Obesity Research and Prevention (Audio)

Dr. Robert Baron explores current strategies for treating obesity, emphasizing evidence-based approaches to diagnosis, lifestyle change, medication, and long-term weight maintenance. He explains the limitations of body mass index (BMI) as a diagnostic tool and highlights the importance of assessing both excess fat and its health consequences. He reviews dietary principles, including calorie reduction, avoiding added sugars, and the importance of sustainable habits over specific diet types. He also discusses the role of physical activity—particularly strength training—for preserving muscle and improving long-term outcomes. Baron evaluates weight loss medications such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, noting their benefits, side effects, and the need for continued use to maintain weight loss. [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40757]

Having a skilled primary care clinician will go a long way to maintaining your health and wellness. Join Dr. Diana Thiara as she explores weight loss and healthy living. Series: "Osher WISE: Well-being and Integrative Science for Everyone" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 39571]

Having a skilled primary care clinician will go a long way to maintaining your health and wellness. Join Dr. Diana Thiara as she explores weight loss and healthy living. From understanding the basics of BMI to the complexities of various weight loss methods, Dr. Thiara's insights will guide you through a comprehensive journey. Whether you're looking to shed some pounds, maintain a healthy lifestyle, or simply broaden your knowledge, her expertise covers dietary choices, surgical options, exercise routines, and even mental well-being. You'll also learn about personalized weight loss plans, the impact of genetics on weight, and how to make sustainable lifestyle changes. Drawing on her extensive experience and backed by the latest scientific research, Dr. Thiara offers a fresh and approachable perspective on weight management. Series: "Osher WISE: Well-being and Integrative Science for Everyone" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 38795]

What we eat -- and don’t eat -- is directly related to our health. Poor diets lead to poor health outcomes, including cancer. Dr. Donald Abrams, integrative oncologist at UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, is an expert on nutrition and cancer. Dr. Abrams says you can never overstate how important the food we eat is to our health. In this excerpt Dr. Abrams discusses the role body fat plays in the production of insulin. Series: "Osher WISE: Well-being and Integrative Science for Everyone" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 38815]

Millions attempt some form of diet yet only a small fraction achieve permanent weight loss. Neuroscientist and writer Darya Rose discusses the power of habits as a much needed alternative to dieting. Series: "Osher WISE: Well-being and Integrative Science for Everyone" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 37532]

An increasing number of scientific studies suggest that food, like drugs or alcohol, can have addictive qualities. Ashley E. Mason, PhD, explores how the reward system, located inside the human nervous system, can unduly affect people's appetite. Series: "Osher WISE: Well-being and Integrative Science for Everyone" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 36913]

Marion Nestle, Goddard Professor in the Department of Nutrition at New York University, discusses the U.S. food industry being in a highly competitive environment where profits are paramount and public health is not a priority. Series: "Excerpts" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 36753]

Ashley Gearhardt describes significant differences between natural food and the modern food environment and how the human brain could be affected. Gearhardt developed the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) to operationalize addictive-like eating behaviors, which has recently been linked with more frequent binge eating episodes in clinical populations, increased prevalence of obesity and patterns of neural activation implicated in other addictive behaviors. Series: "UCSF Consortium for Obesity Assessment, Study and Treatment" [Health and Medicine] [Education] [Show ID: 36381]

Obesity is at the root of silent epidemics such as type 2 diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Laura Schmidt explores the causes and solutions, taking lessons from tobacco: reducing the availability of harmful substances reduces consumption, thereby reducing harms to health. She talks about the UCSF Healthy Beverage Initiative and the effects it has had on employee health. Series: "Osher WISE: Well-being and Integrative Science for Everyone" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 35586]

Four leaders in food policy and law discuss troubling trends of food insecurity, poor diet, chronic disease and obesity along with novel strategies that can be implemented locally and globally. Panelists: Kelly Brownell, Duke University; Laura Schmidt, UCSF; Allison Korn, UCLA; Breanna Hawkins, LA Food Policy Council. Moderated by Emilie Aguirre, Resnick Program for Food Law and Policy at UCLA Law. Series: "UCSF Consortium for Obesity Assessment, Study and Treatment" [Health and Medicine] [Education] [Professional Medical Education] [Show ID: 33241]