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.

Alli boosts weight loss and reduces excess visceral fat

New studies show that overweight and obese people using alli® (orlistat 60 mg) with a reduced calorie, lower-fat diet can significantly reduce weight, visceral fat, and waist circumference and therefore may reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke.

28 Jan 2010

Health education programmes can help parents recognise healthy weight for their children

Half of the mothers who took part in a study thought that their obese four or five year-old was normal weight, as did 39 per cent of the fathers, according to the February issue of Acta Paediatrica.

28 Jan 2010

International congress reflects emerging importance of abdominal obesity

Clinical and basic science researchers from around the world will convene in Hong Kong from January 28 to 30 for the First International Congress on Abdominal Obesity: "Bridging the Gap between Cardiology and Diabetology."

28 Jan 2010

Gastric bypass surgery may increase life expectancy of morbidly obese individuals

A computerized model suggests that most morbidly obese individuals would likely live longer if they had gastric bypass surgery, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. However, the best decision for individual patients varies based on factors such as age, increasing body mass index and the effectiveness of surgery.

19 Jan 2010

High BMI among children and adolescents continues to be a public health concern in the U.S.

The prevalence of high weight for length or high body mass index (BMI) among children and teens in the U.S. (i.e., at or above the 95th percentile), ranges from approximately 10 percent for infants and toddlers, to approximately 18 percent for adolescents and teenagers, although these rates appear to have remained relatively stable over the past 10 years, except for an increase for 6- to 19-year-old boys who are at the very heaviest weight levels, according to a study appearing in the January 20 issue of JAMA. The study is being published early online because of its public health importance.

18 Jan 2010

JAMA: Rate of increase for obesity in the U.S. in recent decades may be slowing

The prevalence of adults in the U.S. who are obese is still high, with about one-third of adults obese in 2007-2008, although new data suggest that the rate of increase for obesity in the U.S. in recent decades may be slowing, according to a study appearing in the January 20 issue of JAMA.

18 Jan 2010

Obesity could lead to renal cell cancer: BJUI

Being obese could lead to a greater risk of developing the most common form of renal cell cancer, according to research in the January issue of the UK-based urology journal BJUI.

13 Jan 2010

Obese patients at greater risk of developing renal cell cancer

Being obese could lead to a greater risk of developing the most common form of renal cell cancer, according to research in the January issue of the UK-based urology journal BJUI.

12 Jan 2010

Penn researchers study benefits of bariatric surgery for treating Type 2 diabetes

A multi-disciplinary team of Penn researchers, including diabetes, weight loss and bariatric surgery experts, are conducting a study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to determine if bariatric surgery, either gastric bypass or adjustable gastric banding surgery, is more effective than lifestyle modification to reduce weight and ultimately treat Type 2 diabetes.

7 Jan 2010

Increased coffee consumption linked to reduced hepatic fibrosis

Researchers from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) determined that patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) who consumed more than 308 mg of caffeine daily had milder liver fibrosis. The daily amount of caffeine intake found to be beneficial is equivalent to 2.25 cups of regular coffee.

5 Jan 2010

$HIV-infected postmenopausal women face higher risk for accelerated bone loss and fracture$

HIV-infected postmenopausal women face higher risk for accelerated bone loss and fracture

According to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), postmenopausal HIV-infected women have a high prevalence of low bone mineral density and high bone turnover placing them at high risk for future bone fractures.

5 Jan 2010

Psychotherapy may prevent obesity in teenage girls

Girls who undertook IPT were more likely to stabilize or reduce their BMI than those who received the health education classes. BMI is a measure of body weight corrected for height and, when adjusted for age and sex, is used to determine appropriate weight gain in growing children and teens.

5 Jan 2010

WDI utilizes DXA analysis for fitness and weight management programs

Women's Digital Imaging of Ridgewood (WDI), has begun using Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA), a technology developed to screen for osteoporosis (bone loss), to measure body fat in patients who want a more accurate method of establishing goals and measuring results for weight management and fitness programs.

4 Jan 2010

Website explores pros and cons of obesity

ProCon.org, a nonpartisan 501(c)3 nonprofit public charity dedicated to promoting critical thinking, created the new website http://www.obesity.procon.org to explore the core question "Is obesity a disease?"

30 Dec 2009

Masimo expands corporate headquarters

Masimo, the inventor of Pulse CO-Oximetry(TM) and Measure-Through Motion and Low Perfusion pulse oximetry, today announced the expansion of its Irvine, California headquarters with the addition of an adjacent 32,000 sq. ft. building--the company's third building at its corporate campus. Expanding its corporate headquarters is a natural progression for Masimo, which continues to post double-digit growth increases.

28 Dec 2009

Intervention strategy brings positive changes in type 2 diabetic patients

South Dakota State University research showed an intervention strategy based on the Native American spiritual concept of the Medicine Wheel brought positive changes for diabetics.

24 Dec 2009

Study reveals patient characteristics can affect image quality of MDCT scans

A large multicenter international trial found that the image quality of multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) scans, used for the noninvasive detection of coronary artery disease, can be significantly affected by patient characteristics such as ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), and heart rate, according to a study in the January issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

23 Dec 2009

Interleukin Genetics introduces the Bone Health Genetic Test

Interleukin Genetics, Inc. announced today availability of the Bone Health Genetic Test designed to detect genetic patterns associated with the development of osteoporosis-related outcomes. The test determines an individual's risk for developing vertebral or spinal fractures and low bone mineral density.

17 Dec 2009

Being obese increases the risk for developing OSA in adolescents, study shows

A study in the Dec. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that being overweight or obese increases the risk for developing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adolescents but not in younger children.

15 Dec 2009

Eating disorder groups say BMI fuels weight-prejudice and urge to focus on health and lifestyle

In an unprecedented show of concern, The Academy for Eating Disorders (AED), Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA), Eating Disorder Coalition (EDC), International Association for Eating Disorder Professionals (IADEP), and National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) have joined forces and are urging focus on health and lifestyle rather than weight as a measurement of well-being.

11 Dec 2009