Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Preterm birth: Pre-pregnancy obesity and gestational weight gain increase risk

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine's (BUSM) Slone Epidemiology Center and Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) have found that pre-pregnancy obesity and gestational weight gain are associated with an increased risk of preterm birth in African American participants from the Black Women's Health Study. This study currently appears on-line in Epidemiology.

11 Feb 2010

MedX announces the completion of first sale in New Zealand

MedX Limited, the manufacturer and global distributor of MedX®-branded medical exercise and fitness equipment and a subsidiary of WellTek Incorporated, today announced the completion of its first sale in New Zealand, succeeding the sale of 227 MedX exercise and medical machines to customers in a diverse list of countries, including Australia, Germany, India, Scotland, South Korea, Spain and Switzerland.

11 Feb 2010

Migraine sufferers face increase risk of heart attack, says study

People with migraine may be at an increased risk of heart attack and other risk factors for heart disease, according to a study published in the February 10, 2010, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

11 Feb 2010

Cardiology 2010 conference focuses on current treatments for children with heart disease

An international group of over 900 medical experts gathers today to discuss the most current treatments for children with heart disease. Affecting about 8 in every 1,000 children, congenital (present at birth) heart disease is the most common birth defect. In its severe forms, it is also the leading cause of death from birth defects in infants.

10 Feb 2010

SafeStitch Medical's AMID Stapler receives European CE Mark

SafeStitch Medical, Inc. announced today that it has received CE Mark authorization to commercialize its AMID StaplerTM in the European Economic Community. The new stapler is to be used for fixation of mesh in the repair of hernia defects and also for the approximation of tissues, including skin. The AMID Stapler™ is the first surgical stapler designed specifically for use in inguinal hernia repairs using the Lichtenstein method, in which mesh is implanted for reinforcement. SafeStitch announced in November 2009 that it had received 510(k) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration for sale of the AMID StaplerTM in the U.S. market.

10 Feb 2010

New research sheds light on the negative impact that food product placements in movies could have on children

New research from the Hood Center for Children and Families at Dartmouth Medical School (DMS) for the first time sheds light on the significant potential negative impact that food product placements in the movies could be having on children.

10 Feb 2010

Rating of risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease: Low IQ follows cigarette smoking

While lower intelligence scores - as reflected by low results on written or oral tests of IQ - have been associated with a raised risk of cardiovascular disease, no study has so far compared the relative strength of this association with other established risk factors such as obesity, smoking and high blood pressure. Now, a large study funded by Britain's Medical Research Council, which set out to gauge the relative importance of IQ alongside other risk factors, has found that lower intelligence scores were associated with higher rates of cardiovascular disease and total mortality at a greater level of magnitude than found with any other risk factor except smoking.

10 Feb 2010

Obese adolescents who receive laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding lose excess weight

A higher percentage of severely obese adolescents who received laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding lost more than 50 percent of excess weight and experienced greater benefits to health and quality of life compared to those in an intensive lifestyle management program, according to a study in the February 10 issue of JAMA.

10 Feb 2010

New campaign against childhood obesity: AACE lauds First Lady's efforts

The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) welcomes and applauds the effort of First Lady Michelle Obama, who announced a new campaign to combat childhood obesity today.

10 Feb 2010

Exposure to unhealthy food commercials linked to childhood obesity

The association between television viewing and childhood obesity is directly related to children's exposure to commercials that advertise unhealthy foods, according to a new UCLA School of Public Health study published in the American Journal of Public Health.

10 Feb 2010

Maternal obesity increases offspring's risk of developing inflammation-related disorders

As if there are not enough reasons for obese people to lose weight, a new research report published online in The FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org), adds several more. In a study involving rats, researchers from Duke University found that obesity in mothers causes cellular programming in utero that predisposes offspring to inflammation-related disorders (such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and more) from the day that they are born, regardless of whether or not the offspring are obese themselves.

10 Feb 2010

AMA supports initiative to combat childhood obesity

"The American Medical Association is pleased to support First Lady Michelle Obama in the Let's Move Campaign. As the nation's largest physician organization, we have long worked to address obesity and are committed to reenergizing our programs and communications this year to focus on children's needs related to obesity prevention and management.

9 Feb 2010

RWJF announces grant to promote healthy eating and active lifestyle among children and families

The Quantum Foundation is proud to be partners in a grant awarded to the School District of Palm Beach County that will help kids and their parents eat right and get fit.

9 Feb 2010

Physical Activity Innovations named ‘Bluetooth Innovator of the Year’ for 2009

The Bluetooth SIG has awarded Edward Sazonov, Physical Activity Innovations LLC, the title of Bluetooth Innovator of the Year for 2009. Sazonov received this recognition at the official award ceremony held in-line with the Wearable Technologies Show at ispo 2010, the world’s largest trade show for sporting goods.

9 Feb 2010

Three in ten overweight teenagers think they are underweight

Three in ten overweight teens believe they are actually underweight or "about right," according to a study of more than 65,000 high school students.

9 Feb 2010

Gastric banding surgery offers fewer complications, but more research needed

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding surgery can effectively treat obesity in adolescents and seems to offer a better alternative than gastric bypass surgery, but further study is needed to determine whether it's better than nonsurgical options, a UT Southwestern Medical Center surgeon writes in an editorial in the Feb. 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

9 Feb 2010

Exposure to electronic media is not linked to headaches

Use of most electronic media is not associated with headaches, at least not in adolescents. A study of 1025 13-17 year olds, published in the open access journal BMC Neurology, found no association between the use of computer games, mobile phones or television and the occurrence of headaches or migraines.

9 Feb 2010

Unhealthy behaviors contribute to excessive number of premature deaths in U.S.

The standard American diet, combined with inactivity and other unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, contributes to an excessive number of premature deaths in this country, according to leading preventive cardiology experts speaking at the American College of Cardiology's Fourth Annual Heart of Women's Health Conference in Washington, D.C.

9 Feb 2010

Broad coalition supports inclusion of new bill in the Minnesota legislature

A measure to make roads safer and more accessible for all Minnesotans – regardless of age or ability or whether traveling by car, bus, bike or on foot – was introduced into the Minnesota legislature today. The "Complete Streets" bills, SF 2461 and HF 2801, are supported by a broad coalition of health, family, environment, senior, and transportation advocates who attended an afternoon press conference.

9 Feb 2010

Tax on sugared drinks loses appeal, tanning salons still fighting

Los Angeles Times: "Only months ago, supporters of the soda tax saw it as an idea whose hour was near. The sheer magnitude of the medical cost of obesity added urgency to the issue ... But opponents questioned any link between sugary drinks and obesity, and expressed concern about a slippery slope of taxes on other products. Proponents, meanwhile, thought a tax that drove down consumption while raising money for health care seemed like a natural with Democrats controlling Congress."

9 Feb 2010