Diet News and Research

Latest Diet News and Research

Researchers conduct trial to study obesity-related respiratory limitations on weight loss

Tamara Ritchie lost 25 pounds in 12 weeks without breaking a sweat. She was just following doctors' orders.

13 Dec 2010

Research programs embody the promise of anti-aging medicine.

Sometimes the value of research lies as much in exposing false remedies as in discovering true breakthroughs. Scientists at the country's first school of gerontology and in laboratories around the University of Southern California do both, mindful of their responsibility to a society focused on healthful aging.

13 Dec 2010

Gift cards from fast food joints cause outrage among health experts

As Australia battles with the obesity epidemic, fast food outlet KFC has raised eyebrows from health quarters by offering Christmas gift cards worth up to $500. A survey of fast-food outlets in Hobart’s CBD yesterday revealed gift vouchers were available at McDonald’s, KFC and Subway.

12 Dec 2010

Roark affiliates acquire Atkins Nutritionals

Roark Capital Group, an Atlanta-based private equity firm, announced today that its affiliates have acquired Atkins Nutritionals, a leading international weight control and nutrition brand. Atkins' management team, led by CEO Monty Sharma, will remain with the business and invested alongside Roark Capital in the transaction. Terms of the transaction were not released.

10 Dec 2010

North Castle completes sale of Atkins

North Castle Partners, a leading investor in small-cap consumer companies focused on health, wellness and active living, announced today that the firm and its co-investors have completed the sale of Atkins Nutritional Holdings, Inc..

10 Dec 2010

Low phosphate diets may increase dialysis patients' risk of premature death

Doctors often ask kidney disease patients on dialysis to limit the amount of phosphate they consume in their diets, but this does not help prolong their lives, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology.

10 Dec 2010

Older people living in racially segregated neighborhoods have higher chance of developing cancer: Study

Older people who live in racially segregated neighborhoods with high crime rates have a much higher chance of developing cancer than do older people with similar health histories and income levels who live in safer, less segregated neighborhoods.

10 Dec 2010

Registered dietitians practice what they preach

When it comes to eating a balanced diet, taking vitamins or other dietary supplements, exercising regularly, and engaging in other wellness behaviors, registered dietitians come out on top among eight healthcare professional populations according to the "Life…supplemented" Healthcare Professionals (HCP) Impact Studies.

9 Dec 2010

EFSA publishes positive opinion on disease risk reduction health claim for oat beta-glucan

A scientific panel of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published its positive opinion on a disease risk reduction health claim dossier for oat beta-glucan on 8. December 2010, following an application from CreaNutrition AG submitted pursuant to Article 14 of the EC regulation on nutrition and health claims.

9 Dec 2010

Researchers to study effect of resveratrol on impaired IGT in older prediabetic patients

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have been awarded $600,000 from the American Diabetes Association to study the effect of resveratrol, a chemical compound most notably found in red wine and grapes, on impaired glucose tolerance in older adults.

9 Dec 2010

Dietitians prefer olive oil as food oil of choice

A newly released survey of dietitians, which examines their current perspectives regarding various dietary fats and oils, reveals a strong preference for olive oil as the food oil of choice even for individuals on a diet. Canola oil was the second choice, while other oils—safflower, soybean, peanut, corn and flax—trailed far behind.

9 Dec 2010

Study: Adding community features to online health programs could reduce attrition

In an era when social networking sites and blogs are visited by three quarters of online users, it's only natural that the medical profession would also tap into the power of social media tools.

9 Dec 2010

Researchers find weak association between parent-child dietary intake

As primary caregivers, parents are often believed to have a strong influence on children's eating behaviors. However, previous findings on parent-child resemblance in dietary intakes are mixed. Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health reviewed and assessed the degree of association and similarity between children's and their parents' dietary intake based on worldwide studies published since 1980. The meta-analysis is featured in the December issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

9 Dec 2010

Video games effective in improving diet behaviors of children

Obesity in youngsters has risen dramatically in recent decades. Fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption and increased water intake can lower the risk of obesity, as can increased physical activity, but it is not always easy to convince children to eat better and exercise more. In a new study published in the January 2011 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers found that video games designed to encourage these behaviors were effective.

8 Dec 2010

Some progress, but big challenges remain in prevention of cardiovascular disease

'Some progress, but the big challenges remain'. This was the verdict after the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) hosted the 2010 European Summit on CVD Prevention on 30 November. The summit was attended by a broad cross-section of medical experts, healthcare organisations, national societies, regulators and representatives from the European Union (EU).

8 Dec 2010

Reduced salt intake prevents serious threats in diabetic patients

For patients living with diabetes, reducing the amount of salt in their daily diet is key to warding off serious threats to their health, a new review of studies finds.

8 Dec 2010

NIH awards Scripps Research $2.35M to study new treatment for obesity

The Scripps Research Institute has been awarded a $2.35 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study a new way of treating obesity as part of a national consortium with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

8 Dec 2010

Contrave, new weight loss pill gets FDA panel nod

A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel yesterday recommended the approval of Orexigen Therapeutics’ weight loss drug Contrave. This is the first time a weight loss drug has received the nod. The vote went 13 to 7 for Contrave’s approval and 11 to 8, with an abstention that additional studies be conducted on heart risks. Although experts agree to risks they believe the benefits outweigh the risks. Although the FDA is not compelled to go with the panel’s recommendation, it more often than not does. The FDA will deliver its verdict by Jan. 31 2011.

7 Dec 2010

European summit agrees that lifestyle change is the only answer to heart disease

‘Some progress, but the big challenges remain’. This was the verdict after the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) hosted the 2010 European Summit on CVD Prevention on 30 November. The summit was attended by a broad cross-section of medical experts, healthcare organisations, national societies, regulators and representatives from the European Union (EU).

7 Dec 2010

OXIS introduces ErgoFlex for relief of joint pain

OXIS International, Inc. announces the market launch of ErgoFlex™, a unique new dietary supplement for the relief of joint pain. It is the first in a series of commercial products planned by OXIS. ErgoFlex is the only joint health complex containing the powerful antioxidant Ergothioneine (ERGO), and is specifically formulated to help the body fight the pain of joint inflammation and maintain optimal joint health.

7 Dec 2010