Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

The benefits of a clean and healthy environment for children: what is the UK doing?

The Health Protection Agency has published a report summarising current initiatives which address children and young people's environment and health issues in the UK.

18 Sep 2007

Impact of health messages in entertainment

A new study by researchers at the University of Southern California suggests that some TV may be good for you. Researchers found that a storyline on the primetime NBC network drama ER that dealt with teen obesity, hypertension and healthy eating habits had a positive impact on the attitudes and behaviors of viewers, particularly among men.

18 Sep 2007

Campaign to fight chronic disease in the Caribbean

A major new campaign to fight chronic disease in the Caribbean is getting underway in an effort to stem "the worst epidemic of chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease in the Americas," with the participation of heads of government.

18 Sep 2007

Effects of modified alternate-day fasting

Researchers report in the October issue of the Journal of Lipid Research that fasting or eating half as much as usual every other day may shrink your fat cells and boost mechanisms that break down fats.

18 Sep 2007

Computer game translates physical activity into video games

Finding a way to motivate the billion people in the world who are overweight to lose excess pounds can be an overwhelming task, but a University of Houston professor is meeting that weighty challenge with a challenge of his own.

17 Sep 2007

Link between GERD and obesity in females

A group of scientists recently discovered an association between being overweightand a disease called gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) in women.

17 Sep 2007

Powerful new discovery method speeds up gene discovery

Scientists will be able to pinpoint genetic causes of human diseases faster than ever thanks to a powerful new discovery method unveiled by the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research (SFBR) and an international team of researchers.

17 Sep 2007

Metabolic syndrome increases risk of developing kidney stones

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found that patients suffering from the metabolic syndrome - a cluster of conditions that increases the risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes - also have a propensity to develop highly acidic urine, which increases the risk of developing kidney stones.

13 Sep 2007

Having an overweight mother increases child's chances of obesity

A fat mother hastens a child's path to obesity, finds a study published ahead of print in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

13 Sep 2007

High blood pressure on the rise in American children

Researchers in the U.S. are warning that blood pressure levels among American children are on the rise.

13 Sep 2007

Under-11's not taking enough exercise

Less than three per cent of UK 11-year-olds are taking enough exercise, suggests research published ahead of print in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

12 Sep 2007

Mums feel they get a serve over preschoolers' eating habits

Fear of being criticised by others may be leading Australian mums to be overly concerned about preschoolers being underweight, a new study has found.

12 Sep 2007

Soft drinks alone do not affect children's weight

Soft drink consumption has increased in both the USA and the UK over the years and this has often been blamed for a rise in childhood body mass index (BMI).

12 Sep 2007

Analysis of aspartame

A report published in the September issue of Critical Reviews in Toxicology (Volume 37, Issue 8, pp. 629-727) systematically evaluates virtually all available scientific information about aspartame and concludes that the low calorie sweetener is safe.

12 Sep 2007

New instrumentation to help fight obesity and diabetes

World-first equipment, made exclusively for UQ scientists, will determine how to produce food which is better for us, but still tastes good.

12 Sep 2007

Moderate financial incentives can promote employee weight loss

Moderate financial incentives can promote employee weight loss, according to the findings of a new study by researchers at RTI International and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

12 Sep 2007

No evidence that Aspartame non-nutritive sweetener causes cancer

A sweeping review of research studies of aspartame says there is no evidence that the non-nutritive sweetener causes cancer, neurological damage or other health problems in humans.

12 Sep 2007

U.S. has highest level of health spending compared to other OECD countries

The United States continues to spend the most on health care when compared to other Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries.

11 Sep 2007

Health spending in OECD countries in 2004 and trends in the health of older Americans

Health Spending In OECD Countries In 2004: An Update, by Gerard Anderson, Bianca Frogner, and Uwe Reinhardt. "In 2004, the U.S. health care system continued to provide less access to health care resources than the health systems in many other [industrialized] countries; however, the United States continued to have the highest level of spending," Anderson and coauthors report.

11 Sep 2007

Link between nicotine and atherosclerosis

It's well known that smoking cigarettes increases risk for a host of serious health problems from cancer to heart disease. Now a new study from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City looks at how they do their dirty work by contributing to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. The evidence points to nicotine, the addictive chemical in cigarettes.

11 Sep 2007