Action Movies Create Couch Potatoes
ICYMI: When people watch action movies, they consume more calories.

ICYMI: When people watch action movies, they consume more calories.

Here is data from the CDC, on the percent of Americans without health insurance. It shows that Obamacare, for all its strengths and weaknesses, is definitely addressing one major problem in the US:
In a recent post, I excoriated athletes like LeBron James and Peyton Manning for endorsing unhealthy junk foods – for fattening their wallets by fattening our population. A recent study in Health Affairs provides a powerful illustration of the future effects of these fatty foods. The study is a rather dry and technical one, involving statistical predictions of population health demographics (Zzzz) using a health…
Karen Scherr, an MD PhD student working with me, just published a paper showing that physicians don’t always give patients objective advice about the pros and cons of robotic surgery. Here is a news story on her work: Duke University research found that doctors are more enthusiastic about treatments that are readily available, calling into question…
It is hard to make money treating rare diseases. There simply aren’t enough customers to generate many profits. That’s why the U.S. government passed the Orphan Drug Act in 1983, a law which created a series of incentives to encourage drug companies to develop treatments for rare or “orphan” diseases – conditions affecting less than…
Gerald Ashley (twitter handle @Gerald_Ashley) recently tweeted a photo of what was SUPPOSED to be a helpful nudge, reducing the odds that people would bump into each other going up and down the stairs. Can you see what might not be helpful here?
Here is a link to an article from CBS News with some very practical advice on this thorny topic. I’m excited to say that some of our research on physician/patient communication was mentioned in the article. Enjoy it! If you’re like most people, you’re paying more for your health care — and stressing about…