Body Mass Index (BMI) News and Research

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Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure that relates body weight to height. BMI is sometimes used to measure total body fat and whether a person is a healthy weight. Excess body fat is linked to an increased risk of some diseases including heart disease and some cancers.

Study: Obese firefighters don’t get weight management advice from health care providers

Obese and overweight firefighters are not receiving weight management advice from their health care providers, according to new research from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

14 Jul 2014

Reduction in alcohol consumption beneficial for cardiovascular health

A reduction in alcohol consumption, even for light-to-moderate drinkers, could be linked to improved cardiovascular health, including a reduced risk of coronary heart disease, lower body mass index and blood pressure, according to new research published in The BMJ.

14 Jul 2014

Research suggests few risk factors that may point to possibility of ACL re-injury

Re-tearing a repaired knee Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) happens all too frequently, however a recent study being presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Annual Meeting suggests that identification and patient education regarding modifiable risk factors may minimize the chance of a future ACL tear.

11 Jul 2014

Reducing amount of alcoholic beverages consumed may improve cardiovascular health

Reducing the amount of alcoholic beverages consumed, even for light-to-moderate drinkers, may improve cardiovascular health, including a reduced risk of coronary heart disease, lower body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure, according to a new multi-center study published in The BMJ and co-led by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

11 Jul 2014

Adults with extreme obesity have increased risks of dying at young age

Adults with extreme obesity have increased risks of dying at a young age from cancer and many other causes including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and kidney and liver diseases, according to results of an analysis of data pooled from 20 large studies of people from three countries.

8 Jul 2014

Lack of leisure-time physical activity linked to increased obesity, particularly in young women

Sedentary lifestyle and not caloric intake may be to blame for increased obesity in the US, according to a new analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

8 Jul 2014

Excessive belly fat: A risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Obesity, especially excessive belly fat, is a risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

7 Jul 2014

Health researchers suggest new BMI thresholds for ethnic communities

Health researchers have suggested new body mass index (BMI) thresholds for defining overweight and obese individuals in ethnic communities.

1 Jul 2014

Metabolic syndrome components may influence LUTS/BPH

Abdominal aortic calcification and visceral fat obesity each seem to influence lower urinary tract symptoms in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia, study findings suggest.

30 Jun 2014

Socioeconomic adversity during childhood increases depression, higher BMI in early adolescence

Socioeconomic adversity during childhood increases the likelihood of both depression and higher body mass index (BMI) in early adolescence, which can worsen and lead to illness for young adults, according to a new report in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

25 Jun 2014

Researchers find that BMI tool misses children who should be considered obese

Physicians using body mass index (BMI) to diagnose children as obese may be missing 25 percent of kids who have excess body fat despite a normal BMI, which can be a serious concern for long-term health, according to a Mayo Clinic study published online today in Pediatric Obesity.

24 Jun 2014

Women who develop gestational diabetes perform worse on cognitive function tests

Women who develop diabetes during pregnancy, called gestational diabetes, perform worse on cognitive function tests than do women with a normal pregnancy, according to a new study from Turkey.

23 Jun 2014

‘Surprising’ effect of growth hormone on BMI in normal-weight children

Researchers have found that the body mass index standard deviation score increases in normal-weight children receiving growth hormone treatment.

16 Jun 2014

Obese patients with rheumatoid arthritis have higher disease activity scores

A new study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress showed that obese patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have higher DAS (disease activity) scores than non-obese patients, irrespective of their disease stage.

12 Jun 2014

Targeting popular kids for fighting obesity may not be effective

In the fight against teenage obesity, some researchers have proposed targeting popular teens, in the belief that such kids would have an outsize influence on their peers.

10 Jun 2014

Study examines relationships among life-changing events and decreased physical activity

Adults tend to engage in less leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) after changes in both lifestyle and physical status, finds a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

6 Jun 2014

Worldwide obesity rates reach all-time high

Obesity rates have been steadily climbing over the last three decades and the number of adults and children who are now obese is higher than ever, show important new findings.

29 May 2014

New program appears to be effective in reducing risk of lymphedema in breast cancer survivors

Viewed as one of the most unfortunate outcomes of breast cancer treatment, lymphedema is characterized by an accumulation of lymph fluid in the interstitial spaces of the affected limb, leading to chronic ipsilateral limb swelling causing psychosocial distress and physical challenges for patients.

29 May 2014

Healthy diet provides lots of health benefits for patients with COPD

Sure, everyone knows a healthy diet provides lots of health benefits for patients with respiratory diseases, but now a new study has shown a direct link between eating fish, fruit and dairy products and improved lung function among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

22 May 2014

Higher BMI linked with reduced mortality risk in patients with pulmonary hypertension

In patients with congestive heart failure, obesity and a larger waist size have paradoxically been associated with a better prognosis in the prior investigations. This effect, known as the obesity paradox phenomenon, is now being demonstrated in patients with severe pulmonary hypertension.

20 May 2014