Physical Activity News and Research

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Comcast, UnitedHealth Group completes enrollment in VOD study for type 2 diabetes

UnitedHealth Group and Comcast Corporation announced they have met enrollment targets for an innovative pilot study to evaluate the effectiveness of using video on demand (VOD) to deliver the Diabetes Prevention Program.

16 May 2012

CINJ experts to offer nutrition and cancer prevention tips on Memorial Day weekend

As many prepare to fire up the grill this Memorial Day weekend, experts from The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) are offering tips on healthy summer nutrition habits and cooking methods that can be an important part of cancer prevention. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

16 May 2012

HealthFitness praises IOM for in-depth report on obesity in the U.S.

In some 478 pages, the Institute of Medicine laid out a thorough case this week to re-cast the nation's growing obesity problem as both an individual and societal responsibility to solve. Despite both private and public efforts over the past decade to address the problem, obesity-related illnesses cost an estimated $190 billion a year in the first five years of the millennium.

14 May 2012

Physically active video games can complement traditional exercise

The majority of consumers believe video games should encourage physical activity and that "physically active" video games can complement traditional exercise, according to a new survey released today by UnitedHealth Group.

11 May 2012

Obesity report proposes sweeping changes in schools, communities, workplaces

The Institute of Medicine panel recommended five critical areas to focus on to lower obesity: physical activity, food and beverage, marketing, work and schools.

10 May 2012

Arthritis management tips from NYU Langone

New biologics and drug therapies, clinical techniques and advanced imaging technology help clinicians and researchers evaluate and identify arthritis sooner. This earlier intervention can help return arthritis patients to an active lifestyle faster, with better long-term outcomes.

10 May 2012

Medical counseling may help AMI patients to recapture their sex lives

Patients who were sexually active before suffering a heart attack were one and a half times more likely to recapture their sex lives if they received guidance on the topic before leaving the hospital, a new study finds.

10 May 2012

U.S. spends $190.2 billion annually for adult obesity treatment

John Cawley is a professor of policy analysis and management and of economics at Cornell University. He is also co-director of Cornell's Institute on Health Economics, Health Behaviors and Disparities, and has served on advisory boards and expert panels for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

10 May 2012

ACOEM honors JNJ with 2012 Corporate Health Achievement Award

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) the world's most comprehensive and broadly based manufacturer of health care products, as well as a provider of related services for the consumer and pharmaceutical and medical devices and diagnostics markets, has been awarded the 2012 Corporate Health Achievement Award (CHAA) by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

10 May 2012

Plans to tackle growing waistlines and the obesity epidemic from the Institute of Medicine

According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), obesity in America is a crisis that threatens national security and it demands urgent action.

9 May 2012

Americans spend only about two hours each week in sports and fitness activities

Americans spend, on average, only about two hours each week participating in sports and fitness activities, according to researchers at Penn State and the University of Maryland who examined U.S. government data from the American Time Use Study.

9 May 2012

Report notes rise in obesity slowing, but still huge health, cost problem

The obesity rate may rise to 42 percent from about a third of the U.S. population by 2030 if nothing changes, according to a report. Preventing that increase may save about $550 billion in medical costs over the next 20 years, Eric Finkelstein, the study author and an associate research professor at Duke University, said during a press briefing.

9 May 2012

Refurbishing neighborhood parks may lead to improvements in community health

A new study suggests that refurbishing neighborhood parks may lead to improvements in community health. Increased visitors and higher rates of exercise were observed for more than one year when one community park provided new and varied amenities.

9 May 2012

Study offers new insight on known link between exposure to violence and sexual risk-taking

Women who have experienced multiple forms of violence, from witnessing neighborhood crimes to being abused themselves, are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior, according to a new report in the Psychology of Violence.

9 May 2012

Call for cookery lessons in schools to reduce childhood obesity

Health professionals, charity leaders and celebrities, including Steven Gerrard and Jamie Oliver, are calling for cookery lessons to be introduced to schools for all children aged between 4 and 14 years old.

8 May 2012

U.S. healthcare system could be burdened with 32 million more obese people within two decades

Researchers have forecast the cost savings and rise in obesity prevalence over the next two decades in a new public health study.

8 May 2012

TV viewing linked to unhealthy eating habits in U.S. adolescents

Television viewing and unhealthy eating habits in U.S. adolescents appear to be linked in a national survey of students in the fifth to 10 th grades, according to a report published in the May issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, a JAMA Network publication. The study is part of the Nutrition and the Health of Children and Adolescents theme issue.

8 May 2012

Mothers of overweight toddlers less likely to accurately perceive their child's body size

A study of mothers and their toddlers suggests that mothers of overweight toddlers often had inaccurate perceptions of their child's body size, according to a report published in the May issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, a JAMA Network publication. The study is part of the Nutrition and the Health of Children and Adolescents theme issue.

8 May 2012

New information about biological outcomes and commuting distance

As populations move even further away from urban centers, more people spend longer hours behind the wheel on their way to and from work. While sedentary behavior is known to have adverse effects on cardiovascular and metabolic health, the impact of long commutes by automobile are less understood. A new study has found that greater commuting distances are associated with decreased cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), increased weight, and other indicators of metabolic risk.

8 May 2012

People continue to make unhealthy choices despite best intentions

Humana Inc., one of the nation's leading health and well-being companies, and Reader's Digest, one of America's most recognized brands, today announced results of a nationwide survey that highlights an intriguing fact about health in America - despite our best intentions, Americans continue to make unhealthy choices.

7 May 2012