Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Researchers find C-reactive protein differences, a predictor of heart disease among sexes, races

A protein in the blood that is considered to be a key indicator of future heart disease may vary considerably among women and men, as well as blacks and whites, according to new research at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

2 Aug 2005

Visceral obesity may be an important risk factor for insulin resistance syndrome in children

Waist circumference is associated with insulin resistance in children and may offer a simple way to identify children with risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, according to a study in the August issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

1 Aug 2005

Dairy foods may actually help dieters keep the muscle and lose even more fat

Most people don't realize when a person loses weight, they lose fat and muscle, but new research indicates dairy foods may actually help dieters keep the muscle and lose even more fat.

1 Aug 2005

Fructose sweetning could be even worse than using other sweeteners

A University of Cincinnati (UC) study provides new evidence that drinking large amounts of beverages containing fructose adds body fat, and might explain why sweetening with fructose could be even worse than using other sweeteners.

31 Jul 2005

Knee pain more often part of a package of aches and pains

A new study suggests that knee pain experienced by older people is usually not an isolated problem, but is more often part of a constellation of chronic aches.

29 Jul 2005

Most people with knee pain also have pain elsewhere

Joint pain, especially in the knees, is a common complaint in older patients and can impact quality of life. A team of researchers recently set out to examine how often knee pain is accompanied by pain elsewhere in the body and whether the presence of multiple joint pain affects older patients' general health and psychological status.

28 Jul 2005

Direct relationship between inflammation and glucose levels

Scientists at Galileo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. have demonstrated a direct relationship between inflammation and glucose levels. Through its recently established metabolic disease program, Galileo confirmed in preclinical models that inhibiting lipoxygenases, known mediators of inflammatory response, significantly lowers blood glucose levels in animal models of diabetes.

26 Jul 2005

Cancer survivors initiate diet, exercise, and other beneficial lifestyle changes following a cancer diagnosis

An analysis of more than 100 studies of cancer survivors shows that many survivors initiate diet, exercise, and other beneficial lifestyle changes following a cancer diagnosis, but that those who are male, older, and less educated are less likely to adopt such changes. The term "cancer survivor" refers to a person who has been diagnosed with cancer.

25 Jul 2005

New treatment that boosts the stomach's 'full' signal offers new way of tackling growing obesity epidemic

A hormone found in the small intestine has provided a crucial breakthrough in developing new drugs to tackle the growing obesity epidemic, claim scientists. Obesity now affects more than half of all UK adults, costing the UK up to 3.7 billion pounds a year in sickness absence and treatments.

25 Jul 2005

New treatment helps obese patients to feel full

In the race to develop drugs to fight obesity, researchers have found a possible new treatment to help obese patients "feel full" and have lauded it a success.

25 Jul 2005

New research finds molecular link between obesity and diabetes

Researchers say they have discovered a molecular link between obesity and type 2 diabetes, and the link could be a potential target for new drugs to treat the disease.

21 Jul 2005

Taste reigns supreme, whereas nutrition varies between consumers

High hopes of helping Americans become thinner and healthier through new menu options came up against the hard reality of consumer preferences as foodservice experts dissected the challenges of feeding a nation in the grips of an obesity epidemic.

21 Jul 2005

Obese people are more likely than normal-weight people to injure themselves

Researchers collected health and injury data during a one-year period on more than 2,500 adults living in Colorado. More than one out of four (26 percent) of the extremely obese male participants reported personal injuries, and more than one out of five (21.7 percent) extremely obese women also reported injuries.

20 Jul 2005

Protein found in fat cells is a newly discovered cause of insulin resistance

A study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has shown that a protein found in fat cells is a newly discovered cause of insulin resistance, establishing a previously unidentified molecular link between obesity and type 2 diabetes and offering a potential new target for the development of drugs to treat diabetes.

20 Jul 2005

Metformin should be in the first line of defense against type 2 diabetes

A new review of studies confirms that the drug metformin should be in the first line of defense against type 2 diabetes. Using metformin alone can improve control of blood glucose, while also reducing risk factors for heart disease such as excess body weight, cholesterol levels and hypertension, the review found.

20 Jul 2005

Children enrolled in kid-oriented diet and exercise programs are likely to adopt healthier eating and activity patterns

...according to an updated systematic review. Although the youngsters did not experience significant weight loss during the studies, most of which lasted a year or less, the reviewers note promising trends.

19 Jul 2005

Insulin resistance increases a person's risk for development of congestive heart failure

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a major cause of illness and death, according to background information in the article. The death rate for patients with CHF is 4 to 8 times that of the general population. The predominant causes of heart failure are hypertension and coronary heart disease.

19 Jul 2005

No single PSA level ensures safety from prostate cancer risk

Ian M. Thompson Jr., M.D., professor and chair of urology at the U T Health Science Center, is looking for a better test - or set of tests - to diagnose prostate cancer and to distinguish between cancers that will kill men if left untreated and those that will not threaten health and do not need treatment.

19 Jul 2005

Variant of a common protein plays a primary role in Type 2 diabetes and obesity

Scientists in France and the United States report that a variant of a common protein plays a primary role in Type 2 diabetes and obesity, key features of the "insulin resistance syndrome" that affects more than 50 million people in this country and a similar number in Europe.

19 Jul 2005

Decline in physical activity plays key role in weight gain among girls

Girls who were inactive during adolescence gained an average of 10 to 15 pounds more than active girls, according to results of a 10-year observational study of obesity. Total calorie intake increased only slightly and was not associated with the weight gains.

19 Jul 2005