Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

New guidelines on obesity in the U.S. may end up harming children

New guidelines on obesity in the U.S. may end up harming children, says an article in the British Medical Journal.

18 Jun 2006

Elevation of fat-derived molecule foretells early insulin resistance

A study in the June 15 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) reveals that elevated levels of a molecule called RBP4 (retinol binding protein 4) can foretell early stages in the development of insulin resistance.

14 Jun 2006

Major intestinal surgery may boost the chances of subsequent vitamin A deficiency

Major intestinal surgery, including stomach reduction for obesity, may boost the chances of subsequent vitamin A deficiency, suggests a small study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

14 Jun 2006

Coffee may help prevent cirrhosis of the liver

Researchers in the U.S. suggest that drinking coffee may help protect against alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver.

12 Jun 2006

Japanese researchers using PET imaging detect the beginnings of atherosclerosis

Using positron emission tomography (PET), the medical isotope 15O-water and cold pressor tests, Japanese researchers were able to detect the beginnings of atherosclerosis - before the disease became clinically evident.

9 Jun 2006

Tandem-pore K+ channels mediate inhibition of orexin neurons by glucose

One of the body's basic survival mechanisms is the neural machinery that triggers the hungry brain to the alertness needed for seeking food.

From The University of Manchester 7 Jun 2006

First analysis of the genes of a community of human microbes

Researchers have completed the first analysis of the genes of a community of human microbes, an accomplishment that has far-reaching implications for clinical diagnosis and treatment of many human diseases.

7 Jun 2006

Correlation between education, smoking and obesity

Researchers from Cornell University use rich microdata from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth in 1979 to analyze the correlation between high school completion and the two leading preventable causes of death - smoking and obesity.

7 Jun 2006

Impact of obesity on treatment of chronic hepatitis C

According to a new study, obese patients chronically infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and treated with combination drug therapy may have better outcomes if the underlying abnormalities caused by excessive fat tissue are corrected.

6 Jun 2006

PET imaging of cerebral cannabinoid CB1 receptors with [11C]JHU75528

A team of Johns Hopkins researchers developed a new radiotracer - a radioactive substance that can be traced in the body - to visualize and quantify the brain's cannabinoid receptors by positron emission tomography (PET).

6 Jun 2006

Gardenia fruit compound helps treat the symptoms of type 2 diabetes

A Gardenia fruit extract traditionally used in Chinese medicine to treat the symptoms of type 2 diabetes does indeed contain a chemical that reverses some of the pancreatic dysfunctions that underlie the disease, researchers report in Cell Metabolism.

6 Jun 2006

Dietary glycemic index and carbohydrate in relation to early age-related macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of vision loss in older adults and a person's risk may partly depend upon diet.

6 Jun 2006

PSA test alone not an ideal predictor of prostate cancer

Recent studies suggest that testing blood for prostate specific antigen (PSA) alone does not produce an ideal predictor of prostate cancer, and emerging data suggest this is especially true for obese men.

6 Jun 2006

School-based obesity interventions may need to be tailored by gender

A study of 17,000 U.S. adolescents finds that black and Hispanic girls are less physically active than white girls, but that this difference is attributable to the schools they attend

5 Jun 2006

Humans are a cocktail of bacteria and human cells

Gene experts after studying the DNA of hundreds of different kinds of bacteria in the human gut have reached the conclusion that the human race may not be quite as human as we may think.

4 Jun 2006

FDA's report blames food industry for U.S. obesity problems

According to a new report released by the U.S. government, restaurants, groceries and other establishments have a role to play in the battle of the bulge.

4 Jun 2006

Siestas may help treat obesity and eating disorders

The Spaniards may have been right all along - a siesta after a hearty lunch is natural, new research suggests.

From The University of Manchester 1 Jun 2006

Trial success for fight against adolescent obesity

Initial health trials using psychotherapy to treat adolescent obesity have shown promising results.

1 Jun 2006

Canadian researchers close in on new treatments for type 2 diabetes

Researchers funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA) have identified an unsuspected role of a protein named SHP-1 that could constitute a new therapeutic path against Type 2 Diabetes.

29 May 2006

Adult weight gain and histopathologic characteristics of breast cancer among postmenopausal women

According to a new study, women who gain weight in adulthood face a higher lifetime risk of all types of breast cancer even if they do not take hormone replacement therapy after menopause.

23 May 2006