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.

Overweight individuals at greater risk of having SDB

Overweight individuals are not just at greater risk of having sleep-disordered-breathing (SDB), they are also likely to suffer greater consequences, according to new research.

8 Oct 2009

Alnara to announce Phase 3 study results of liprotamase for treating cystic fibrosis at the 23rd NACFC

Alnara Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a pharmaceutical company developing novel, non-systemic orally-delivered protein therapeutics for the treatment of metabolic diseases, announced today that results from a landmark, international Phase 3 study of the long-term safety and nutritional benefits of liprotamase for the treatment of pancreatic insufficiency in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) will be presented at the 23rd Annual North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference (NACFC) being held October 15-17, 2009 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

5 Oct 2009

BMI training course launched by Anthem Blue Cross to tackle childhood obesity

In a continued effort to keep screening for childhood obesity at the forefront, Anthem Blue Cross' State Sponsored Business launched an innovative on-line Body Mass Index (BMI) training course featuring a virtual BMI wheel and web-based interactive practice sessions to help provide hands-on experience.

3 Oct 2009

Consumption of fish has no major role in protection against heart failure

The consumption of fish has no major role in the prevention of heart failure, according to results from a large prospective population study. The study, which was started in 1990 and involved all men and women over the age of 55 living in a suburb of Rotterdam, found no difference in the risk of developing heart failure between those who did eat fish and those who didn't.

1 Oct 2009

Former professional players have fewer risks of heart attacks

Former professional football players with large bodies don't appear to have the same risk factors for heart disease as their non-athletic counterparts, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found in studying a group of National Football League (NFL) alumni.

30 Sep 2009

AAP receives grant to promote awareness on childhood obesity

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) announces that it has been awarded a $250,000 grant from MetLife Foundation, to promote community and regional approaches to obesity prevention. Through the grant, AAP will launch two national grant programs, which are focused on encouraging both established pediatricians and pediatricians-in-training to develop collaborative methods to educate communities about the health effects of childhood obesity.

29 Sep 2009

Obesity due to leptin deficiency plays major role in knee osteoarthritis

In 2005 the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that globally 400 million adults were obese, defined by a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or greater. WHO projects that by 2015 there will be more than 700 million obese adults worldwide. Obesity is considered to be one of the greatest risk factors for osteoarthritis, a progressive musculoskeletal disorder that is characterized by loss of joint cartilage.

29 Sep 2009

Pregnancy can cause metabolic syndrome

Childbearing is associated directly with future development of the metabolic syndrome - abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, insulin resistance and other cardiovascular disease risk factors - and for women who have had gestational diabetes, the risk is more than twice greater, according to a study co-authored by University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) researchers published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

23 Sep 2009

Report on evidence-based disease prevention programs released by TFAH and NYAM

Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) released a new report today featuring a range of evidence-based disease prevention programs that have shown results for improving health and reducing costs in communities.

22 Sep 2009

MRS could be effective for identifying diabetes

Researchers have long suspected that overweight people tend to have large fat deposits in their pancreases, but they've been unable to confirm or calculate how much fat resides there because of the organ's location.

22 Sep 2009

Color-coded BMI charts help easy analysis of child's weight

A new study shows that parents are more likely to understand a body mass index (BMI) chart if it's color-coded, like a traffic light, than the standard charts currently in use.

16 Sep 2009

"High Five" factors in overweight men impacts their energy and health: Building Healthier America

For overweight men ages 45 and older, the "High Five" factors of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugar/glucose, poor diet and low testosterone may be impacting their energy and health, sabotaging efforts to lose weight, according to Building Healthier America, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the negative trends of overweight and obesity in the U.S.

15 Sep 2009

Phase III clinical trial results of DAR-31 published

Gilead Sciences, Inc. today announced the publication of data from DAR-311 (DORADO), a Phase III clinical trial evaluating the company’s once-daily oral endothelin receptor antagonist (ERA) darusentan as an add-on treatment for resistant hypertension, defined as the failure to achieve blood pressure goal while adhering to full doses of an appropriate three (or more) drug antihypertensive regimen that includes a diuretic.

14 Sep 2009

Risk of NAFLD lowers with routine physical activities

Researchers from the University of Sydney, Australia determined that patients with a sedentary lifestyle who engage in routine physical activities lower their risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

10 Sep 2009

Americans' health perceptions contradict national statistics

We think we’re healthier than we actually are, suggests a new survey from market research leader Mintel. Surveying Americans about their health, Mintel found people’s perceptions strongly contradict national statistics about obesity, illness and wellness.

4 Sep 2009

Waist-hip ratio is a better of measure of obesity in older patients

Body mass index (BMI) readings may not be the best gauge of obesity in older adults, according to new research from UCLA endocrinologists and geriatricians. Instead, they say, the ratio of waist size to hip size may be a better indicator when it comes to those over 70.

2 Sep 2009

Statistics reveals that blacks experience higher rates of pancreatic cancer deaths than whites

Regardless of risk factors linked to pancreatic cancer, such as smoking and body mass index (BMI), blacks experienced higher rates of pancreatic cancer death than whites.

2 Sep 2009

Muscular thighs protect women from developing symptomatic knee osteoarthritis

new study by researchers at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics found that thigh muscle strength does not predict the occurrence of knee osteoarthritis (OA) uncovered in x-rays, but does predict incidence of painful or stiff knee OA. Women with the strongest quadriceps muscles appeared to be protected against the development of knee OA symptoms. Details of this study appear in the September issue of Arthritis Care & Research.

27 Aug 2009

Studies reveal that obese people are at greater risk for developing Alzheimer's disease

Obesity is on a rampage, with the World Health Organization pegging the numbers at more than 300 million worldwide, with a billion more overweight. With obesity comes the increased risk for cardiovascular disease, Type II diabetes, and hypertension.

25 Aug 2009

Video-game playing and health risks

While video gaming is generally perceived as a pastime for children and young adults, research shows that the average age of players in the United States is 35.

18 Aug 2009