doubt on the effectiveness of these dietary recommendations.

Why Are We Getting Fatter? | Part I: Diet Advice, Health Trends & Informational Obesity

Mind & Matter • 157 implied HN points • 12 Dec 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. The rise in obesity rates continues despite no increase in calorie consumption or decrease in physical activity.
  2. There is a lot of conflicting diet advice and information overload, leading to confusion and misinformation.
  3. Metabolic health can be affected by various factors like body fat, food intake, and specific macronutrient composition of the diet.

TGIF: Nutrition News

Unsettled Science • 818 implied HN points • 16 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. Ketogenic diet can help reduce alcohol cravings based on a small study, which also showed benefits in mice and humans.
  2. NIH is investing $190 million in short-term nutrition studies with questionable value, sparking concerns about meaningful data and focus.
  3. Weight-loss prescriptions among U.S. service members, along with rising obesity rates in military, raise questions about the effectiveness of current dietary guidelines and the impact on national security.

Does This Study Really Show How To Maintain Weight Loss?

Weight and Healthcare • 439 implied HN points • 05 Nov 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. The study on maintaining weight loss analyzed a small sample of participants who were considered 'successes' by Weight Watchers, a fraction of their total enrollment.
  2. The study included participants who had lost weight and maintained it for just one year, even though research shows weight regain within five years is common.
  3. Many responses in the study highlighted motivations like escaping weight stigma and persevering through challenges, raising questions about the effectiveness of weight loss maintenance strategies.

TGIF: Nutrition & Health News

Unsettled Science • 675 implied HN points • 08 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. FDA approved an over-the-counter glucose monitor, making it easier for people to track blood sugar levels, important for weight loss and managing diabetes
  2. Labrador retrievers with a specific gene mutation struggle with obesity, showing lower metabolic rate and greater hunger, shedding light on genetic factors affecting weight
  3. FDA permitted a qualified health claim that yogurt 'may' prevent type 2 diabetes, based on limited scientific evidence, raising concerns about potential health risks of promoting foods high in added sugars

New Guidelines for Weight Loss Surgery?

Weight and Healthcare • 379 implied HN points • 23 Nov 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. New guidelines for weight loss surgery have been released by organizations representing those who profit from these surgeries. These guidelines aim to expand the market for weight loss surgeries by lowering BMI thresholds and targeting younger patients.
  2. The guidelines rely on questionable ideas such as pathologizing higher-weight bodies and setting low expectations for weight loss surgery outcomes.
  3. There is a lack of long-term data supporting these new guidelines, raising concerns about the risks and efficacy of weight loss surgeries, especially for children and adolescents.