Body Mass Index News and Research

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One-third of Minnesotans understate their weight problems

When it comes to self-perceptions about their own healthy weight, many Minnesotans appear to be adapting Garrison Keillor's famous quip: "I believe in looking reality straight in the eye and denying it."

25 May 2010

Poor survival rates in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients attributed to lifestyle factors

A new study led by researchers from Mayo Clinic in collaboration with six other U.S. institutions has found that patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who smoked, consumed alcohol or were obese before their cancer diagnosis had poorer overall survival, compared to patients who did not have these risk factors.

24 May 2010

Women living in food insecure households more likely to experience health complications

A recent research study has shown that food insecurity, a person's inability to obtain adequate amounts of food due to resource constraints, can lead to greater weight gain and increased complications during a woman's pregnancy.

24 May 2010

Malnutrition presents a serious social problem in Bulgaria

According to a strategic document published by the World Bank (2006), malnutrition leads to indirect losses in productivity from poor cognitive development and schooling.

24 May 2010

Obesity rate decreases as amount of weekly LTPA increases

It may seem intuitive that greater amounts of exercise lead to less obesity, but an Indiana University study has found that this conventional wisdom applies primarily to white women. The findings draw attention not only to racial, ethnic and gender differences regarding exercise but also to the role work can play.

21 May 2010

Study confirms inverse association of increase in BMI with lower brain volumes

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine determined that excess abdominal fat places otherwise healthy, middle-aged people at risk for dementia later in life. Preliminary findings suggest a relationship between obesity and dementia that could lead to promising prevention strategies in the future. Results of this study are published early online in Annals of Neurology, a journal of the American Neurological Association.

20 May 2010

RFA causes less post-procedural pain in patients with varicose veins: Study

Patients who received radiofrequency ablation for varicose veins reported less post-procedural pain than those treated with endovenous laser ablation. However, both groups reported the same clinical and quality of life improvements at six weeks.

17 May 2010

Tips for cutting back on added sugar

Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Gatorade, and other drinks now come in versions made with "real" sugar as opposed to the often vilified high-fructose corn syrup. A whole swath of sugar alternatives are now available to consumers including the new BioVittoria, an extract of the monk fruit, which is grown in Southern China. But a new special report from Consumer Reports on Health questions whether turning to alternatives is the solution to America's growing obesity epidemic.

15 May 2010

Rich Canadian men increase their likelihood of being overweight

In Canada, in stark contrast with the rest of the world, wealthy men increase their likelihood of being overweight with every extra dollar they make. The new study was led by Nathalie Dumas, a graduate student at the University of Montreal Department of Sociology, and presented at the annual conference of the Association francophone pour le savoir.

15 May 2010

Smoking, obesity and alcohol use associated with poorer survival of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients

14 May 2010

Michelle Obama releases plan to 'reverse childhood obesity'

USA Today: "First lady Michelle Obama unveiled a plan today to 'reverse the epidemic of childhood obesity' and called for help from governments, schools and businesses as well as the families themselves. ... Obama and her aides released a task force report titled Solving the Problem of Childhood Obesity Within a Generation. The goal, she said, is to 'ensure that our children can have the healthy lives and the bright futures that they deserve'" (Jackson, 5/11)

13 May 2010

CHD mortality rate in Ontario decreased by 35%: Study

From 1994 to 2005 in Ontario, Canada, there was a 35 percent decrease in the rate of deaths from coronary heart disease, with about half of this reduction associated with improvements in traditional CHD risk factors such as total cholesterol levels and systolic blood pressure, according to a study in the May 12 issue of JAMA.

12 May 2010

Minimum-wage employees more likely to be obese than those who earn higher wages: UC Davis study

A new UC Davis study has found that minimum-wage employees are more likely to be obese than those who earn higher wages, adding to growing evidence that being poor is a risk factor for unhealthy weight.

12 May 2010

Study shows relationship between built environment, SES and changes in BMI

People living in neighbourhoods where they perceived traffic made it unpleasant to walk were more likely to have a higher BMI than those who didn't, according to a new University of Alberta study looking at the relationship between the built environment, socio-economic status, and changes in body mass index over a six year period.

12 May 2010

Study reveals association between cardiac vagal activity and functional somatic symptoms

A study in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics outlines some novel insights between cardiac vagal activity [heart rate variability in the high-frequency band (HRV-HF)] and symptoms that do not find an organic explanation.

11 May 2010

Nuts can reduce blood cholesterol levels: Study

Consuming more nuts appears to be associated with improvements in blood cholesterol levels, according to a pooled analysis of data from 25 trials reported in the May 10 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

11 May 2010

Depression, hostile behavior increase risk of mortality

This study conducted on a sample of 20,625 employees of the French national gas and electricity companies demonstrates that being depressed and hostile increases the mortality risk.

10 May 2010

Socioeconomic status, social context more important than race when analyzing obesity disparities: Study

When analyzing obesity disparities among women, socioeconomic status and social context may be more important than race, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions.

7 May 2010

Methane in breath linked to obesity

New Cedars-Sinai research shows obese patients who test positive for methane on their breath have a significantly higher body mass index (BMI) than their peers.

7 May 2010

Obesity epidemic may be flattening out - still much to be done

The prevalence of childhood obesity might be stabilising in developed countries, but there is still much to be done to combat this major threat to health, according to a Seminar published on Online First and in an upcoming issue of The Lancet.

6 May 2010