Body Mass Index News and Research

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Metabolic syndrome less prevalent in vegetarians

Vegetarians experience a 36 percent lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome than non-vegetarians, suggests new research from Loma Linda University published in the journal Diabetes Care. Because metabolic syndrome can be a precursor to heart disease, diabetes, and stroke, the findings indicate vegetarians may be at lower risk of developing these conditions.

15 Apr 2011

Obesity and smoking linked to stillbirths: Report

According to experts, excessive weight, smoking and late maternal age over 35 are contributing to thousands of stillbirths each year in high-income countries, including Australia, and the trend looks set to continue. These figures were published in the Lancet medical journal.

13 Apr 2011

Fat in pistachios may not be readily absorbed by the body

In a first-of-its-kind study with nuts, randomized controlled-feeding research conducted by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) found that fat in pistachios may not be completely absorbed by the body. The findings indicate that pistachios may actually contain fewer calories per serving than originally thought - further validating pistachios as one of the lowest calorie nuts with 160 calories per 30 gram serving (approximately 1 ounce).

12 Apr 2011

Wrist circumference may predict insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk

Measuring the wrist bone may be a new way to identify which overweight children and adolescents face an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to research in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

12 Apr 2011

First trial to test shared decision making for weight-loss surgery

A video-based decision aid helped severely obese people to make more informed choices about bariatric surgery and reach more certainty about them, according to a trial involving 152 Group Health patients, e-published in Obesity in advance of print. This randomized controlled trial is the first to test shared decision making for weight-loss surgery.

8 Apr 2011

New study: Warning labels on junk food more effective than 'fat' tax

Warning labels on junk food would be more effective than a "fat" tax for deterring overweight people from making unhealthy purchases, a new University of Alberta study has found.

8 Apr 2011

Breast cancer survivors with poor physical health scores at elevated risk of poorer outcomes

Breast cancer survivors with poor physical health scores had an elevated risk of poorer cancer outcomes, including recurrence and death, according to the results of an observational study presented at the AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011, held April 2-6.

7 Apr 2011

Elevated BMI linked to high risk of obesity-related disorders in young adults

A large cohort study following 37,000 teenagers for 17 years found that an elevated, yet normal range Body Mass Index constitutes a substantial risk factor for obesity-related disorders in young adults.

7 Apr 2011

Extreme weight gain in breast cancer survivors associated with poorer outcomes

Breast cancer survivors who experience extreme weight gain have an increased risk of death after breast cancer diagnosis. Moderate weight gain did not affect breast cancer outcomes.

6 Apr 2011

Physical activity may moderate impact of stress on telomeres

UCSF scientists are reporting several studies showing that psychological stress leads to shorter telomeres - the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that are a measure of cell age and, thus, health. The findings also suggest that exercise may prevent this damage.

5 Apr 2011

Breast cancer updates

According to the latest research human breast milk holds the potential to assess a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer.

5 Apr 2011

Study finds link between smoking and breast cancer risk among non-obese women

Smoking increases the risk of breast cancer, but the risk differs by obesity status in postmenopausal women, according to data from an analysis of the Women's Health Initiative observational study.

4 Apr 2011

New Ulm project shows 24% reduction in acute heart attack rates in five-quarter period

The Heart of New Ulm Project, which is merging environmental, peer leadership and individual interventions across an entire rural Minnesota community with the assistance of a healthcare system, worksites and the general community to prevent coronary heart disease, has shown a 24 percent reduction in the number of acute heart attacks in a five-quarter period, compared with the previous five-quarter period of evaluation.

4 Apr 2011

UTHealth initiates enrollment in study on promising surgical procedure for management of type 2 diabetes

Physicians at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) have begun enrollment for a pilot study on a promising surgical approach for the management of Type 2 diabetes.

1 Apr 2011

Study finds frequent anaemia in patients with chronic respiratory failure

A study of nearly 600 patients with severe non-inflammatory respiratory disease has found that a significant percentage also suffered from anaemia, according to the April issue of IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice.

31 Mar 2011

Study: Diet-exercise can improve physical performance in obese seniors

For obese seniors, dieting and exercise together are more effective at improving physical performance and reducing frailty than either alone.

31 Mar 2011

GI Dynamics announces positive results from EndoBarrier studies against type 2 diabetes

GI Dynamics, a leader in non-surgical, endoscopic treatments for type 2 diabetes and obesity, announced today new results from three studies that demonstrate the positive effects of the EndoBarrier Gastrointestinal Liner on type 2 diabetes, weight loss and other metabolic factors.

30 Mar 2011

Research: Women's body appreciation indirectly connected to their BMI

Women's appreciation of their bodies is only indirectly connected to their body mass index (BMI), a common health measure of weight relative to height, according to recent research.

30 Mar 2011

Bariatric surgery highly cost-effective treatment for obese type 2 diabetics

Bariatric surgery is an especially cost-effective therapy for managing Type 2 diabetes in moderately and severely obese patients. These findings and others were presented today at the 2nd World Congress on Interventional Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes, hosted by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College.

29 Mar 2011

IDF: Obese people with type 2 diabetes can benefit from bariatric surgery

Bariatric surgery should be considered earlier in the treatment of eligible patients to help stem the serious complications that can result from diabetes, according to an International Diabetes Federation position statement presented by leading experts at the 2nd World Congress on Interventional Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes in New York.

29 Mar 2011