The pros and cons of obesity officially being a disease

While other groups have considered obesity to be a disease for some time now, the same statement coming from the world's largest medical body carries a great deal more weight (no pun intended).  Last week on Wednesday, June 19, the American Medical Association (AMA) voted to officially recognize obesity as a disease, which could radically change how the condition is treated by both doctors and policy makers alike.  Despite its name, the AMA's decision has spurred discussion way beyond national borders, with headlines popping up the world over on how it will effect the international medical community - both the good and bad.

And we're back! A returning announcement and new mission statement

It's been a long time but I have finally taken this blog off hiatus and am returning with regular updates. A small number of you may remember Sugar Rush as a class project I started more than a year ago. At the time it was meant to examine state and city restrictions on sugary foods and drinks as a way to effectively combat the country's obesity epidemic. While this is still an interesting topic that I plan to keep exploring, the blog's scope is going to be expanding to cover a wider variety of wellness topics as well though still keeping a nutritional/lifestyle bent. People often think that living healthy means giving up just about everything worth living for - chocolate, your favorite fast food joint, alcohol, etc. - or switching to expensive organic foods and products or a drastic lifestyle change you just don't have time for right now. Sugar Rush will hopefully make this all a little less intimidating and all encompassing. Highlighting new ideas, as well as debunking some outdated ones, on how to stay healthy without becoming a neurotic.