Three-quarters of all Americans are overweight or obese. Despite the diet industry’s ballooning revenue at some $80 billion, whatever they are doing clearly is not working – which is a great business model but a pretty bad outcome for customers. With a whole new category of diabetes drugs being prescribed off-label for weight loss, what can we expect next?
You should read Young Forever by mark hyman, 2022. If this ship could be turned around we could restore American and global health. You might want to read my book on Obesity, business and public policy. We could write a new forward and reissue it. Be happy to talk.
Sure - drop me a note at rdm20@columbia.edu. I won't be able to take on any new projects until the autumn, but it's a meaty important topic I'd love to see get traction. Warmly, Rita
Rita-what you've written is outstanding. A reader-friendly, distilled encapsulation of a complex matter. My associates and I have done work for over 100 Food & Bev Co's- large and small/ niche to mass/very healthy to not enough at all,...so my own frame of reference exists while reading your great piece. It should not really be relegated to a newsletter or an op-ed....but, rather a Documentary or Docuseries!
Rita, I have been following this issue for two decades when I wrote a book on ObesityBusiness and public policy, in 2005. It was reviewed by Richard Posner in the JEL. Things have only gotten worse. I have a friend who consulted with Nestle where 7,000 people work in food RD. An amazing number.
I did not know that, Zoltan. I agree - the average person has to be exceptionally disciplined if they want to avoid the more pernicious effects of the big food companies. But wouldn't it be interesting if the rise of these anti-obesity drugs made the food companies suddenly recognize that perhaps good-for-you food might be a growth business if bad-for-you food demand starts to shrink. That could be very interesting.
You should read Young Forever by mark hyman, 2022. If this ship could be turned around we could restore American and global health. You might want to read my book on Obesity, business and public policy. We could write a new forward and reissue it. Be happy to talk.
Sure - drop me a note at rdm20@columbia.edu. I won't be able to take on any new projects until the autumn, but it's a meaty important topic I'd love to see get traction. Warmly, Rita
That’s an extremely well written article on the dynamic systems at play. Thank you.
I am sure there is going to be a lot of pushback by the impacted parties and fake science.
Rita-what you've written is outstanding. A reader-friendly, distilled encapsulation of a complex matter. My associates and I have done work for over 100 Food & Bev Co's- large and small/ niche to mass/very healthy to not enough at all,...so my own frame of reference exists while reading your great piece. It should not really be relegated to a newsletter or an op-ed....but, rather a Documentary or Docuseries!
Why thank you - it is indeed a fascinating topic.
Rita, I have been following this issue for two decades when I wrote a book on ObesityBusiness and public policy, in 2005. It was reviewed by Richard Posner in the JEL. Things have only gotten worse. I have a friend who consulted with Nestle where 7,000 people work in food RD. An amazing number.
Zoltan
I did not know that, Zoltan. I agree - the average person has to be exceptionally disciplined if they want to avoid the more pernicious effects of the big food companies. But wouldn't it be interesting if the rise of these anti-obesity drugs made the food companies suddenly recognize that perhaps good-for-you food might be a growth business if bad-for-you food demand starts to shrink. That could be very interesting.
Well, we'll see! I'm not playing favorites, but wow there are a lot of interests in competition here.