This Week in Wellworthy: Good News, Real Progress, and What It Means for Your Health

November 26, 2025

Every week, we track the biggest health policy and access stories shaping your care, your wallet, and your plate. Here’s what you need to know:

The Nutrition Gap: Good News, Real Progress, and What It Means for Your Health

This week’s roundup highlights meaningful progress across healthcare, nutrition, and wellness. From representation in medicine to more accessible movement guidance, here are the stories that reflect where change is happening and why it matters.

Dr. Joel Bervell Receives the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Conviction

Dr. Joel Bervell, known as the “Medical Mythbuster,” was honored with the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Conviction this month. His work challenges medical bias and makes complex health inequities understandable to the public.

Representation in medicine is not symbolic. It directly affects diagnosis speed, quality of care, and patient outcomes. Bervell’s content has reshaped conversations about race-based medical assumptions, dermatologic bias, and diagnostic disparities. His visibility matters, and this award signals that healthcare is paying attention.

For our community, especially people who have experienced misdiagnosis or dismissal, this is a meaningful win.

Obesity Week 2025: What Experts Are Paying Attention To

One of the most encouraging parts of this year’s Obesity Week conference was the shift away from willpower-focused narratives and toward a more complete understanding of how health, biology, stress, food access, and behavior interact.

Researchers spent more time on the realities that people actually live with: sleep disruption, chronic stress, trauma, late-evening eating patterns, nervous system dysregulation, and the invisible pressures that shape appetite and metabolism. That orientation is not just more humane. It is more scientifically accurate.

Here are a few practical takeaways and what to expect next.

What This Holistic Shift Means for You

1. More clarity around the “why,” not just the “what”

Expect much more public patient-friendly guidance on how stress hormones, sleep, blood sugar patterns, and chronic inflammation interact. This will help people understand why certain habits feel harder than others, and why change is not simply a matter of discipline.

2. Greater emphasis on small, achievable shifts

Several sessions highlighted that modest changes, practiced consistently, often have more impact than aggressive regimes.
This includes:

• adding one balanced meal pattern
• ten-minute post-meal walks
• moving sugar earlier in the day
• creating evening wind-down routines
• stabilizing meal timing

This is especially important for people with chronic illnesses like PCOS, endometriosis, fibroids, long-term fatigue, or depression.

3. Expanded research on sleep and late-night eating

A growing number of studies connect disrupted sleep and late-evening eating with glucose spikes, cortisol patterns, and reduced metabolic flexibility.
You can expect new recommendations that support nighttime structure in realistic ways, not rigid dieting rules.

4. A more honest conversation about GLP-1 medications

There will be more data this year about:

• long-term metabolic effects
• nutritional needs while on medications
• access and insurance inequities
• common misconceptions

The conversation is slowly moving toward nuance, not hype.

5. More research on the impact of chronic stress

Researchers are paying closer attention to what many people living with chronic illness already know: a stressed nervous system makes food choices, appetite regulation, and energy management more difficult.

We should expect more patient-accessible explanations of how this works and what people can do to create relief.

Where You Can Go for More Information

If you want to follow the science without needing to scan medical journals, here are approachable, trustworthy places to start:

• Obesity Society “News” page: summaries of major presentations and new findings
• ASMBS patient education: plain-language updates about metabolic health
• Harvard School of Public Health nutrition updates: accessible, updated guidance
• American Diabetes Association research briefs: especially for glucose and insulin resistance
• GINA / PCOS Awareness Advocacy groups for hormone-related insights

Wellness Practices You Can Do Regardless of Income

Wellness is not reserved for those with disposable income. Some practices support nervous system regulation, blood sugar stability, and emotional well-being that cost little or nothing.

A few examples:

• Ten minutes of walking after meals, if you can do it outside, even better
• Eating one fiber-rich food daily
• Drinking water before caffeine
• Breathwork that signals safety to the nervous system
• Journaling for pattern awareness
• Using the library for cookbooks, health books, or quiet space
• Choosing affordable frozen vegetables and fruits
• Setting boundaries around information overload
• Simple meal building: protein, fiber, color

Wellness cannot ignore the cost of living or access. When resources are limited, the goal is to choose what is doable, supportive, and sustainable.

If They Know It’s Not Healthy, Why Do They Still Sell It? The Campbell’s Story

Campbell’s CEO recently acknowledged what many consumers already understand: that many of the company’s legacy products are not aligned with modern nutritional needs. This raises a fair question. If the company knows these foods are not supportive of long-term health, why do they continue to sell them?

The answer is structural.

Canned soups and shelf-stable products generate reliable revenue. They are inexpensive to produce, have long shelf lives, and fit a business model built on predictability. More than 80 percent of Campbell’s total revenue comes from highly processed soups and snacks. These items are profitable and deeply embedded in American eating patterns.

That is the financial reality.

But the human reality is just as important. Many families rely on convenience foods because the system has made them the most accessible option. When money is tight, time is limited, or chronic illness makes cooking difficult, convenience becomes a form of survival. People are not choosing processed foods because they do not care. They are choosing what fits their life, budget, health, or capacity.

The real issue is that the most accessible foods in the U.S. are often the least supportive ones. Consumers are trying. The system is not.

If you are looking for alternatives, there are brands with simpler ingredient lists: Amy’s, Pacific Foods, Trader Joe’s low-sodium soups, 365 Organic, Simple Truth. Better yet, we will share affordable homemade soup recipes on the Gwell site soon that cost less per serving than canned soup.

Community Gardens Are Quietly Growing Across the Country

Community gardens are expanding in several cities, and the growth is not random. It reflects a larger movement toward food sovereignty, cost-of-living relief, and community resilience.

This year, multiple cities announced new programs that make it easier for residents to access shared garden space, fresh produce, and community-led food education.

Cities That Have Recently Expanded Community Garden Programs

Chicago

• The Chicago Urban Agriculture Mapping Project reported a rise in new community garden sites in South and West side neighborhoods.
• The city expanded its “Grow Chicago” initiative, which offers free garden plots, compost, and water access to residents.

Los Angeles

• LA’s “Green Together Initiative” added new community plots in Pacoima, Arleta, and Panorama City.
• The programs are grant-funded and offer free workshops on growing herbs, vegetables, and drought-tolerant crops.

New York City

• NYC Parks’ GreenThumb program, the largest in the country, added multiple new gardens in Brooklyn and the Bronx.
• Many of these spaces offer free access or low-cost memberships.
• Some received funding through state-level environmental justice allocations.

Philadelphia

• The Neighborhood Gardens Trust increased land protections for dozens of community gardens vulnerable to development.
• Several new plots were created through partnerships with local nonprofits and land trusts.

Detroit

• Detroit continues to grow its network of community farms, supported by grants from the USDA and philanthropic funders.
• Many sites prioritize low-income neighborhoods and food-insecure households.

What Is Driving This Growth?

The expansion is driven by a few key forces:

Food insecurity and rising grocery costs

Cities are looking for low-cost interventions that increase access to produce without requiring new grocery stores.

Demand for culturally relevant food

Immigrant and BIPOC communities often grow foods not found in mainstream markets. Community gardens fill this gap.

Public health and chronic illness concerns

Cities want to support healthier eating without raising household costs. Community gardens offer an affordable path.

Climate and environmental goals

Urban agriculture reduces heat islands, improves soil, and increases green space.

Community mental health

Gardens provide social connection, belonging, and a place for intergenerational gathering.

In other words, gardens meet multiple policy goals at once. That is why they are getting funded.

Are these programs free?

Most community gardens fall into three models:

Fully free access

Funded through city budgets, grants, or nonprofits.
Common in Chicago, NYC, and Detroit.

Low-cost membership

Annual fees between $10 and $40 to help maintain tools, water, and fencing.
Common in LA and Philadelphia.

Sliding scale based on income

Some gardens reduce fees for seniors, SNAP recipients, or residents with chronic illness.

In nearly every case, these programs cost far less than buying the same amount of produce retail.

For people living with chronic illness, low energy, pain, or limited finances:

• Gardens offer access to nutrient-rich vegetables and herbs.
• Fresh herbs alone can shift the flavor and quality of meals at little cost.
• Gardening supports nervous system regulation and stress reduction.
• Community spaces reduce loneliness and increase social support.
• Growing even a small amount of food builds confidence and agency.

This is not “grow your own food” as a mandate.
It is an option that is becoming more accessible, more supported, and more community-driven than ever before.

New Research on Small Movement Habits

Recent studies continue to reinforce the importance of accessible movement. Three ten-minute walks spread throughout the day were shown to improve blood sugar, lower inflammation markers, and support mood. This shift away from “more is always better” is progress for anyone navigating low energy, chronic pain, or fatigue.

Movement does not have to be extreme to count.

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References and Further Reading

Access to Nutrition Initiative (2022). U.S. Access to Nutrition Index.
Evaluation of the largest U.S. food and beverage companies and their progress on nutrition, transparency, and marketing practices.
https://accesstonutrition.org

International Food Information Council (2023). Consumer Food Trends Report.
Data on how younger consumers are prioritizing natural ingredients, fiber, blood sugar stability, and functional benefits over legacy “diet culture” language.
https://ific.org

McKinsey & Company (2023). The Emergence of Functional and Better-for-You Eating.
Explores demand for simple ingredients, digestive health support, and the rise of “quiet wellness” among millennials and Gen Z.

NIH / National Library of Medicine: Fiber and Metabolic Health Overview.
Summarizes evidence linking fiber intake, blood sugar control, satiety, and reduced risk of chronic illness.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

California Assembly Bill AB-418 (2023).
California legislation restricting certain food additives, prompting broader discussions about U.S. food policy and UPF regulation.
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov

Good Food Institute (2024). State of the Cultivated Meat Industry.
Explains the investment push toward engineered and cultivated proteins and why large companies favor low-cost, shelf-stable innovation over minimally processed foods.
https://gfi.org

Harvard School of Public Health: Ultra-Processed Foods and Health.
Overview of how UPFs affect metabolic outcomes and why countries are beginning to regulate them.
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu

Food Dive (2024). Miyoko Schinner’s Attempted Buyback and Consumer Response.
Industry reporting on how reformulation changes can alienate consumers seeking simple, whole-food ingredients.
https://www.fooddive.com

Deloitte (2023). The Future of Consumer Health and Wellness.
Outlines the widening gap between consumer demand for nutrient-dense foods and corporate focus on lower-cost, engineered alternatives.

Journal of Nutrition (2022). Youth Awareness of Blood Sugar and Metabolic Health.
Peer-reviewed findings showing increased literacy among Gen Z on glucose, fiber, satiety, and stable energy patterns.