By Dr. David L. Katz

Last week, I addressed the reason why weight loss drugs have historically fared quite badly, and in my view are likely to do so for the foreseeable future. Weight gain is normal when calories in exceed calories out on a daily basis. You cannot medicate away normal human physiology- any more than you give a fish a pill to let it breathe out of water.

By Dr. David L. Katz

Having diabetes is not normal. Neither is having atherosclerosis, hepatitis, Parkinson’s disease, or malaria. Bringing the full force of modern medical advance to bear in efforts to prevent, treat, and cure these conditions is fully justified. Not so weight gain, however. Weight gain, alas, is normal…

By Dr. David L. Katz

I am generally known, and reasonably so, for my interest in obesity prevention and control. But that is something of a distortion. My real interest is health promotion.

The reason I can’t simply ignore obesity and focus on health is that the two are inextricably intertwined. Someone trying to promote health is obligated to contend with whatever the clearest and most omnipresent threats to health happen to be. Obesity easily makes the short list…