Weight Loss News and Research

Latest Weight Loss News and Research

Online weight management programmes show promise

Computer and web-based weight management programmes may provide a cost effective way of addressing the growing problem of obesity, according to a team of seven researchers who undertook a Cochrane systematic review.

15 Aug 2012

George Washington University releases 'Obesity Drug Outcome Measures'

The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (GW) today released a report representing consensus findings from a cross-section of stakeholders that could help transform the process used to evaluate interventions to treat obesity, a public health crisis that now affects one in three adults. The report, "Obesity Drug Outcome Measures," results from a stakeholder dialogue group convened by GW that, over a period of nine months, explored why development and approval of obesity drugs have proven so difficult.

15 Aug 2012

Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass ‘acceptable long term’

Obese patients who undergo laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass retain a fair quality of life 9 years later, research suggests.

13 Aug 2012

FDA extends PDUFA action date for NPS Gattex NDA

NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company developing therapeutics for rare gastrointestinal and endocrine disorders, today announced that it has received a communication from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration extending the Prescription Drug User Fee Act action date for its New Drug Application for Gattex (teduglutide) by three months to December 30, 2012.

13 Aug 2012

Research roundup: Disparities in head scans; Unnecessary heart tests; Americans hit the walkway

Among children who suffered minor blows to the head, whites were more likely to receive unneeded cranial CT scans in the ED than were blacks or Hispanics, researchers found.

12 Aug 2012

Smartphone app can combat ongoing epidemic of childhood obesity

To combat the ongoing epidemic of childhood obesity, two Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing students, Janna Stephens, RN, BSN, and Michelle Brei, APRN, CPNP, are using smartphones and websites to engage and invite young audiences.

12 Aug 2012

Resistant starch can help improve insulin sensitivity

Ingredion Incorporated, a leading global provider of ingredient solutions, today announced the results of a new independent clinical trial published in the September 2012 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

10 Aug 2012

Oil derived from wild almond tree seeds may help fight obesity, diabetes

A future weapon in the battle against obesity and diabetes could come in the form of an oil derived from the seeds of wild almond trees, according to researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology.

10 Aug 2012

Manipulating hormone-producing cells in the brain may help control blood sugar levels

Manipulating a group of hormone-producing cells in the brain can control blood sugar levels in the body - a discovery that has dramatic potential for research into weight-loss drugs and diabetes treatment.

10 Aug 2012

Korean meals may help dieters shed the pounds

Regularly incorporating Korean dishes into a mainly Western-style diet may be an effective way to lose weight, say researchers.

9 Aug 2012

Dieters experience drops in basal metabolic rate, in spite of daily exercise

The International Association for the Study of Obesity has bad news for dieters: as reported in the New York Times, the commonly held belief that exercise is a magic metabolism booster may be largely unfounded. A new study finds that people who lost weight experienced drops in basal metabolic rate (BMR), in spite of daily exercise.

8 Aug 2012

Orexigen Therapeutics reports net loss of $16.7 million for second quarter 2012

Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of obesity, today announced financial results for the second quarter of 2012.

7 Aug 2012

Sanofi-aventis receives FDA approval for Zaltrap to treat colorectal cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Zaltrap (ziv-aflibercept) for use in combination with a FOLFIRI (folinic acid, fluorouracil and irinotecan) chemotherapy regimen to treat adults with colorectal cancer.

6 Aug 2012

'Fight' between bacteria in the intestines linked to chronic disease

Results from a study conducted at Georgia State University suggest that a "fight" between bacteria normally living in the intestines and the immune system, kicked off by another type of bacteria, may be linked to two types of chronic disease.

3 Aug 2012

Foods high in sugar and fat could have addictive properties

Overweight and obese individuals can achieve a decade's worth of important health benefits by losing just 20 pounds, even if they regain the weight later that decade, according to research presented at the American Psychological Association's 120th Annual Convention. With a focus on psychology's role in overcoming the national obesity epidemic, the session also examined research that indicates foods high in sugar and fat could have addictive properties.

3 Aug 2012

Study analyzes drop-out rates and predictors of attrition within adult weight management program

More than 1.7 billion people worldwide may be classified as overweight and need appropriate medical or surgical treatment with the goal of sustainable weight loss. But for weight management programs to be effective, patients must complete them, states a study published in the Canadian Journal of Surgery (CJS) that analyzed drop-out rates and predictors of attrition within a publicly-funded adult weight management program.

2 Aug 2012

Opioid receptors can control metabolic response to diets high in fat and sugar

Imagine eating all of the sugar and fat that you want without gaining a pound. Thanks to new research published in The FASEB Journal, the day may come when this is not too far from reality.

31 Jul 2012

Health coaches could play an important role in the battle of the bulge

Coaches can help athletes score touchdowns and perfect their golf swing, but can they also influence weight loss? Researchers from The Miriam Hospital's Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center say health coaches could play an important role in the battle of the bulge, according to the findings of a pilot study published online in the journal Obesity.

31 Jul 2012

New drug can aid in losing weight and keeping it off

A new drug could aid in losing weight and keeping it off. The drug, described in the journal Cell Metabolism on July 26, increases sensitivity to the hormone leptin, a natural appetite suppressant found in the body. Although so far the new drug has only been tested on mice, the findings have implications for the development of new treatments for obesity in humans.

28 Jul 2012

Fatty acids normalize without help in girls with eating disorders

Omega-3 essential fatty acid supplementation is unnecessary for adolescent girls with eating disorders and weight-loss eating disorder, as levels normalize once they return to normal weight, say researchers.

26 Jul 2012