Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Regular meals important for the health

It is obvious to most people that our health is affected by what we eat; now, however, scientists have shown that it is also a matter of how often we eat.

21 Jul 2008

Big Apple gets tough with fast food restaurants

New York is getting serious when it comes to tackling obesity, as from last weekend restaurants in the Big Apple now must state calorie information on their menus.

21 Jul 2008

25.6 percent of U.S. adults obese in 2007

The proportion of U.S. adults who self report they are obese increased nearly 2 percent between 2005 and 2007, according to a report in today's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). An estimated 25.6 percent of U.S. adults reported being obese in 2007 compared to 23.9 percent in 2005, an increase of 1.7 percent.

17 Jul 2008

Fred Hutchinson awarded $7.6 million to research how genetic variations influence risk of common diseases

Researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have received a $7.6 million, four-year grant from the National Human Genome Research Institute to better understand the genetic and biological roots of common diseases. The Hutchinson Center is one of four U.S. research institutes to receive grants totaling about $31 million toward this effort.

17 Jul 2008

Diet alone cannot control type 2 diabetes

Despite strong evidence that type 2 diabetes can be prevented or at least delayed by a combination of lifestyle changes and good dietary advice, a team of Cochrane Researchers found that there is no indication whether dietary advice alone can prevent the disease.

16 Jul 2008

Obesity 'hikes up' pancreatic cancer risk in women

Obese women, who carry most of their excess weight around the stomach, are 70 per cent more likely to develop pancreatic cancer, according to a study published online in the British Journal of Cancer.

16 Jul 2008

New technology revolutionizing drug discovery

The National Science Foundation has awarded Weill Cornell Medical College researcher Dr. Scott Blanchard its prestigious Career Award, recognizing his groundbreaking work in cell biology -- work that is poised to revolutionize research for the next generation of young scientists.

15 Jul 2008

New ways of exploiting medicinal uses of cannabis

Research exploring new ways of exploiting the full medicinal uses of cannabis while avoiding unwanted side-effects will be presented to pharmacologists Tuesday, 15 July by leading scientists attending the Federation of European Pharmacological Societies Congress, EPHAR 2008.

From The University of Manchester 15 Jul 2008

Children's physical activity drops from age 9 to 15

The activity level of a large group of American children dropped sharply between age 9 and age 15, when most failed to reach the daily recommended activity level, according to the latest findings from a long-term study by the National Institutes of Health.

15 Jul 2008

Only 11% of children's food products provide good nutritional quality

Nine out of ten regular food items aimed specifically at children have a poor nutritional content - because of high levels of sugar, fat or sodium - according to a detailed study of 367 products published in the July issue of the UK-based journal Obesity Reviews.

14 Jul 2008

Obesity ranks as top health concern for kids, poll finds

As children's waistlines continue to grow, so have concerns about childhood obesity. According to a report released today by the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health, childhood obesity is now the No. 1 health concern for kids in 2008, topping smoking and drug abuse. In 2007, childhood obesity ranked third among parents' top 10 overall health concerns for kids.

14 Jul 2008

Many people fail to recognise they are overweight

More and more people are failing to recognise they are overweight, despite an actual rise in the number of people who are clinically "overweight" or "obese", according to research published on bmj.com.

13 Jul 2008

Lipid Association responds to new cholesterol guidelines for kids

When the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued its recommendation on July 7 regarding the treatment of children with high cholesterol, it generated a strong response from the community of medical professionals and patients. The National Lipid Association (NLA), a group of healthcare professionals who specialize in cholesterol and heart disease issues, believes that the AAP has acted in the interests of patient care by raising the issue of lipid abnormalities in children.

10 Jul 2008

Birth weight prediction method may lead to safer deliveries

Physicians at the University of Rochester Medical Center have identified a method that appears to reliably predict the birth weight of babies in obese pregnant women, a key factor in counseling patients and planning for safe delivery of their babies.

10 Jul 2008

New framework for social marketing and public health in UK

A new framework for action on social marketing and public health was published today by the UK's Department of Health. Ambitions for Health sets out how we will use evidence of what motivates people to help them lead healthier lives through targeted action. This builds on the success of programmes like Health Trainers, which provides one-to-one support to help individuals tackle health issues.

10 Jul 2008

Obesity can cause fertility problems in men

According to new research obese men have lower volumes of seminal fluid and a higher proportion of abnormal sperm.

10 Jul 2008

An analysis of food's affect on the brain

In addition to helping protect us from heart disease and cancer, a balanced diet and regular exercise can also protect the brain and ward off mental disorders.

9 Jul 2008

Liver protein fetuin-A linked to type 2 diabetes in seniors

The presence of a protein expressed by the liver which inhibits insulin action may identify individuals more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, according to a new study led by a researcher from the UCSD School of Medicine, to be published July 9 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

9 Jul 2008

GAP method very accurate in predicting birth-weight of babies born to obese mothers

Researchers have found what they believe to be the most accurate way of predicting the birth-weight of babies born to the growing number of obese mothers, according to a study in the UK-based journal Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

9 Jul 2008

Obese men have less seminal fluid and more abnormal sperm

Obese men should consider losing weight if they want to have children, a scientist told the 24th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology today (Wednesday 9 July).

9 Jul 2008