Those with significant weight problems who are trying to figure out how to lose what could be life-threatening weight have had a difficult few months.
When President Biden selected Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity medicine specialist at Mass General Health in Boston, to the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Group, a discussion about how to do that erupted. Following her interview with Lesley Stahl for a 60 Minutes broadcast in January, it erupted in ferocity.
Those suggestions caused some controversy. She received criticism for appearing to downplay the value of exercise and a healthy diet from several media publications.
A New York Post reader remarked, “Another delusional fantasist joins the Biden wrecking ball gang – what could possible go right?” Another person said, “These checked box hires will never have the knowledge and good sense that the average commentator on NYP possesses.
Obesity is a global health concern. About 2.8 million adults per year around the world die from being overweight or obese — the fifth highest risk of death globally. Being overweight or obese can carry increased risk of serious health complications like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Recent studies suggest that being obese drastically increases the risk of developing dementia-causing illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease. One recent study demonstrated that body mass index (BMI) can be linked to brain health; young adults with a higher BMI showed a reduced ability to remember past events and older individuals with higher BMI exhibited brain shrinkage.
But figuring out root causes and designing effective treatment programs remains elusive. The science community, physicians, and nutritionists have flailed for years trying to come up with a consensus strategy.
According to Dr. Stanford, whose views could shape US policy for years, losing weight by changing eating or exercise patterns is a steep genetic hill to climb; lack of success, which in many cases is more likely than not, could feed into the hopelessness of patients who are limited in their ability to respond to behavioral changes. Genetic factors are key.
