Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Test results from 1970s linked to rates of erectile problems 25 years later

Age, obesity, high cholesterol, and high triglyceride measurements in midlife predict not only heart disease risks, but also the likelihood of erectile dysfunction decades later, according to a new study in the April 21, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

20 Apr 2004

Study is first to see such changes in women without high blood pressure or other diseases

Young obese women who are otherwise healthy have hearts that exhibit changes in structure and function similar to those of hypertensive patients, which may help explain links between obesity and heart failure risk, according to a new study in the April 21, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

20 Apr 2004

Metabolic syndrome may make arteries thicker and stiffer

A cluster of cardiovascular disease risk factors, known as the metabolic syndrome, may “age” arteries, according to a new study in the April 21, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

20 Apr 2004

Obesity common factor for poor health among men

Obesity among men appears to be a common factor responsible for much of the burden of poor health, according to a leading edge study undertaken by the University of Adelaide's Department of Medicine.

19 Apr 2004

New evidence that brain circuits involved in drug addiction are also activated by the desire for food

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have produced new evidence that brain circuits involved in drug addiction are also activated by the desire for food.

19 Apr 2004

Atkin's pushing new corporate image

Atkin's Nutriotionals, the company that bears the name of the low-carbohydrate food plan is launching a campaign centered on education rather than its products.

18 Apr 2004

New method that will revolutionize the search for genes

Medical researchers know that most common human diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, have a large genetic component. Many genes, interacting with the environment, contribute to these diseases. For researchers, a major challenge is finding all the genes involved with a particular disease.

18 Apr 2004

Newborn lambs’ central heating system could aid fat busting in humans

The way newborn lambs regulate their temperature in the first few weeks of life using a special deposit of brown fat could give clues for tackling obesity in humans, according to Imperial College London scientists.

18 Apr 2004

Obese mothers increase likelihood of pre-eclampsia

A research team from the University of Glasgow has been awarded nearly £129, 000 by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to investigate the cause of pre-eclampsia (PE), a condition that kills nearly 600 babies in the UK each year.

14 Apr 2004

Growth hormones combat Crohn’s disease, cardiac disorders and improve fertility in invitro fertilisation

New treatments for breast cancer, skin and wound healing and obesity will be revealed at an international conference in Cairns, Australia next week.

13 Apr 2004

Estrogen-alone hormone therapy had no effect on coronary heart disease risk

A large, multi-center heart disease prevention study, part of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), found that estrogen-alone hormone therapy had no effect on coronary heart disease risk but increased the risk of stroke for postmenopausal women.

13 Apr 2004

Vitamin C can reduce levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation and chronic disease

Vitamin C supplements can reduce levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation and chronic disease risk in humans, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.

12 Apr 2004

Surprises found In gene variation associated with schizophrenia

Approximately two percent of Caucasians have a gene segment variation that can cause a certain form of schizophrenia. Most people with the variation, known as a polymorphism, do not have the disease. A University of Iowa Health Care study reveals a good prognosis for people who do have this form of schizophrenia.

12 Apr 2004

Teens are obese due to lack of exercise

The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America's nonprofit fitness advocate, today applauds the recent findings by University of California San Diego School of Medicine and San Diego State University researchers stating that the lack of physical activity was the most significant obesity risk factor contributing to obesity in 11- to 15-year-olds.

12 Apr 2004

$4.5 million overweight and obesity prevention initiative launched

The N.C. Health & Wellness Trust Fund Commission (HWTFC) and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) launched Fit Together, a long-term, comprehensive statewide overweight and obesity prevention initiative uniting $4.5 million in public and private resources.

12 Apr 2004

More Americans resorting to stomach-shrinking surgery

Americans are increasingly resorting to stomach-shrinking surgery so much so that health experts and insurance companies are becoming alarmed about the safety issues and cost of such operations.

11 Apr 2004

International obesity experts form a team to review and evaluate obesity

In an effort to help medical professionals, policy-makers, researchers, the news media and the general public evaluate the quality and usefulness of obesity research, a group of international obesity experts has formed a team that will review and evaluate published research papers in the field of obesity.

7 Apr 2004

Lack of vigorous physical activity is the main contributor to obesity in adolescents ages 11 to 15

Lack of vigorous physical activity is the main contributor to obesity in adolescents ages 11 to 15, according to a study of 878 adolescents by researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine, in collaboration with investigators at San Diego State University.

6 Apr 2004

Hormone associated with obesity also plays a key role in male fertility

Researchers in the University of Warwick’s Department of Biological Sciences have found that a hormone associated with obesity is actually also very active in the male genitals where it plays a key role in male fertility and may even influence the erection response in male sexual arousal.

6 Apr 2004

New study to benefit pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers

Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers are set to benefit from the first study of its kind in the UK. Researchers at the Highlands and Islands Health Research Institute (HIHRI) will undertake a three-year study, which is being funded from £500,000 worth of awards from the Scottish Executive Health Department (SEHD) Chief Scientist Office.

4 Apr 2004