“Eating fat does not make you fat.”

Report Says UK Government Is Pushing Obesity Epidemic

Posted On June 11, 2016 By Tanya Rakhmilevich

A report recently released by the National Obesity Forum and the Public Health Collaboration (PHC) in the United Kingdom has accused the UK government of collaborating with the food industry and recommending foods that may fuel obesity, rather than fight it.

Made up of general physicians, psychologists, dieticians and cardiologists, the Public Health Collaboration is, according to the report, “a non-profit organisation that is dedicated to informing and implementing healthy decisions.” The PHC’s review of the UK government’s dietary guidelines is scathing, and has drawn a great deal of criticism.

Specifically, the PHC focuses on the government’s recommendation that people should choose low-fat options when it comes to dairy products, as well as the recommendation to use unsaturated oils instead of saturated fats. The authors of the report write:

“The most natural and nutritious foods available — meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts, seeds, olive, avocados — all contain saturated fat. The continued demonisation of omnipresent natural fat drives people away from highly nourishing, wholesome and health-promoting foods.”

In the case of saturated fats, the authors simply state, “Eating fat does not make you fat.”

Forty Percent Of US Women, 17 Percent Of Teenagers Are Obese: CDC

Forty Percent Of US Women, 17 Percent Of Teenagers Are Obese: CDC

11 June 2016, 12:24 am EDT By Katherine Derla Tech Times   

"Individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 are considered overweight. The ones with a BMI of 30 or above are considered obese. Obesity comes with higher risks for developing several diseases such as diabetes, cancers, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease." 

Is sugar really bad for you?

Many nutrition experts say that sugar in moderation is fine for most people but in excess it can lead to metabolic problems beyond its effects on weight gain

Anahad O'connor June 11, 2016 Last Updated at 21:03 IST

Battle of Tarakan 1-25 May 1945

Borneo Campaign

11 Apr 1945 - 15 Aug 1945

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

Battle of Tarakan
1-25 May 1945

"Tarakan was a small island located in the northeastern corner of Borneo. The town and its oil fields were primary objectives when the Japanese invaded in 1942, and again was deemed important when it came for the Allies to invade Borneo. Although its 350,000 barrels per month production could no longer reach Japan due to the Allied occupation of the Philippines (oil so pure that the Japanese could pump them directly into warships without refining, some claimed), Operation Oboe One still provided key airfields that the Allies could use to aid the upcoming campaign against Borneo. The Allies, of course, could use the additional oil production capability that the oil fields could provide."

Disgust made us human

Our ancestors reacted to parasites with overwhelming revulsion, wiring the brain for morals, manners, politics and laws

by Kathleen McAuliffe

"When we’re worried about disease, it appears, we’re drawn not just to Mama’s cooking but also to her beliefs about the proper way to conduct ourselves – especially in the social arena. We place our faith in time-honoured practices probably because they seem like a safer bet when our survival is in jeopardy. Now’s not the time to be embracing a new, untested philosophy of life, whispers a voice in the back of your mind."

"...it has been bittersweet for researchers to discover that, actually, our successful campaigns to reduce smoking may play a role in the growing obesity epidemic."

The Surprising Link Between Obesity And A Smoke-Free America

Public health requires a delicate, and sometimes impossible, balance.

"Smoking is just about the worst thing you can do for your health. It can cause cancer pretty much all over your body, tooth and gum loss, stillbirth, premature death, and many other awful things. 

It’s for these reasons that it has been bittersweet for researchers to discover that, actually, our successful campaigns to reduce smoking may play a role in the growing obesity epidemic.

After the 1964 Surgeon General’s report confirmed that, yes, smoking does cause cancer, the number of tobacco-toking Americans rapidly declined. As of 2014, 16 percent of high school students and adults smoked, down from 42.4 percent in 1964.

Obesity, on the other hand, has more than doubled in a similar time period. Two-thirds of adults in America were overweight or obese — 68.6 percent — as of 2012."

Obesity is one of biggest problem in U.S.

Obesity is one of biggest problem in U.S. – Daly City Tech Part

"For the last several years, experts thought the nation’s alarming, decades-long rise in obesity had leveled off"

"But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report Thursday that the obesity rate has climbed to nearly 38 percent of adults, up from 32 percent about a decade earlier.”This is a striking finding” and suggests that a situation that was thought to be stable is getting worse, said William Dietz, an obesity expert at George Washington University.
Experts said they had no explanation for why the rate appears to be rising.The report, based primarily on a survey conducted in 2013-14, also found the obesity rate was significantly higher for women, at 38 percent, compared with 34 percent for men. The rates for men and women had been roughly the same for about a decade.

Obesity is considered one of the nation’s leading public health problems. Until the early 1980s, only about 1 in 6 adults was obese, but the rate climbed dramatically until it hit about 1 in 3 around a decade ago."

J Med Ethics. 2016 Jun 8. pii: medethics-2016-103400. doi: 10.1136/medethics-2016-103400. [Epub ahead of print]

Predictive genetic testing for neurodegenerative conditions: how should conflicting interests within families be managed?

Stark Z1, Wallace J2, Gillam L3, Burgess M4, Delatycki MB5.

Author information

• 1Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia Victorian Clinical Genetics Services, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
• 2Victorian Clinical Genetics Services, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
• 3Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
• 4Department of Clinical Genetics, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia.
• 5Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia Victorian Clinical Genetics Services, Parkville, Victoria, Australia University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia Department of Clinical Genetics, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia.

Abstract

Predictive genetic testing for a neurodegenerative condition in one individual in a family may have implications for other family members, in that it can reveal their genetic status. Herein a complex clinical case is explored where the testing wish of one family member was in direct conflict to that of another. The son of a person at 50% risk of an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative condition requested testing to reveal his genetic status. The main reason for the request was if he had the familial mutation, he and his partner planned to utilise preimplantation genetic diagnosis to prevent his offspring having the condition. His at-risk parent was clear that if they found out they had the mutation, they would commit suicide. We assess the potential benefits and harms from acceding to or denying such a request and present an approach to balancing competing rights of individuals within families at risk of late-onset genetic conditions, where family members have irreconcilable differences with respect to predictive testing. We argue that while it may not be possible to completely avoid harm in these situations, it is important to consider the magnitude of risks, and make every effort to limit the potential for adverse outcomes.

England's Debate Over Fats And Sugars Shows You Can't Believe Any Health Advice Anymore

Read on for a dose of dietary nihilism.

CHARLIE SORREL 06.10.16 10:30 AM

"So who should you believe? On the one hand, the official advice is over-conservative, and its insistence on a basis of cheap and filling starchy carbs seems more about feeding a hungry country in times of post-WWI scarcity. On the other hand, while the PHC recommends that we cut out processed and sugary foods in favor of natural fats, fruits and veggies, and proteins, its list of patronsand its advisory board includes Atkins-diet and anti-sugar campaigners.

Really, though, we know what’s good for us. Don’t eat too much of anything, avoid processed foods, prefer fruits and veggies. And of course, don’t stint on the delicious butter."

"Newly released State Department emails help reveal how a major Clinton Foundation donor was placed on a sensitive government intelligence advisory board even though he had no obvious experience in the field..."

How Clinton Donor Got on Sensitive Intelligence Board

• By MATTHEW MOSK
• BRIAN ROSS
• CHO PARK
 

Jun 10, 2016, 6:59 AM ET

"Newly released State Department emails help reveal how a major Clinton Foundation donor was placed on a sensitive government intelligence advisory board even though he had no obvious experience in the field, a decision that appeared to baffle the department’s professional staff.

The emails further reveal how, after inquiries from ABC News, the Clinton staff sought to “protect the name” of the Secretary, “stall” the ABC News reporter and ultimately accept the resignation of the donor just two days later.

Copies of dozens of internal emails were provided to ABC News by the conservative political group Citizens United, which obtained them under the Freedom of Information Act after more the two years of litigation with the government."

HT:MC

Getting It Right for Every Child: A National Policy Framework to Promote Children's Well-being in Scotland

Milbank Q. 2016 Jun;94(2):334-365. doi: 10.1111/1468-0009.12195.

Getting It Right for Every Child: A National Policy Framework to Promote Children's Well-being in Scotland, United Kingdom.

Coles E1, Cheyne H1, Rankin J2, Daniel B3.

Author information

• 1Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Research Unit, University of Stirling.
• 2School of Health, Nursing and Midwifery, University of the West of Scotland.
• 3School of Social Sciences, University of Stirling.

Abstract

POLICY POINTS:

Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC), a landmark policy framework for improving children's well-being in Scotland, United Kingdom, is a practice initiative signifying a distinct way of thinking, an agenda for change, and the future direction of child welfare policy. GIRFEC represents a unique case study of national transformative change within the contexts of children's well-being and universal services and is of relevance to other jurisdictions. Implementation is under way, with an understanding of well-being and the requirement for information sharing enshrined in law. Yet there is scope for interpretation within the legislation and associated guidance. Inherent tensions around intrusion, data gathering, professional roles, and balancing well-being against child protection threaten the effectiveness of the policy if not resolved.

CONTEXT:

Despite persistent health inequalities and intergenerational deprivation, the Scottish government aspires for Scotland to be the best country for children to grow up in. Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) is a landmark children's policy framework to improve children's well-being via early intervention, universal service provision, and multiagency coordination across organizational boundaries. Placing the child and family "at the center," this approach marks a shift from welfare to well-being, yet there is still a general lack of consensus over how well-being is defined and measured. As an umbrella policy framework with broad reach, GIRFEC represents the current and future direction of children's/familypolicy in Scotland, yet large-scale practice change is required for successful implementation.

METHODS:

This article explores the origins and emergence of GIRFEC and presents a critical analysis of its incremental design, development, and implementation.

FINDINGS:

There is considerable scope for interpretation within the GIRFEC legislation and guidance, most notably around assessment of well-being and the role and remit of those charged with implementation. Tensions have arisen around issues such as professional roles; intrusion, data sharing, and confidentiality; and the balance between supporting well-being and protecting children. Despite the policy's intentions for integration, the service landscape for children and families still remains relatively fragmented.

CONCLUSIONS:

Although the policy has groundbreaking potential, inherent tensions must be resolved and the processes of change carefully managed in order for GIRFEC to be effective. It remains to be seen whether GIRFEC can fulfil the Scottish government's aspirations to reduce inequalities and improve lifelong outcomes for Scotland's children and young people. In terms of both a national children's well-being framework within a universal public service context and a distinct style of policymaking and implementation, the Scottish experience represents a unique case study of whole-country, transformational change and is of relevance to other jurisdictions.

"...the many efforts made to encourage Americans to lose weight, or at least maintain the status quo, have very little impact."

40 PERCENT OF US WOMEN ARE OBESE

"The obesity epidemic continues to get worse in the US where 40% of women and 35% of men and 17% of children and adolescents are considered obese, according to two reports released Tuesday.

The research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that the many efforts made to encourage Americans to lose weight, or at least maintain the status quo, have very little impact."

"Talk to me, Goose..."

U.S.: Chinese jet makes 'unsafe' intercept of Air Force plane

(CNN)A U.S. Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft flying Tuesday in international airspace over the East China Sea was intercepted in an "unsafe manner" by a Chinese J-10 fighter jet, several defense officials tell CNN.

The Chinese jet was never closer than 100 feet to the U.S. aircraft, but it flew with a "high rate of speed as it closed in" on the U.S. aircraft, one official said. Because of that high speed, and the fact it was flying at the same altitude as the U.S. plane, the intercept is defined as unsafe.

The officials did not know if the U.S. plane took any evasive action to avoid the Chinese aircraft or at what point the J-10 broke away. It is also not yet clear if the U.S. will diplomatically protest the incident. Officials said the RC-135 was on a routine mission.

HT:CB

BMC Med Ethics. 2016 Jun 4;17(1):33.

Citizen science or scientific citizenship? Disentangling the uses of public engagement rhetoric in national research initiatives.

Woolley JP1, McGowan ML2, Teare HJ3, Coathup V3, Fishman JR4, Settersten RA Jr5, Sterckx S6, Kaye J7, Juengst ET8.

Author information

• 1University of Oxford, Harris Manchester College, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TD, UK.
• 2The Pennsylvania State University, 128B Willard Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
• 3Centre for Health, Law and Emerging Technologies, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Ewert House, Ewert Place, Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7DD, UK.
• 4McGill University, Social Studies of Medicine, 3647 Peel, Room 207, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1X1, Canada.
• 5School of Social and Behavioral Health Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 123 Women's Building, Corvallis, OR, 97331-8577, USA.
• 6Department of Philosophy & Moral Sciences Ghent University, Blandijnberg 2, 9000, Gent, Belgium.
• 7Centre for Health, Law and Emerging Technologies, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Ewert House, Ewert Place, Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7DD, UK. jane.kaye@law.ox.ac.uk.
• 8333 MacNider Hall, Campus Box 7240, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 333S. Columbia Road, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7240, USA.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The language of "participant-driven research," "crowdsourcing" and "citizen science" is increasingly being used to encourage the public to become involved in research ventures as both subjects and scientists. Originally, these labels were invoked by volunteer research efforts propelled by amateurs outside of traditional research institutions and aimed at appealing to those looking for more "democratic," "patient-centric," or "lay" alternatives to the professional science establishment. As mainstream translational biomedical research requires increasingly larger participant pools, however, corporate, academic and governmental research programs are embracing this populist rhetoric to encourage wider public participation.

DISCUSSION:

We examine the ethical and social implications of this recruitment strategy. We begin by surveying examples of "citizen science" outside of biomedicine, as paradigmatic of the aspirations this democratizing rhetoric was originally meant to embody. Next, we discuss the ways these aspirations become articulated in the biomedical context, with a view to drawing out the multiple and potentially conflicting meanings of "public engagement" when citizens are also the subjects of the science. We then illustrate two uses of public engagement rhetoric to gain public support for national biomedical research efforts: its post-hoc use in the "care.data" project of the National Health Service in England, and its proactive uses in the "Precision Medicine Initiative" of the United States White House. These examples will serve as the basis for a normative analysis, discussing the potential ethical and social ramifications of this rhetoric. We pay particular attention to the implications of government strategies that cultivate the idea that members of the public have a civic duty to participate in government-sponsored research initiatives. We argue that such initiatives should draw from policy frameworks that support normative analysis of the role of citizenry. And, we conclude it is imperative to make visible and clear the full spectrum of meanings of "citizen science," the contexts in which it is used, and its demands with respect to participation, engagement, and governance.

"time to end our fear of fat"

Low-fat movement has failed to prevent obesity epidemic: study

"In a comment carried by the journal, Dariush Mozaffarian of the Massachusetts-based Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, argued it was 'time to end our fear of fat'.

'Dietary guidelines should be revised to lay to rest the outdated, arbitrary limits on total fat consumption,' he wrote.

'Calorie-obsessed caveats and warnings about healthier, higher-fat choices such as nuts, phenolic-rich vegetable oils, yoghurt, and even perhaps cheese, should also be dropped.'"

The role of post-mortem examinations in medical student socialisation

Soc Sci Med. 2016 May 27;161:100-108. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.05.038. [Epub ahead of print]

The social life of the dead: The role of post-mortem examinations in medical student socialisation.

Goodwin D1, Machin L2, Taylor A2.

Author information

• 1Lancaster University, UK. Electronic address: d.s.goodwin@lancaster.ac.uk.
• 2Lancaster University, UK.

Abstract

Dissection has held a privileged position in medical education although the professional values it inculcates have been subject to intense debate. Claims vary from it generating a dehumanising level of emotional detachment, to promotion of rational and dispassionate decision-making, even to being a positive vehicle for ethical education. Social scientists have positioned dissection as a critical experience in the emotional socialisation of medical students. However, curricular revision has provoked debate about the style and quantity of anatomy teaching thus threatening this 'rite of passage' of medical students. Consequently, some UK medical schools do not employ dissection at all. In its place, observation of post-mortem examinations - a long established, if underutilised, practice - has re-emerged in an attempt to recoup aspects of anatomical knowledge that are arguably lost when dissection is omitted. Bodies for post-mortem examinations and bodies for dissection, however, have striking differences, meaning that post-mortem examinations and dissection cannot be considered comparable opportunities to learn anatomy. In this article, we explore the distinctions between dissection and post-mortem examinations. In particular, we focus on the absence of a discourse of consent, concerns about bodily integrity, how the body's shifting ontology, between object and person, disrupts students' attempts to distance themselves, and how the observation of post-mortem examinations features in the emotional socialisation of medical students.

"For all the ways in which their particular identities shaped their work, these writers tried to represent the entire human condition, not just their clan."

The Canon Is Sexist, Racist, Colonialist, and Totally Gross. Yes, You Have to Read It Anyway.

By Katy Waldman

"For all the ways in which their particular identities shaped their work, these writers tried to represent the entire human condition, not just their clan. A great artist possesses both empathy and imagination: Many of Shakespeare’s female characters are as complexly nuanced as any in circulation today, Othello takes on racial prejudice directly, and Twelfth Nightcontains enough gender-bending identity shenanigans to fuel multiple drag shows and occupy legions of queer scholars. The “stay in your lane” mentality that seems to undergird so much progressive discourse—only polyamorous green people really “get” the “polyamorous green experience,” and therefore only polyamorous greens should read and write about polyamorous greens, say—ignores our common humanity."    

Copper is key in burning fat, new study finds

A new study is further burnishing copper’s reputation as an essential nutrient for human physiology. A research team led by a scientist at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has found that copper plays a key role in metabolizing fat.

"The connection between copper and fat metabolism is not altogether surprising. The researchers actually found hints of the link in the field of animal husbandry.

“It had been noted in cattle that levels of copper in the feed would affect how fatty the meat was,” said Chang. “This effect on fat deposits in animals was in the agricultural literature, but it hadn’t been clear what the biochemical mechanisms were linking copper and fat.”

The new work builds upon prior research from Chang’s lab on the roles of copper and other metals in neuroscience. In support of President Barack Obama’s BRAIN Initiative, Berkeley Lab provided Chang seed funding in 2013 through the Laboratory Directed Research and Development program. Chang’s work continued through the BRAIN Tri-Institutional Partnership, an alliance with Berkeley Lab, UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco.

Of the copper in human bodies, there are particularly high concentrations found in the brain. Recent studies, including those led by Chang, have found that copper helps brain cells communicate with each other by acting as a brake when it is time for neural signals to stop."

Philly health dept. isn't down with #DonutDay

The Public Health Department sent off a hilarious flurry of tweets Friday.

"The first Friday of June marked National Donut Day (not "doughnut," as the Voice points out), and stores across the city offered sweet deals on the treats, including Federal Donuts' Milk Chocolate Sea Salt for free. Needless to say, most people were happy.

But not all Philadelphians found love at the bottom of their donut box, especially among them, thePublic Health department."

Geoffrey Stone and Todd Henderson: The Post-Scalia Supreme Court

The Post-Scalia Supreme Court

Moderated by Lynn Sweet
Featuring Geoffrey Stone and Todd Henderson

Thursday, June 2, 2016

HT:TH

Not the Onion: Students say they’ll have mental breakdown if Johns Hopkins stops hiding their grades

Students say they’ll have mental breakdown if Johns Hopkins stops hiding their grades

"Letting employers and graduate schools know your grades is an attack on “marginalized” students.

That’s the claim by “two dozen student groups” who are up in arms over Johns Hopkins University’s plan to stop hiding freshmen first-semester grades from their transcripts starting with 2017’s entering class, The Baltimore Sunreports."

HT:AP

Soc Sci Med. 2016 May 10;161:13-18. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.05.015. [Epub ahead of print]

Forced removals embodied as tuberculosis.

Richardson ET1, Morrow CD2, Ho T2, Fürst N2, Cohelia R2, Tram KH2, Farmer PE3, Wood R2.

Author information

• 1Department of Anthropology, Stanford University, Stanford, USA; Division of Global Health Equity, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, USA; Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, South Africa. Electronic address: etr@stanford.edu.
• 2Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
• 3Division of Global Health Equity, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, USA; Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.

Abstract

South Africa has one of the worst tuberculosis burdens in the world. Several ecological forces have contributed to this, including high HIV prevalence; failing TB control strategies; crowded, poorly ventilated indoor environments-including the complex web of political and economic interests which produce them; the development of racial capitalism; and mining and migration. In the following study, we measure CO2 levels in public transport to investigate the role extended commutes from peri-urban settlements to urban sites of work-a direct result of forced removals-potentially play in propagating the TB epidemic in Cape Town, South Africa.

J Empir Res Hum Res Ethics. 2016 May 30. pii: 1556264616650114. [Epub ahead of print]

Research Ethics Committees and Participatory Action Research With Young People: The Politics of Voice.

Yanar ZM1, Fazli M1, Rahman J1, Farthing R2.

Author information

• 1University of Oxford, UK.
• 2University of Oxford, UK rys@rysfarthing.com.

Abstract

Participatory action research (PAR) is a methodological approach that seeks to maximize the participation of people whose lives it researches. It is underpinned by an ethical concern to research "with" people, rather than "on" people. However, this ethical approach to research is often, paradoxically, problematized by universities' research ethics committees (RECs). This article explores one site of tension between PAR and RECs-the requirement for anonymity for below 18-year-olds. It explores this tension by exploring a case study of a peer-to-peer research project undertaken by young women in East London, and using our own experiences and perspectives, it argues that anonymity can be unjust, disempowering, and unnecessary, and can reduce "pride." Without wanting to develop specific recommendations, given the limited scope of our case study, this article uses firsthand experiences to add weight to the broader discussions calling for a critical rethink of REC guidelines.