A company’s ESG goals may align with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These 17 items serve as a guide “for peace and prosperity for people and the planet.” They include gender equality, affordable and clean energy, responsible consumption and production, and other goals.

Historically, the pharmaceutical industry has had a negative reputation among consumers. The opioid crisis and drug pricing scandals have damaged the industry’s standing. In a 2019 consumer sentiment poll, pharma ranked last, its worst finish in the poll’s history.

Some view the COVID-19 pandemic as a reputational turning point for pharma and an opportunity to solidify a more positive impact on society. Many pharmaceutical companies are furthering this goal by incorporating ESG into their operations. 

“ESG is another way to analyze companies beyond their profit and losses, and to see the broader impact companies are having on society and future generations” says Monique Adams, Director of Clinical Innovation at Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, and Vice President at Women of Color in Pharma (WOCIP).

Adam’s words are affirmed by an April 2020 poll which found that 40% of Americans had a more positive view of the industry than before the pandemic began, up 7% from the month before. In fact, for the first time, pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Moderna was ranked among the top five companies with the best reputations in America in 2021. The shift is a direct result of the pandemic and pharma’s tireless work in producing vaccines and other medications that have saved millions of lives worldwide. 

How are pharmaceutical companies adopting ESG?

More often, pharmaceutical companies grasp the significance of ESG and are taking steps toward implementing the strategy into their long-term goals. Environmental sustainability, or the “E” in ESG, has become a major focus for companies.

“We’re making drugs that are intended to save people’s lives,” Adams says. “But any time you have large manufacturing plants and sites, that also can have a negative impact on the environment.”

Many environmental sustainability programs from pharmaceutical companies center on lowering greenhouse gas emissions through the use of renewable energy sources. These companies are also working to improve the environmental footprint of their products and value chain. For example, Johnson & Johnson has committed to sourcing 100% of its electricity needs from renewable sources by 2025. 

The “social” pillar of ESG considers health equity, including more equitable and affordable access to the medications that pharmaceutical companies develop. And it examines a company’s workforce. Do employees reflect the communities they serve? Goals for this pillar often include hiring and promoting more women and people of color, particularly Black and Latino employees. 

In addition to her role as director of clinical innovation, Adams is also the Global Head of Janssen’s R&D DEI Advisory Board. The Board has more than thirty-five members representing every therapeutic area, business function, and region within the company. One of its efforts is attracting diverse talent to the organization. 

“The only way to truly change culture is through people,” Adams says. “We believe in order to advance health equity, you need diverse leaders at the table making decisions about which diseases we’re going to study, trial design, and trial sites.”

The board is currently partnering with talent acquisition to develop a workshop that provides leaders with tools and resources for effectively tracking diverse talent.

The final pillar in ESG is “governance,” which examines issues such as shareholder rights, board diversity, executive compensation, ethics, and fighting corruption. In its ESG report, AbbVie outlines how, among other governance policies, every employee must complete training on its Business Code of Conduct and acknowledge that they will follow it. 

Pharmaceutical companies have begun officially announcing their ESG goals and how they are progressing against them. These goals may be part of a year-end report or a separate announcement. Adams says publicly sharing this information “ensures that they’ll be more accountable in helping create a more sustainable society.”

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America’s changing diet and physical fitness

How we eat looks a lot different today compared to 40 years ago in terms of how much and what we consume. The Pew Research Center analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and found that in 2010, Americans ate around 23% more calories than in 1970. That adds up to about 2,481 calories a day, more than the suggested 1,850 to 2,000 calories adults need to maintain their current weight. The Pew report also shows that we are eating less meat, dairy, sweeteners, fruits, and vegetables today than in 1970.

Along with diet, exercise has also changed over the years. The field of exercise science began in the 1800s to better the health of working-class people using dance and sports. By the end of World War II, more Americans worked in factories, resulting in less strenuous activity than farm work. The sedentary lifestyle culminated in the invention of the television, which kept more people at home and less active.

In the 1950s, a global study revealed that American children were less fit than their counterparts in other countries. The study prompted the establishment of the President’s Council on Youth Fitness. The council began to take shape under the John F. Kennedy administration, launching a national campaign on physical fitness and physical education curriculum for schools across the country. The council and its programs are credited with changing public attitudes and improving fitness nationwide.

Does exercise work for weight loss?

You may wonder how exercise fits into a weight loss program. Unfortunately, you probably will not see significant weight loss from exercise alone. Many people overestimate the number of calories they burn by exercising, which can lead to misjudging the number of calories they can consume. Exercise may also trigger hunger or the idea that you can splurge calories on a treat because you went to the gym. Research shows that changes to your diet – eating fewer calories and more nutrient-dense food – are a better strategy for long-term weight loss.

While it may not help you lose weight, exercise still offers many potential health benefits, like better sleep, lower anxiety, and weight maintenance. In recent years, Marissa Quinones of Grand Prairie, Texas, has prioritized exercise as part of her daily life. Quinones, the director of medical affairs strategy for a biopharmaceutical company, began participating in fitness challenges through Women of Color in Pharma (WOCIP), a network of more than 900 female professionals working in the pharmaceutical industry. Each season, WOCIP hosts the Nike Run Club, an 8-week challenge that encourages members to log at least 25 hours of walking, running, or jogging miles per month. The challenges have fostered a spirit of friendly competition in Quinones, and a love of walking, hiking, and the outdoors.

“I prefer to be out in nature. It helps to clear my mind and get ready for the day,” she says. Compared to indoor exercise, walking outdoors also helps her focus more on enjoying exercise and less on the time spent doing it. ”I’m not really good at the treadmill. It wasn’t fun for me.”

Quinones walked almost 250 miles in 2021; by September 2022, she had already surpassed that number, with the goal of reaching 300 miles by the end of the year. Beyond the physical benefits, she views walking and other exercise like yoga as self-care for her mental health. Science confirms this idea – an extensive study of 1.2 million people living in the U.S. published in The Lancet Psychiatry found a meaningful link between physical exercise and improved mental health, depending on the type, duration, and frequency of the exercise.

What are the different types of diets, and do they work?

Despite gains in physical activity, more Americans have become overweight or obese over nearly 50 years, which has led to the rise of a culture of dieting. An imbalance between the calories you consume and the number your body burns causes obesity. Losing 5% to 10% of your body weight can lower blood pressure, triglycerides, and blood sugar. Dieting for weight loss usually involves including more of a particular food or food group while excluding others. We use a wide variety of methods to shed pounds, from low-carb, high-protein diets, to fasting and cutting out all animal products. But which ones actually work to lose weight and keep it off? First, it may be helpful to look at the different types of diets. Most fit into one of three categories:

Controlling macronutrient content. This involves managing the nutrients you consume. For example, eating more protein and fewer carbohydrates on the Atkins diet. Or diets that require you to cut back on certain types of fat.

Restricting or eliminating certain foods. Vegan, paleo, gluten-free, and Mediterranean diets fall into this category. They all require you to stop eating specific foods or food groups.

Controlling the timing of when you eat. Many people use intermittent fasting as a way to lose or control weight. This is when you stop eating and drinking for a certain period. Common types of intermittent fasting include periodic fasting, alternate day fasting, time-restricted feeding, and religious fasting.

Scientists have examined whether these diets are effective for weight loss and maintenance. A 2019 study from a researcher at Harvard Medical School looked at several popular diets and eating methods. In the short-term, high-protein, low-carb diets and intermittent fasting could help “jump start” weight loss and boost the amount of weight you lose, according to the study. But researchers caution that these diets may come with side effects such as weakness and headaches.

Over an extended period, the type of diet you choose may not matter as much. Research shows that different diets resulted in similar amounts of weight loss. The bottom line is that no one way of eating works universally for weight loss. What matters most is the quality of your food, burning more calories than you consume, and sticking with a diet for the long term.

To lose weight and keep it off, experts recommend lifestyle changes such as eating fewer calories, more nutritious foods, and participating in physical activity. It may also require things like therapy, medication, or even weight loss surgery.

A note on BMI

It’s also important to note that although many doctors and scientists use body mass index (BMI) to measure whether a person is overweight or obese, it’s not a definitive test. It is a single measure in a larger picture of your overall health.

Plus, BMI definitions are based on white bodies. Race and ethnicity can determine the makeup of your body, including body fat percentage and amount of muscle mass. This means BMI may be a less accurate measure for some people of color. Your doctor should also look at other things like blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar to get a more detailed view of your health.

The post Will I lose more weight through diet or exercise? appeared first on Medika Life.