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.

UCSB psychology professor finds that weight-stigmatizing messages may have the opposite effect

If you're one of the millions of people who count losing weight among their top New Year's resolutions, you might want to pay careful attention to some new findings by UC Santa Barbara psychology professor Brenda Major.

9 Jan 2014

Obesity is an expensive problem, says bariatric surgeon

As a preeminent expert in the field of obesity surgery, board-certified bariatric surgeon Michael Feiz, M.D., F.A.C.S, has personally seen the physical, emotional and financial toll that obesity takes on his patients.

31 Dec 2013

Study shows that gaining too little weight during pregnancy is risk factor for infant mortality

Women who do not gain enough weight during pregnancy are at increased risk of losing their baby in its first year of life, according to a new study by researchers in the University of Maryland School of Public Health.

19 Dec 2013

Shared genetic risk for bipolar disorder and BMI

Researchers have found a positive association in the heritability of bipolar disorder and body mass index, supporting the theory that there is some interaction in the genetic mechanisms underlying these two traits.

19 Dec 2013

Study: Health care costs increase in parallel with body mass measurements

Researchers at Duke Medicine are giving people another reason to lose weight in the new year: obesity-related illnesses are expensive. According to a study published in the journal Obesity, health care costs increase in parallel with body mass measurements, even beginning at a recommended healthy weight.

17 Dec 2013

Fat mass not linked to lung function in children with asthma

A study suggests that the relationship between body mass and lung function in children with asthma is more nuanced than previously thought.

16 Dec 2013

Exercise in middle age protects against sarcopenia and maintains muscle strength, physical performance

A cross-sectional study by investigators from Tokyo University has found that exercising in middle age is a protective factor against sarcopenia and effective in maintaining muscle strength and physical performance.

16 Dec 2013

New UCSF-led study links obesity to development of chronic kidney disease

A new UCSF-led study of nearly 3,000 individuals links obesity to the development of kidney disease. The work also shows that, when properly measured, declines in kidney function are detectable long before the emergence of other obesity-related diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

14 Dec 2013

Children can reap positive health benefits from increased physical activity

Studies conducted by the Appalachian State University Human Performance Laboratory at the NC Research Campus in Kannapolis, N.C., show that when children increase their level of physical activity, they experience positive health benefits quickly.

13 Dec 2013

Maternal weight issues spell wheezing trouble for children

High maternal weight and gestational weight gain are independently associated with an increased risk for wheezing in preschool age children, a Dutch study has found.

6 Dec 2013

Hypertension skyrocketing in India

Hypertension is skyrocketing in India, with rural-to-urban migrants at especially high risk. Hypertension will be a key theme at the 65th Annual Conference of the Cardiological Society of India, which takes place during 5-8 December in Bangalore, India, and features a collaborative programme with the European Society of Cardiology.

6 Dec 2013

Poor sleep quality linked with mood disturbance and lower quality of life in people with obesity

A new study shows that poor sleep quality is strongly associated with mood disturbance and lower quality of life among people with extreme obesity.

5 Dec 2013

Direct radiographic imaging reveals negative impact of adiposity in older men and women

Researchers at the National Institute for Aging are working to improve understanding about obesity and cancer. A study, published today in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, is the first to use direct radiographic imaging of adipose tissue rather than estimates like body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference, and focuses on the relationship between obesity and cancer risk in aging populations. Findings emphasize the negative impact of adiposity on long term health particularly for older men and women.

4 Dec 2013

Genetic mutation linked to excess risk of lethal prostate cancer in obese patients

Obesity is associated with a worse prostate cancer prognosis among men whose tumors contain a specific genetic mutation, suggest results from a new study led by Harvard School of Public Health, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital researchers.

4 Dec 2013

Royal Philips showcases EPIQ and AlluraClarity systems at RSNA 2013

Today, at the 99th Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago, Royal Philips showcases its EPIQ premium ultrasound system that combines an exceptional level of clinical performance, advanced system intelligence and intuitive design, and its AlluraClarity interventional X-ray system that provides high quality imaging for a comprehensive range of clinical procedures, achieving excellent visibility at low X-ray dose levels for patients of all sizes.

From Philips Healthcare 1 Dec 2013

Research: Higher BMI liked with increased risk of hearing loss in women

According to the World Health Organization, 360 million people have disabling hearing loss, a condition that is often considered to be an unavoidable side effect of aging.

26 Nov 2013

BMI or measure of obesity does not play significant role in weight loss operation, says study

A new study investigating why obese patients choose one type of weight loss operation over another reveals that the main factors influencing decision making are whether patients have type 2 diabetes, how much weight they want to lose, and their tolerance for surgical risk to achieve their ideal weight.

25 Nov 2013

CVD expert requests Mexican government to carry out mandatory screening for 18-year-olds

A cardiovascular disease expert is calling for mandatory screening of 18 year-old Mexicans to halt the CVD epidemic plaguing the nation. Cardiovascular risk factors will be a key theme at the Mexican Congress of Cardiology, held 23 to 27 November in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico. The Congress is organised by the Mexican Society of Cardiology and features a collaborative programme with the European Society of Cardiology.

23 Nov 2013

QoL, BMI predict exacerbations in Japanese COPD patients

Analysis of a cohort of Japanese chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with a low exacerbation frequency shows that low body mass index and poor health-related quality of life independently predict flare ups of the disease.

21 Nov 2013

Smaller bowl sizes may be next weapon in battle against childhood obesity

Smaller bowl sizes may be the next weapon in the battle against childhood obesity, says a new Cornell study published this week in the Journal of Pediatrics which found children not only ask for more food to fill larger bowls, but they also eat 52 percent more.

20 Nov 2013