I Can’t Cure Your Child’s Obesity

Growing Up, I Imagined a Magical Solution to My Weight Issues. There Isn’t One, But My Clinic Is Finding Ways to Help Families of Overweight Kids.

Of the 10 children in my family, I was the only one who was obese. I didn’t know it at the time, but my family mirrored obesity trends in Holtville, the small town in California where I grew up. In Imperial County, which borders Arizona and Mexico, 1 in 10 people were considered obese in the 1970s and ’80s. I hated being obese. I was teased and didn’t feel good about myself. I’d fantasize about a magical solution that could transform children like me overnight.

Fast forward to the present: I …

by Leticia Ibarra | December 4, 2014

Remember When Trans Fats Were Supposed to Be Good For You?

Eliminating Them, However, Won’t Do Much to Improve Our Health

by William J. McCarthy | March 24, 2014

Not so long ago, it was near impossible to avoid trans fats—more widely known in food ingredient lists as partially hydrogenated oil. Trans fats, which were processed to mimic saturated …

Your Toddler May Soon Be Fat Again

We Have No Clue Why Childhood Obesity Rates Plummeted—Or Why They Rose in the First Place

by Abigail C. Saguy | March 13, 2014

Late last month, a New York Times headline announced: “Obesity Rate for Young Children Plummets 43% in a Decade.” The story, pegged to a study published by researchers at the …

Humiliating Fat People Is Hazardous to Our Health

The War on Obesity Is Counterproductive. Why Not Focus On Better Eating and Living for Everyone?

by Abigail C. Saguy | December 17, 2013

Why is First Lady Michelle Obama supporting the humiliation of fat people? Ms. Obama, who has made fighting childhood obesity her signature issue, recently appeared for the second time on …

We’re Going To Attack Your Donut Eating On All Fronts

How Health Propaganda Will Play Out In the Years Ahead

by Sarah Rothbard | February 27, 2013

As much as social scientists have learned about what drives people’s decision-making, we still haven’t found a silver bullet for changing people’s behavior. Yet at a panel co-presented by UCLA …

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