The longer I work in the field of publishing medical health information - both natural and conventional treatment approaches, the more I feel as though I live in a warped universe. On the one hand, much progress in the understanding of diagnosis and treatment approaches is reassuring and appears to point to a bright future of better health for all of us. On the other hand, however, is the constant back and forth battles between the staunch protectionist die-hards of the status quo, generally pharmaceutically driven treatments, i.e. drugs, and the natural health-oriented community who obtain their clinical results using traditional, complementary or alternative treatment approaches. The battles rage on with proponents of both extremes steadfast in their rectitude regarding their positions.

This PH Online July Issue 196 publishes two authoritative articles dealing with weight at the extreme ends of the spectrum – Claudia Louch’s Expert Column about cancer cachexia To What Extent is Weight Loss in Cancer Patients Attributable to Decreased Food Intake?: