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.

Exposure to certain chemicals may lead to early pubertal development

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that exposure to three common chemical classes-phenols, phthalates and phytoestrogens-in young girls may disrupt the timing of pubertal development, and put girls at risk for health complications later in life.

6 Apr 2010

Gout incidence lower in women than men: Study

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine found that women with serum uric acid levels over 5 mg/dl had a significantly lower risk of developing gout than men. This study, the first to examine the relationship between uric acid levels and gout risk in women, also evaluated purported risk factors for gout and found that increasing age, obesity, hypertension, alcohol use, and diuretic use to be among leading contributors for women.

30 Mar 2010

Analysis indicates substantial underdiagnosis of obesity when BMI used compared to DEXA scan

A retrospective analysis of 1,234 Americans indicated a substantial underdiagnosis of obesity when Body Mass Index was used compared to the Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry scan. This analysis will be released on Friday, April 23, 2010 at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 19th Annual Meeting & Clinical Congress in Boston.

30 Mar 2010

Chronic job stress linked to obesity

A new study that provides a snapshot of a typical American workplace observed that chronic job stress and lack of physical activity are strongly associated with being overweight or obese.

25 Mar 2010

Researchers explore ethnic differences in asthma incidence

A study of UK schoolchildren has revealed that Black Africans, Indians and Bangladeshis have a similar or lower prevalence of asthma than White children, while Black Caribbean and Mixed Black Caribbean/White boys are more likely to have asthma.

25 Mar 2010

60 minutes of moderate-intensity activity needed to maintain normal weight: Study

Among women consuming a usual diet, physical activity was associated with less weight gain over 13 years only among women of normal weight, according to a study in the March 24/31 issue of JAMA. The researchers also found that women successful in maintaining normal weight averaged approximately 60 minutes a day of moderate-intensity activity throughout the study.

24 Mar 2010

Primary care physicians agree on responsibility in addressing obesity, but lack right weight management resources

Primary care physicians agree they have a role in addressing obesity, but say they do not have the right weight management resources. Obese or heavier adults take responsibility for weight loss, but adults who need to lose weight may lack information about effective weight loss methods and strategies. These findings and others come from new research commissioned and released today by the Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance, a project operating out of the Department of Health Policy at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services.

22 Mar 2010

STOP Obesity Alliance: Adults lack information about effective weight loss methods and strategies

19 Mar 2010

Physician scientists present new findings on aspirin therapy, atrial fibrillation drug therapy and LVAD

Physician scientists from the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute presented new findings on the effectiveness of routine aspirin therapy for preventing heart disease, a drug therapy for atrial fibrillation and the role left ventricular assist devices may play in weight reduction for obese patients with chronic end-stage heart failure who are considered for heart transplantation.

19 Mar 2010

Kaiser Permanente study: Snapshot of the prevalence of extreme obesity in younger children

Extreme obesity is affecting more children at younger ages, with 12 percent of black teenage girls, 11.2 percent of Hispanic teenage boys, 7.3 percent of boys and 5.5 percent of girls now classified as extremely obese, according to a Kaiser Permanente study of 710,949 children and teens that appears online in the Journal of Pediatrics.

19 Mar 2010

Obesity and passive smoking are risk factors for elevated umbilical cord neonatal immature

Babies born to mothers with obesity and exposed to passive smoking are more likely to have health problems than others. This conclusion is based on evidence of elevated levels of nucleated red blood cells in the umbilical cord reported in the International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health.

17 Mar 2010

School environment plays a big role in girls' weight-control behaviors

Their schoolmates' weight determines whether teenage high school girls will try to lose pounds, new research finds, and the school environment plays a big role in the decision.

17 Mar 2010

Angioplasty: Complexity of heart disease, gender and body size influence cumulative radiation skin dose

Body size, gender and the complexity of heart disease significantly influence how much cumulative radiation skin dose that patients receive during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) therapy, also known as angioplasty, according to a new Mayo Clinic study. The study was undertaken as a quality control initiative to reduce the potential radiation risks of cancer to patients and PCI operators.

16 Mar 2010

Harris Poll: Obesity increased, cigarette smoking decreased in every five-year period

The annual Harris Poll that has measured key health risks – smoking, seat belt use, weight and obesity – for the last 28 years, provides both good and bad news.

10 Mar 2010

New study suggests rising childhood obesity is linked to food allergies

First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” Campaign tells us that about 32 percent of children and teens (or 25 million) are obese or overweight. It revealed those extra pounds put them at greater risk of developing debilitating and costly diseases including diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol and may also cause them to lead a two to five year shorter life than their parents

10 Mar 2010

Obesity linked to increased risk of cancer recurrence and death

It’s long been known that obesity is linked to increased risk of developing colon cancer, but now researchers at the Mayo Clinic campus in Minnesota have found that obesity is associated with worse outcomes in patients who have already been diagnosed and treated for the cancer.

10 Mar 2010

Moderately drinking women at lower risk of becoming obese than non-drinkers

Normal-weight women who drink a light to moderate amount of alcohol appear to gain less weight and have a lower risk of becoming overweight and obese than non-drinkers, according to a report in the March 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

9 Mar 2010

Investigators disprove reports that well-fed children are more vulnerable to dengue virus

A new study led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators disproves reports that well-fed children are more vulnerable to the dengue virus. Mosquitoes spread the virus, which can cause severe flu-like symptoms and sometimes lethal complications.

5 Mar 2010

Eliminating sugary beverages and junk foods from schools may help slow childhood obesity

New policies that eliminate sugary beverages and junk foods from schools may help slow childhood obesity, according to a San Francisco State University study released today and published in the March issue of the journal Health Affairs.

2 Mar 2010

Inadequate sleep may lead to increase in belly fat

A study in the March 1 issue of the journal SLEEP shows that African-American and Hispanic young adults with short or long sleep durations had greater increases in belly fat over a five-year period compared with those who reported sleeping six to seven hours a night.

1 Mar 2010

Body Mass Index (BMI) News and Research

Further Reading

Exposure to certain chemicals may lead to early pubertal development

Gout incidence lower in women than men: Study

Analysis indicates substantial underdiagnosis of obesity when BMI used compared to DEXA scan

Chronic job stress linked to obesity

Researchers explore ethnic differences in asthma incidence

60 minutes of moderate-intensity activity needed to maintain normal weight: Study

Primary care physicians agree on responsibility in addressing obesity, but lack right weight management resources

STOP Obesity Alliance: Adults lack information about effective weight loss methods and strategies

Physician scientists present new findings on aspirin therapy, atrial fibrillation drug therapy and LVAD

Kaiser Permanente study: Snapshot of the prevalence of extreme obesity in younger children

Obesity and passive smoking are risk factors for elevated umbilical cord neonatal immature

School environment plays a big role in girls' weight-control behaviors

Angioplasty: Complexity of heart disease, gender and body size influence cumulative radiation skin dose

Harris Poll: Obesity increased, cigarette smoking decreased in every five-year period

New study suggests rising childhood obesity is linked to food allergies

Obesity linked to increased risk of cancer recurrence and death

Moderately drinking women at lower risk of becoming obese than non-drinkers

Investigators disprove reports that well-fed children are more vulnerable to dengue virus

Eliminating sugary beverages and junk foods from schools may help slow childhood obesity

Inadequate sleep may lead to increase in belly fat

Achieving and maintaining ISO 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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