Here's why obesity grew so quickly worldwide, and where that's starting to change

A closer look at the latest global obesity data tells a more nuanced story than monolithic surging. It's true that, worldwide, obesity continues to rise. But in high-income countries, such as the U.S., the rate of increase in BMI, has actually been slowing, even beginning to level off. But the trend doesn't mean there's nothing to worry about. Read more.

By Julia Belluz and J. Emory Parker

Thumy Phan for STAT

Academia's postdoc system is teetering, imperiling efforts to diversify life sciences

Freshly minted life science Ph.D. graduates who have started families or have big loans, or are Black or female, say they plan to pursue postdoc positions at lower rates than their peers, according to a STAT analysis. "I'm deeply concerned that academia is dying," said Sofie Kleppner, associate dean of postdoctoral affairs at Stanford University. Read more.

By Jonathan Wosen

Adobe, Alex Hogan/STAT

How a now-retracted study got published in the first place, leading to a $3.8 million NIH grant

This April, the study's authors admitted the work was flawed and retracted their article. All this could have been avoided if the journal had followed the advice of its own reviewers, according to records of the peer-review process obtained by Retraction Watch. Read more.

By Ellie Kincaid — Retraction Watch

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