Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Discovery of new cellular mechanisms that lead to in insulin resistance in people with diabetes

Researchers at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have in collaboration with researchers from Finland, China, Japan and the US discovered new cellular mechanisms that lead to in insulin resistance in people with diabetes.

8 Feb 2008

Faith-based health program expands, adds Latino classes

A nationally-recognized, faith-based physical activity and health promotion program that helps individuals adopt healthy lifestyles and manage chronic diseases is re-launching and extending its services to the African American and Latino communities in Monroe County.

8 Feb 2008

Endurance training improves metabolism in mice

Researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have demonstrated that in mice, the use of barbells may be as important to losing weight and improving health as the use of running shoes.

7 Feb 2008

Predisposition for obesity might be wired into the brain

A predisposition for obesity might be wired into the brain from the start, suggests a new study of rats in the February issue of Cell Metabolism, a publication of Cell Press.

7 Feb 2008

Scientists gain new understanding of gut bugs

Scientists have made a major step towards understanding precisely which bugs in the gut are involved in which processes in the body, by mapping the different species of bugs living in seven members of the same Chinese family.

7 Feb 2008

Vitamin D for cancer

It sounds too good to be true … a little inexpensive pill that could block the development of some cancers, strengthen bones, prevent multiple sclerosis and alleviate winter depression.

7 Feb 2008

Enbrel shown to significantly reduced levels of C-reactive protein

Amgen and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth have announced findings from a retrospective analysis, which demonstrated that ENBREL reduced C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis following 12 weeks of treatment. Median reduction in CRP levels was 10 times greater in the ENBREL treated group compared to the placebo treated group.

5 Feb 2008

The obesity epidemic - does the evidence stack up?

Last week, the UK health secretary declared that we are in a grip of an obesity epidemic, but does the evidence stack up? Researchers in this week's BMJ debate the issue.

5 Feb 2008

Bone mineral content continues to increase in obese adolescents during weight loss

Obese teenagers who succeeded in losing weight in a year-long medically supervised weight control program also saw their bone mineral content increase over that period, say researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

5 Feb 2008

New discoveries on what does and doesn't affect immune system

Scientists know that a number of factors can affect the body's immune system: poor diet, certain steroids, chronic stress. Now researchers at Michigan State University have discovered that an appetite-controlling hormone also affects the immune system, while natural versions of certain steroids do not.

4 Feb 2008

Event to address the effects of breast cancer on black women

Although the overall incidence of breast cancer in black women is lower than in white women, black women are more likely to die from breast cancer than their white counterparts.

4 Feb 2008

BMA(NI) response to RPA announcement

Commenting on the Ministerial announcement today, 4 February 2008, on the Review of Public Administration, Dr Ailbe Beirne, Deputy Chairman of BMA(NI) said: "We are pleased to see the Minister continues to be committed to reform of the NHS here and we will be responding in full to the consultation, once it is in the public domain."

4 Feb 2008

Deep brain stimulation may improve memory

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, which is used to treat Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders, is now being studied for its potential to treat a variety of conditions.

4 Feb 2008

Government dietary guidelines, unintended consequences and public policy

In the years following the government promotion of a low-fat diet, obesity in America has reached almost epidemic levels.

4 Feb 2008

Body fat protein adiponectin plays role in tumour growth

Scientists have discovered how low levels of a protein hormone found in body fat, plays a crucial role in tumour growth and spread. Their findings are published in a paper in the British Journal of Cancer.

31 Jan 2008

U.S. mental health survey of people with schizophrenia and providers

Mental Health America has released results of the first national online survey to examine overall healthcare in mental health settings from the perspective of both people with schizophrenia and psychiatrists.

31 Jan 2008

New nanomedicine research for prostate cancer

The Prostate Cancer Foundation, largely through the generosity of David H. Koch, has given $5 million to four institutions, including Weill Cornell Medical College, to support novel research in prostate cancer. The gift is one of the largest-ever individual donations for prostate cancer research.

29 Jan 2008

New target found for asthma

An enzyme released by mast cells in the lungs appears to play a key role in the tightening of airways that is a hallmark of asthma -- pointing to a potential new target for treatment against the illness.

29 Jan 2008

Sex, drugs and diet top issues parents want doctors to discuss with kids

When parents bring their children in for routine check-ups many are hoping the doctors and nurse practitioners caring for them will do more than just check blood pressure, listen to their heart and provide any necessary vaccinations.

28 Jan 2008

Medical Research Council and GSK to identify new therapeutic targets from genetic association studies

The Medical Research Council (MRC) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have announced the creation of a jointly funded programme seeking to identify and validate genes associated with common human diseases. A key aim of the programme will be to translate these observations into new drug targets and biomarkers of disease.

28 Jan 2008