 As discussed in an earlier blog post, height can convey a lot about health. Attained stature is a sensitive marker of early life circumstance and is generally positively associated with better health outcomes. This phenomenon has been observed in epidemiological studies and I’ve even heard it referenced by my non-scientist parents. As with many Asian immigrants of their generation, my parents came to the U.S. not only because it is the land of opportunity, but also because it is home to organic food, a clean environment, and better health. Despite their longing for family and Taiwanese culture, they stand firm in their decision to emigrate because in addition to both my brother and I being healthy, educated, and gainfully employed, my brother is 6’4’’ - a whopping ten inches taller than most of our extended family. When my relatives exclaim how tall my brother is, my dad (5’8”) and mom (5’2”) beam and say: “If we had stayed in Taiwan, he would probably be several inches shorter.”
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 We’ve all seen those advertisements lurking on the sides of websites: “Eat this one food to lose weight fast!” “Lose your belly fat by eating this [weird] fruit!” “The one food that ruins your diet and shortens your life!” The implication is that there’s one secret food that we can eat – or not eat – that will magically cure -- or cause -- all of our health problems.
 A few weeks ago in Toronto, I had the pleasure of hearing my colleague Seth Berkowitz, a talented young researcher at MGH, present a project. His presentation was clear, his research methods thoughtful and his analysis impeccable. But after his talk, rather than praise, he got push-back. Why?
Because his findings challenged a popular theory for socioeconomic differences in healthy food access, obesity and diabetes; he found that living in a food desert does not affect individuals’ control over their diabetes.  Primary care doctors play a critical role in the medical system. They form relationships with patients, manage all kinds of chronic and acute conditions, and determine when specialist care is needed. In recent years, however, these front line doctors are finding themselves faced with a conundrum. A growing proportion of their patients are overweight or obese, but most doctors lack specific training on the treatment of obesity, and many simply don’t have the time to discuss appropriate treatment options with these patients. Doctors that are situated within large academic centers may have the luxury of referring patients to registered dietitians, or even to medical or surgical weight management programs. But for doctors in the community, knowing where to send these patients can be a major problem.
 DNA is at the base of all life: plants, bacteria, animals, and humans. I personally have always been fascinated by genetics. As a teen, I would dive into books explaining fundamentals of genetics; as a medical student I did an elective in clinical genetics and strongly considered genetics as specialty (but stuck with my original passion for endocrinology). Yet, as a post-doctoral fellow, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to invest my time in learning about the genetics of obesity and diabetes, since what I really want is to find better ways to prevent those conditions. But I got wrapped into population genetics and still love it.
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