Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

The less a child sleeps, the more likely he or she is to become overweight

The risk of becoming overweight is 3.5 times higher in children who get less sleep than in those who sleep a lot, according to researchers Jean-Philippe Chaput, Marc Brunet, and Angelo Tremblay.

16 Apr 2006

Prevalence of obesity in the United States

The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents and obesity among men increased significantly between 1999 and 2004, according to a study in JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association.

16 Apr 2006

Do the obese know they are obese?

Obese men and women are reasonably accurate when it comes to reporting their own weight, says researchers, but they are much more likely than normal weight persons to misjudge what weight falls into the obese category and therefore do not consider themselves to be obese.

16 Apr 2006

Diabetes: Translating the chronic care model into the community

Educating people with diabetes in a primary-care setting with sustained, comprehensive intervention resulted in significant improvement in disease management and overall health, according to a study published in the current issue of Diabetes Care, a journal of the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

16 Apr 2006

Active ingredient in soy may explain why Asians have lower rates of obesity and cancer

A single nutrient found in soy products elicits changes in gene behavior that permanently reduce an embryo's risk of becoming obese later in life, according to an animal study at Duke University Medical Center.

13 Apr 2006

Research provides clues to obesity's cause

Hot fudge sundaes and french fries aside, new research suggests obesity is due at least in part to an attraction between leptin, the hormone that signals the brain when to stop eating, and a protein more recently associated with heart disease.

13 Apr 2006

A drink or two a day may be associated with better cognitive function in women

"Women who had up to two drinks a day scored about 20 percent higher on the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) than women who didn't drink at all or who consumed less than one drink a week," said Clinton Wright, M.D., M.S., lead author of the study.

13 Apr 2006

Obesity is most costly lifestyle health risk–especially for women

Obesity is a major contributor to employee health costs, responsible for two to three percent of all medical claims dollars, reports a study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

13 Apr 2006

Adolescents with unhealthy weight-control behaviors more likely to be overweight five years later

Adolescents who diet and use unhealthy weight-control behaviors are more likely to be overweight and put themselves at risk for eating disorders in the future, according to new research done at the University of Minnesota.

11 Apr 2006

Similarities and differences in outcomes of cirrhosis due to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and hepatitis C

Cirrhosis related to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is associated with fewer complications and a lower mortality compared to cirrhosis from hepatitis C, despite NASH patients' greater risk of dying from cardiovascular events.

11 Apr 2006

Estrogen therapy increases the risk of blood clots in some women

According to new research postmenopausal women on estrogen therapy who have undergone a hysterectomy have an elevated risk of developing a blood clots in veins.

11 Apr 2006

Leptin may lead to new approaches for curbing appetite

11 Apr 2006

Fat cells surrounding coronary arteries may play a role in development of heart disease

The fat cells that surround coronary arteries may play a central and previously unrecognized role in development of cardiovascular disease, according to a study by University of Iowa researchers.

11 Apr 2006

Study illustrates contribution of obesity to decreased mobility in high functioning older women with osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis, common among older adults, is strongly linked to late-life disability, but the process by which this happens has not been well studied.

11 Apr 2006

Estrogen therapy may increase the risk of venous thrombosis

Estrogen therapy may increase the risk of venous thrombosis, the formation of blood clots in the veins, among postmenopausal women who have had their uterus removed, according to a study in the April 10 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

11 Apr 2006

Exposure to secondhand smoke raises the risk of diabetes

According to a new study, exposure to secondhand smoke can raise the risk of developing diabetes.

10 Apr 2006

Type 2 diabetics' urine acidity increases risk for kidney stones

People with type 2 diabetes have highly acidic urine, a metabolic feature that explains their greater risk for developing uric-acid kidney stones, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

7 Apr 2006

Abdominal fat more significant than overall weight in exercise-induced shortness of breath

When it comes to being short of breath during exercise, how fat is distributed on the body is a more significant factor than overall body fatness or lung function

7 Apr 2006

Specific gene that could be responsible for metabolic diseases

We are all familiar with the dangers of too much fat in our diet--increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity are just a few of the most severe consequences.

7 Apr 2006