From the NELA President: Diabesity: The Silent Epidemic

Living in New York City, specifically the Upper East Side (UES), the congestion of food delivery workers 24/7 has become the norm. There are an estimated 65,000 delivery workers to meet the needs of the continuous rise of the fast-food franchise in NYC. You may recall from Sex and the City that Carrie Bradshaw used her oven as extra closet space; this is not far-fetched from the truth of upper east side culture. The lack of time to prepare homemade meals has resulted in detrimental health consequences and an alarming rise in Diabesity, not only in the UES but worldwide. Diabesity is a newly evolving epidemic that is alarmingly, rapidly rising. The burden of diabesity is multifactorial, spilling over to long-term diabetic complications and consequentially placing a worldwide economic strain. 

In the last year, glucagon-like peptide agonists, such as Wegovy/Ozempic, made the cover of Town&Country, with the headline, “How a Diabetes Drug Became the New Weight Loss Trend for the Rich,” highlighting a picture of a syringe/needle covered in diamonds. Diabesity is infiltrating worldwide regardless of socioeconomic status. Weight loss drugs and various dietary strategies are widely used to manage Diabesity. As a PharmD in the cardio-preventive world, I am inundated with questions from family, friends, patients, and colleagues regarding the different approaches to tackling Diabesity, so I am excited to have joined forces with SELA president, Jan McAlister, DNP, to bring you this edition of the LipidSpin that highlights different diets, such as intermittent and ketogenic, prescription weight loss drugs, and special populations who struggle with weight loss, including the complexities of patients grappling with NASH and NAFLD. 

As the NELA president, I feel privileged and excited to continue and expand upon the dynamic work of previous NELA presidents. My goals for this year are to continue NELA nights and incorporate CME credit for attendees, give NELA members a louder voice to help guide the NELA ship to goals important to its members, and encourage members to become more involved within the NLA. I have been a member of numerous associations, but not one holds a candle to the motivated, energetic, top-tiered in their trade, team-player spirit of the NLA family. I urge all NLA members to get more involved in the NLA because you always get back much more than you give. Cheers to an exciting, dynamic year ahead!