Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Causes and consequences of childhood obesity

The January 2008 special issue of The Annals, published by SAGE, explores the problem of obesity in the young, providing kids, their parents and caregivers a road map for a healthier lifestyle both for them and for future generations.

16 Jan 2008

British children think fast food is the norm

New research by scientists with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) suggests that two-thirds of children do not regard fast food as a treat.

16 Jan 2008

African-American women's magazines more likely to encourage fad diets

Magazines catering to African-Americans may be falling short in their efforts to educate readers about weight loss, a new University of Iowa study suggests.

16 Jan 2008

Supplements of lipoic acid could reduce atherosclerosis, weight gain

A new study done with mice has discovered that supplements of lipoic acid can inhibit formation of arterial lesions, lower triglycerides, and reduce blood vessel inflammation and weight gain - all key issues for addressing cardiovascular disease.

15 Jan 2008

6,000 genes help determine body weight

Reporting in the online journal BMC Genetics, researchers from the Monell Center have for the first time attempted to count the number of genes that contribute to obesity and body weight.

15 Jan 2008

Researchers associate six new genetic variants with heart disease risk factor

Using new techniques for rapidly scanning the human genome, researchers have associated levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, two fats in the blood, to 18 genetic variants, six of which represent new DNA regions never before associated with the traits.

15 Jan 2008

Metabolic syndrome in children

Metabolic syndrome in children represents a potentially serious threat to health in adulthood, yet many parents and caregivers do not have a clear idea of what metabolic syndrome is and why it is dangerous.

15 Jan 2008

New genetic variations associated with lipid levels, risk for coronary artery disease

Environmental and genetic factors influence a person's blood fat, or lipid levels, important risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD). While there is some understanding of the environmental contribution, the role of genetics has been less defined.

14 Jan 2008

Most people with diabetes would benefit from statins

Most people who have diabetes would benefit from statin therapy, even if they have not yet developed symptoms or signs of vascular disease such as heart disease and stroke.

14 Jan 2008

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis - potential clues into the treatment and diagnosis

Studies published in the Jan. 10 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) are providing clues into the treatment and diagnosis of LAM, or lymphangioleiomyomatosis, a progressive and deadly lung disease that affects women in their childbearing years.

11 Jan 2008

High blood pressure gene found

Scientists have identified the gene that sets off a sequence of events in the blood vessels of otherwise healthy adults that can lead to high blood pressure.

11 Jan 2008

Severe and morbid obesity affects chances of kidney transplantation

For patients on the waiting list for a kidney transplant, severe and morbid obesity are associated with a lower chance of receiving an organ, reports a study in the February Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

11 Jan 2008

New Sleep and Breathing Disorders Center at UT Southwestern

UT Southwestern Medical Center has assembled a comprehensive team of experts in pulmonary medicine, neurology, psychiatry, pediatrics, otolaryngology, surgery and rehabilitation medicine to work together in a new Sleep and Breathing Disorders Center.

10 Jan 2008

Overweight people may not know when they've had enough

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have found new clues to why some people overeat and gain weight while others don't.

10 Jan 2008

New York City mortality rate at all-time low in 2006

The death rate in New York City reached an all-time low in 2006, the Health Department reported today, as the number of deaths fell to 55,391 - down from 57,068 in 2005 and 60,218 in 2001.

10 Jan 2008

Eating out can have both positive and negative impact on obesity

Eating out instead of cooking at home continues to increase as a factor impacting the American diet. Americans face a large variety of food options and food establishments when choosing to eat out.

10 Jan 2008

How serious are the Brits about their obesity?

According to a recent poll one in every three adults in the UK is now on a permanent diet and the over-55s are most the likely to embark on one.

9 Jan 2008

Anxiety can give older men a heart attack

Researchers in the United States say men who suffer from anxiety are more likely than the others to have a heart attack.

9 Jan 2008

Taranabant shows promise for weight loss in obese people

The first clinical studies of an experimental drug have revealed that obese people who take it for 12 weeks lose weight, even at very low doses.

9 Jan 2008

Low school subjective social status may be an important contributor to increases in BMI in girls

Teen girls who perceive themselves as being lower on the social ladder appear more likely to gain weight over the subsequent two years, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

8 Jan 2008