 by Jason Block, MD, MPH I see patients with obesity both in my primary care clinic and in a weight management clinic. I have long wondered how to best communicate with them regarding their weight problem. Typically, I start by explaining to them that they fall into the “obese” weight category. I further describe this as a clinical term that is only helpful in describing their risk for health problems. But, should I change my words? Should I tell them they have a “weight problem” or an “unhealthy weight”? Burgeoning research on weight stigma suggests that my current practice may be missing the mark.
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 by Kristina Lewis, MD, MPH, SM Imagine biting into your favorite dessert. Think about the sugary, gooey goodness as it hits your taste buds……Feeling hungry yet? More importantly – are you feeling happy? According to a growing body of research on the neuroscience of taste preferences, you probably should be.
 by Lauren Fiechtner, MD The places where we live, work, and play, sometimes referred to as the “built environment,” likely influence health in several ways. My particular interest in this topic began after seeing how challenging it is for some of my patients to eat healthy in the environment where they live. I began doing research on whether access to healthful food establishments may help people be healthier and, if they need, to lose weight.
 by Stephanie Linakis, MPH Replacing sugar sweetened beverages with artificially sweetened, zero and reduced calorie substitutes would seem to be one foolproof strategy for weight loss, right? Well, maybe – the story could be more complicated. Our body’s myriad biological and psychological pathways challenge what would logically appear to be a simple choice. The body can easily recognize and process a natural, calorie free substance such as water. Drinks – and yogurt and other products – that are artificially sweetened (with aspartame, saccharin, or sucralose, for example), however, can confuse our systems and may lead to unintended consequences.
 by Wei Perng, PhD Recent technological advances have landed us in a new age of research known as “the omics” era. While the number of omics categories is rapidly increasing, the core four involve the large-scale evaluation of gene expression (genomics), mRNA expression (transcriptomics), protein structure and function (proteomics), and metabolite patterns (metabolomics) - all in hopes to gain knowledge on disease development. Scientists have recently taken a keen interest in metabolomics; specifically, on how low-molecular-weight compounds (e.g. amino acids, carbohydrates, fatty acids, hormones) in tissue can provide information on disease progression and prognosis. Metabolomics could provide a snapshot of the good, the bad, and everything in between.
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