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.

Duration and exclusivity of infant breastfeeding does not prevent overweight or obesity: Study

In research that included nearly 14,000 healthy infants in Belarus, an intervention that succeeded in improving the duration and exclusivity of breastfeeding during infancy did not result in a lower risk of overweight or obesity among the children at age 11.5 years, according to a study appearing in the March 13 issue of JAMA.

13 Mar 2013

Researchers uncover clear genetic link between fat and bone mass

When it comes to body shape, diet and exercise can only take us so far. Our body shape and geometry are largely determined by genetic factors. Genetics also have an impact on our body composition - including soft fat tissue and hard bone tissue - and can lead to excess fat or osteoporosis.

12 Mar 2013

Being overweight from young age can lead to heavier hearts later in life

Being overweight, especially from a young age, appears to lead to a bigger heart later in life, a condition that has been linked to serious heart problems and even death, according to research being presented at the American College of Cardiology's 62nd Annual Scientific Session.

8 Mar 2013

Aerobic fitness improves academic performance in school children

Aerobic fitness significantly predicts academic performance in school age children and adolescents independently of body mass index and socioeconomic status, show study findings.

7 Mar 2013

DBS helps anorexia patients achieve and maintain improvements in body weight, mood and anxiety

In a world first, a team of researchers at the Krembil Neuroscience Centre and the University Health Network have shown that Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) in patients with chronic, severe and treatment-resistant Anorexia Nervosa (anorexia) helps some patients achieve and maintain improvements in body weight, mood, and anxiety.

6 Mar 2013

Women with pre-pregnancy BMI of 40 have increased risk of C-section

Researchers from Norway found that women with a pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) of 40 had an increased risk of vacuum extraction delivery or Cesarean section (C-section).

6 Mar 2013

Anti-metabolic syndrome efforts needed for young ALL survivors

Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia are at risk for developing the metabolic syndrome during maintenance therapy, suggest study findings.

5 Mar 2013

FTO function may encompass more than body mass

Three variants in the fat mass and obesity associated gene are associated with significant predisposition to melanoma, show findings published in Nature Genetics.

5 Mar 2013

People with variations in FTO gene could be at increased risk of melanoma

The research shows that people with particular variations in a stretch of DNA within the FTO gene, called intron 8, could be at greater risk of developing melanoma.

5 Mar 2013

Heart disease signs in newborns of overweight and obese mothers

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4 Mar 2013

Mercury exposure raises diabetes risk later in life

People with a high level of mercury exposure in young adulthood are at an increased risk for developing diabetes later in life, report researchers.

1 Mar 2013

Links between aerobic fitness, BMI and academic performance in children

Although the long-term consequences of childhood obesity are well documented, some school districts have reduced physical education classes to devote more time to the 3 Rs in education-reading, writing, and arithmetic. However, there is new evidence that leaving out an important fourth R-aerobics-could actually be counterproductive for increasing test scores.

1 Mar 2013

Sleep disorder linked to reduced life quality in asthma patients

Quality of life is significantly decreased in adult patients with asthma who are at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea, results from a Korean study show.

15 Feb 2013

Study shows importance of lncRNAs for regulation of adipogeneis

Whitehead Institute researchers have identified a previously unrecognized layer of genetic regulation that is necessary for the generation of undesirable white fat cells. When this regulation is disrupted, white fat cells are unable to accumulate lipid droplets or mature from their precursors.

14 Feb 2013

Excess weight gain, obesity during pregnancy may increase risk of macrosomia

Epidemiologists at Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) have found that pre-pregnancy obesity and excess weight gain during pregnancy in African-American women are associated with an increased risk of giving birth to an abnormally large baby.

13 Feb 2013