The Tomorrow List with Rusha Modi
Our national politics are crazy right now aren’t they? Haven’t they always been? It all seems like a Jenga game about to topple at any moment and the piece about to be removed by the media is sanity. If you’re like me, then we’re both fed up with the hype that passes for hope. Our response is the Tomorrow List with Rusha Modi. Beyond clickbait headlines and recycled left-right talking points are powerful unexplored ideas to level up our communities, country and planet. We traffic in solutions arbitrage: real policies and innovations that can expand the edge of what’s possible for our country. We are unafraid to take big swings at the hard policy and social questions confronting the US. Our guests will be a provocative mash-up of intellectuals, creative renegades, and leaders. Listen in and become more than just “cocktail party” smart. Set fire to the political status quo. Together, we can extend the half-life of hope one citizen, one story, one possibility at a time. And that’s not crazy at all.
The Tomorrow List with Rusha Modi
Ep. 12 - Hunger for Reform: A Path Forward for the Obesity Epidemic with Fatima Cody Stanford MD MPH MBA FAAP FACP FAHA FAMWA FTOS
Dr. Stanford is nothing less than an all-star. She is the most credentialed academic physician I’ve yet to meet and that’s saying something given the people I have had the privilege to work with. She’s a world-renown expert on obesity and operates a Harvard-based clinic and teaches in Boston, Mass. She discusses the genetics and stigma surrounding weight, the macro forces pushing us to eat more, and the stakeholders in our obesogenic environment. She offers a compelling throughline on the intersection of race, COVID-19, and weight. She explains why she feels fat is not people’s fault and the biology of obesity. She answers a puzzling question I have had in my clinical experience for years: why are physicians so reluctantly prescribing obesity and weight management medications? Metabolic-related conditions are already a leading river of disease in America and her insights are valuable for anyone looking to heal others or become healthier themselves. Listen and enjoy!
Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, MPA, MBA, FAAP, FACP, FAHA, FAMWA, FTOS is an obesity medicine physician-scientist, educator, and policymaker at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She is a national and international sought-after expert in obesity medicine who bridges the intersection of medicine, public health, policy, and disparities.
Key Highlights:
[00:01 - 12:30] - Opening Segment
Dr. Fatima's outlook on the parallel discussion about COVID and obesity
Why obesity is a complex disease and that targeting food alone is not effective
A moonshot for obesity is necessary to address the problem comprehensively
[12:31 - 21:03] Obesity, COVID-19, And Racism
How government interventions would be beneficial for both obesity and minority communities
How a woman's weight and minority status were factors that contributed to difficulty finding work
Why food policy and obesity policy are not the same
[21:04- 31:22] - The Reluctance To Use Medications
There is a lack of training for providers in obesity medicine
The reason why there is a lot of fear and reluctance to use medications to treat obesity
Care delivery for obesity will move beyond the clinic walls and into digital spaces
[31:23- 38:46] - Obesity Is Not About Aesthetics
The importance of understanding the brain in order to treat obesity
Obesity is a complex condition that is not simply a result of eating too much or not exercising enough
There are different factors that contribute to obesity
[38:47 - 39:25] - Closing Segment
Want to connect with Fatima Cody Stanford? Follow her on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. If you want to learn more about her work, head to Harvard University, and Harvard Catalyst.
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