Category: Commentary

A group of scientists in lab coats push a large boulder labeled with pillars of scientific reasoning against a tide of social media icons, misinformation, and sensationalist digital content, moving toward a signpost for healthier living.

SBM And The Battle For Information

Part of the reason for forming SBM in the first place is because my colleagues and I perceived that we were engaged partly in a long struggle for control over information—specifically the quality of health information being pushed to the public, including the media and regulators. We did not anticipate how much this battle would change over the last few decades, and...

/ October 21, 2026
Line graph showing the number of Ebola cases reported over the first 180 days of outbreaks in the DRC (2026), West Africa (2014), and the DRC (2018), with the 2026 outbreak showing a significantly higher rate of increase.

Keep An Eye On This Ebola Outbreak

Ebola is a deadly disease caused by the orthoebolavirus group of viruses. It is infamous for being extremely deadly, with a mortality rate as high as 80-90%. Luckily, it only spreads by direct contact with body fluids, not through the air. However, it is mainly a problem in sub-Saharan Africa, where the lack of infrastructure and some cultural practices can cause it...

/ October 14, 2026
Map of the U.S. showing blue and red circles indicating imported and local measles cases, respectively, by location. Circle sizes vary, with larger clusters in the Northeast, Midwest, and Pacific Coast.

The CDC Has Been Hollowed Out

A new report from the NYT tells a chilling story of how the Centers for Disease Control has been hollowed out over the last 18 months under Trump and RFK Jr. We have been covering this story as it has been developing, but it is useful to take a look at where we are and the totality of the destruction that has...

/ September 30, 2026
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Baffled

I am baffled.

/ August 18, 2026
A laboratory with wooden workbenches, equipment, open drawers, bottles, and a labeled flask of clear liquid on the counter. The room appears well-lit with windows in the background.

Sabotaging America’s Future: The Catastrophic Cost of Federal Research Cuts

The gleeful efficiency of an arsonist who mistakes the blaze for proof of his power

/ June 9, 2026
A colorful assortment of fresh vegetables, including carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, radishes, garlic, green beans, lettuce, kale, and spinach, arranged on a wooden surface outdoors.

MAHA Ruins Everything – Apeel Edition

About 30-40% of all food produced is wasted and not consumed. That is a stunning figure – a third of produce goes to waste. That amount of food is grown on land area the equivalent of China, uses 45 trillion gallons of water, and produces about 3% of greenhouse gas emissions. An average American household of four spends about $3 thousand a...

/ May 20, 2026
A table titled "Domain 1: Foundational Nutrition Knowledge" lists competencies with descriptions and assigned hours, such as nutrient content, absorption, deficiencies, and dietary requirements, with hours ranging from 1.5 to 3.

Can Medical Schools Really Teach 71 Nutrition ‘Competencies’?  Should They?

In recent years, nutrition has become the focus of renewed attention in medical education. Advocates argue that physicians receive too little formal training about diet and that more comprehensive nutrition education is needed to address chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. A greater focus on the “root causes of chronic diseases” is a mantra of the Make...

/ May 12, 2026
The front view of the United States Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., featuring tall columns, statues, steps leading to the entrance, and a clear blue sky overhead.

SCOTUS conversion therapy decision “opens a dangerous can of worms”

“We are on a slippery slope now: For the first time, the Supreme Court has interpreted the First Amendment to bless a risk of therapeutic harm to children by limiting the State’s ability to regulate medical providers who treat patients with speech.” Justice Jackson, dissenting

/ April 21, 2026
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A close-up of the back of a person wearing a vest labeled "POLICE ICE," indicating they are part of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The background is blurred.

The ICEmen Cometh

The potential effects of the current ICE actions on public health

/ February 10, 2026