Weight Loss News and Research

Latest Weight Loss News and Research

Abbott agrees to voluntarily withdraw obesity drug Meridia from U.S. market

Abbott Laboratories has agreed to voluntarily withdraw its obesity drug Meridia (sibutramine) from the U.S. market because of clinical trial data indicating an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today.

12 Oct 2010

Research shows potatoes can be part of weight loss regimen

Research just released by the University of California, Davis and the National Center for Food Safety and Technology, Illinois Institute of Technology demonstrates that people can include potatoes in their diet and still lose weight. This research was presented at the Obesity Society's 28th Annual Scientific Meeting October 8-12, 2010.

12 Oct 2010

Study finds link between malnutrition and prolonged hospital stay

Hospital patients admitted with malnutrition or who don't eat for several days are at greater risk of a prolonged hospital stay, according to a study published in CMAJ.

12 Oct 2010

New, multidisciplinary Senior Adult Oncology Center established at Kimmel Cancer Center

The odds of developing some type of cancer increase with age; sixty percent of cancer in the United States occurs in persons aged 65 and older. At the same time, senior patients may have acute or chronic diseases that make treating their cancer challenging. That's why the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson has established a new, multidisciplinary Senior Adult Oncology Center to provide a comprehensive consultation for senior patients in order to meet those special challenges.

12 Oct 2010

Incentivized structured weight loss program with free prepared meals effectively promotes weight loss

In another article being released early online, Cheryl L. Rock, Ph.D., R.D., from Moores UCSD Cancer Center, La Jolla, Calif., and colleagues, conducted a randomized controlled trial of weight loss and weight maintenance in 442 overweight or obese women (BMI, 25 - 40), ages 18 to 69, over a two year period with follow-up between November 2007 and April 2010.

11 Oct 2010

Obesity treatments falter, but researchers announce gene links

The Wall Street Journal: "An international research consortium says it has identified 18 new gene sites linked to obesity and 13 others associated with how fat is distributed in the body, advances that shed new light on the complex biology underlying one of the world's most pressing public-health problems. The findings are based on studies involving nearly 250,000 people, making the effort the largest so far to unravel the genetic basis of common human traits, researchers said.

11 Oct 2010

Fat-free popcorn may help dieters maintain reduced calorie eating plans

ConAgra Foods, Inc., one of North America's leading food makers, announced today new research indicating that a daily snack of Orville Redenbacher's 94 percent fat-free SmartPop!® popcorn can help dieters maintain reduced calorie eating plans while still feeling full and satisfied. In the study, 94 percent of participants said the daily 100-calorie snack of 100 percent whole grain popcorn helped satisfy hunger and 85 percent credited SmartPop! with helping them stay on track with weight loss.

11 Oct 2010

Genentech initiates GDC-0449 Phase II clinical trial in BCC patients

Curis, Inc. a drug development company seeking to develop next generation targeted small molecule drug candidates for cancer treatment, today announced that its collaborator Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, has initiated a Phase II clinical trial of GDC-0449, an orally-administered small molecule Hedgehog Pathway Inhibitor, as a single-agent therapy for patients with operable basal cell carcinoma (BCC).

11 Oct 2010

Lifestyle interventions benefit overweight, obese and severely obese adults

Lifestyle interventions, including physical activity and structured weight loss programs, can result in significant weight loss for overweight, obese and severely obese adults, according to two reports that were posted online today by JAMA. The studies and accompanying editorials were made available early online to coincide with the presentation of these papers at the 28th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Obesity Society. The articles will appear in the October 27 print issue of JAMA.

11 Oct 2010

Abbott to withdraw sibutramine from Canadian market

Abbott will voluntarily withdraw sibutramine from the Canadian market after discussion with Health Canada. Sibutramine is marketed by Abbott in Canada as Meridia.

11 Oct 2010

Abbott to withdraw Meridia medicine from the U.S. market

Abbott will voluntarily withdraw Meridia (sibutramine) from the U.S. market at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

11 Oct 2010

Meridia – weight loss pill off the shelves in US

Abbott Pharmaceuticals has announced the withdrawal of weight loss drug Meridia from shelves in the United States and urged patients to stop taking it after regulators questioned its safety. The withdrawal happened last Friday in the US. In January, Meridia sales were suspended in Europe.

10 Oct 2010

Weight loss pill off shelves due to heart attack risk

Final verdict on a popular weight loss drug Reductil is to be delivered today. It is being debated whether the pill should be taken off the shelves in Australia and New Zealand. The drug Sibutramine sold as Reductil is linked to increased risk of heart attacks.

10 Oct 2010

Low-fat diet reduces risk of heart disease

Losing weight, especially among adults who are very heavy to obese, is a good way to prevent the onset of atherosclerosis, the artery-thickening condition that leads to potentially deadly heart disease. A diet that is low in either fats or carbohydrates can help reduce weight. But which one is the more heart-healthy?

8 Oct 2010

Study: Cost of obesity among U.S. full-time employees estimated to be $73.1 billion

The cost of obesity among U.S. full-time employees is estimated to be $73.1 billion, according to a new study by a Duke University obesity researcher, published today in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

8 Oct 2010

Bayer HealthCare, Onyx to present data on Nexavar tablets at ESMO Congress

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ONXX) today announced that more than 20 studies evaluating the use of Nexavar® (sorafenib) tablets will be presented at the 35th European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress, October 8-12, 2010 in Milan, Italy.

7 Oct 2010

Trekkers and climbers face high risk for Acute Mountain Sickness

Climbers of high peaks such as Mount Kilimanjaro are at high risk for Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Trekkers should not ignore AMS warning signs, which can progress to more serious medical outcomes.

7 Oct 2010

Cincinnati Children's Hospital receives $12 million grant to create IBD registry

Building on the success of previous efforts among researchers and caregivers to improve the care of chronically ill children, a $12-million grant to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center will allow creation of a registry system unlike any before it, providing information in real time on thousands of cases around the country – and eventually the world.

7 Oct 2010

Weight loss success linked to amount of sleep: Study

A new study released Tuesday in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that sleeping may help one to lose fat. The study compared two groups of people who were trying to lose weight. One group was assigned to sleep 5.5 hours each night for two weeks, while the other was able to sleep 8.5 hours. The scientists found that the sleep deprived people had higher levels of ghrelin. It may be this hormone that drives appetite that leads to excess eating, believe researchers.

6 Oct 2010