Body Mass Index (BMI) News and Research

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Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure that relates body weight to height. BMI is sometimes used to measure total body fat and whether a person is a healthy weight. Excess body fat is linked to an increased risk of some diseases including heart disease and some cancers.

Vegetarians may need to watch thyroid health, especially with low iodine intake

Vegetarians had a modestly higher risk of developing hypothyroidism compared to high meat-eaters, but only after adjusting for BMI. No increased risk was seen for vegans or pescatarians in incident cases, though pescatarians showed a slight increase in baseline prevalence.

11 May 2025

Junk food ads make kids eat more, even if the ad shows no food!

Children exposed to just 5 minutes of junk food ads consumed 130 extra calories in a day, regardless of ad type or media format. Even brand-only ads, without showing actual food, triggered significant increases in calorie intake.

11 May 2025

Maternal testosterone levels shape boys' activity and girls' strength by age 7

Boys born to mothers with PCOS or high third-trimester testosterone levels are less physically active at age 7, particularly on weekends. Girls exposed to high prenatal testosterone show reduced muscle strength but not lower activity levels.

10 May 2025

Why your baby’s first steps may be written in their DNA

Researchers identified 11 genetic loci linked to the age at which infants start walking, revealing that this milestone is influenced by thousands of common genetic variants. These genetic factors also correlate with brain development, cognitive traits, and neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD.

8 May 2025

Obicetrapib slashes LDL cholesterol by over 30% in high-risk heart patients

A large multinational trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that obicetrapib significantly lowers LDL cholesterol in high-risk cardiovascular patients. The CETP inhibitor also improved key lipid parameters with no major safety concerns, supporting its role in future combination therapies.

8 May 2025

Eating avocado in pregnancy cuts infant food allergy risk by nearly half

Pregnant women who ate avocado were significantly less likely to have children with food allergies at 12 months of age. The association held even after adjusting for maternal diet quality, lifestyle, and perinatal factors in a large Finnish cohort.

8 May 2025

Study shows no connection between PM2.5 spikes and major cardiovascular events

A Danish cohort study investigated whether long-term exposure to repeated monthly peaks of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) raises the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events. Despite higher PM2.5 peak exposure among affected individuals, no significant association with cardiovascular risk was found.

7 May 2025

How urine caffeine levels may help detect diabetic eye damage early

Researchers found that higher urinary levels of caffeine and specific metabolites, especially in men, were significantly associated with diabetic retinopathy risk. The cross-sectional study used NHANES 2009–2014 data and highlights potential biomarkers for early detection in diabetic populations.

7 May 2025

Canadian study links ultra processed foods to poor health outcomes

A landmark study exploring Canadians' consumption of chips, frozen pizzas, breakfast cereals and other ultra-processed foods typically loaded with fat, sugar and additives has confirmed these foods are directly and significantly linked to poor health outcomes.

7 May 2025

Healthy diet in childhood linked to later onset of menstruation

Eating a healthy diet as a child is linked to girls having their first menstrual period at an older age than those who consumed a less healthy diet, according to a new study published today (Wednesday) in Human Reproduction, one of the world's leading reproductive medicine journals.

6 May 2025

Low testosterone linked to higher kidney stone risk in men, study finds

A large cross-sectional study in South Korea found that men with low testosterone levels (below 3.33 ng/mL) were significantly more likely to have kidney stones. This association held even after adjusting for age and metabolic risk factors, suggesting testosterone may play a protective role.

6 May 2025

Ultra-processed foods increase risk of anxiety and depression, study shows

A large UK Biobank study linked ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption to increased risks of anxiety, depression, substance use disorder, and other mental health outcomes. A metabolomic signature associated with UPF intake partially mediated these relationships, especially in adults under 60.

5 May 2025

Can your diet affect fertility? Gut-linked dietary score reveals surprising risk pattern

A cross-sectional study of over 3,000 U.S. women found a non-linear link between a gut microbiota-based dietary index (DI-GM) and infertility. Risk decreased with healthier diets but unexpectedly rose beyond a certain threshold score.

4 May 2025

Ultra-processed foods linked to higher psoriasis risk

A large UK Biobank study found that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is associated with an increased risk of developing psoriasis. Each 10% increase in UPF intake raised psoriasis risk by 6%, with obesity and inflammation partially mediating this effect.

4 May 2025

Researchers tie childhood vitamin D shortfalls to adult heart disease

Low childhood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D were linked to a significantly higher risk of early adult-onset atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). The association remained even after accounting for conventional childhood risk factors and persisted across multiple analyses.

30 Apr 2025

Curcumin shows promise for treating obesity, inflammation, and neurodegenerative diseases

Researchers explore the medicinal role of curcumin in the treatment and prevention of neuroinflammation and metabolic disorders.

30 Apr 2025

Better sleep, BMI, and glucose control lower female infertility odds

A new study using NHANES data found that higher Life’s Crucial 9 (LC9) scores, reflecting better cardiovascular and mental health, were linked to lower odds of female infertility. However, adding depression to the LE8 framework did not significantly improve its predictive value.

29 Apr 2025

How blood iron levels shape the pace of biological aging

Researchers examine the role of blood iron levels in DNA methylation-based measurements of biological aging.

29 Apr 2025

Obesity changes how the gut responds to plant compounds, researchers report

Researchers found that the impact of polyphenols rutin and genistein on the human fecal metabolome varies significantly by body mass index (BMI). Lower BMI individuals showed more diverse metabolic responses, revealing how gut health and obesity could shape polyphenol metabolism.

28 Apr 2025

Why your heart works harder at night after a few drinks, according to new research

Researchers at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich found that moderate alcohol consumption transiently raises nocturnal resting heart rate without altering objective sleep stages. However, it worsens subjective sleep quality, highlighting subtle cardiovascular stress even at low alcohol doses.

28 Apr 2025