The Official Sci-ence “Red Flags of Quackery”
Via Respectful Insolence, the “Red Flags of Quackery” (click on the image to see the original). It’s funny, despite the fact that it’s all too...
CHMP on “The Biggest Loser”
I loved this 6-part series on “The Biggest Loser” by Tristin Aaron of the Center for Health Media and Policy Center at Hunter College. She gets right at what irritates me the most about this exploitative bit of “fitness porn.” Over the season, the show sometimes depicts the dieters sympathetically. They have to. It’s essential that viewers invest in the “characters” and the competition between them. But the...
R.I.P. Blair River
He was the spokesmodel for the “Heart Attack Grill,” in Chandler, AZ. Blair River was a big guy with a big heart. River, who stood 6-foot-8 and weighed about 575 pounds, gained a measure of fame in the past year as spokesman for the Heart Attack Grill, a west Chandler restaurant that specializes in thick hamburgers and fries. He died on Tuesday at the age of 29. The cause of death is currently unknown, but friends are...
Sitting as an Extreme Sport
Seriously: it’s called “Hockern.” According to Wired: Of all the things we take for granted — fresh air, hot pizza, Scarlett Johansson — sitting down surely ranks somewhere near the top. But no longer! A couple of enterprising young entrepreneurs in Germany want to make sure you never forget the thrill of setting your behind down after a long jaunt. As heads of the company Salzig Sporthocker, the Landschütz brothers...
Study: 1 in 1900 Has Ideal Heart Health
Wow. A recent, community-based study of 1,933 middle aged/older people (ages 45 – 75) in Allegheny County, PA, found only 1 person who met the American Heart Association’s definition of ideal cardiovascular health. The Heart Association defines “ideal cardiovascular health” as a combination of 7 factors: nonsmoking BMI<25 goal level physical activity healthy diet untreated cholesterol < 200 blood...
Oz vs. Oz
Good catch on Dr. Oz by Dr. Yoni Freedhoff: The show was predictable. Dr. Oz spent the bulk of the show obtaining testimonials from HCG providers and dieters, mentioned how his wife has done the HCG diet, spent a scant amount of time with HCG detractors, mentioned that the complete and utter lack of medical evidence to support its use was counter-balanced by the 4 people he had in his audience who had succeeded in losing weight,...
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