Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Birth weight predicts kidney function during endurance exercise

Researchers investigate how birth weight determines kidney function changes following prolonged physical activity in different environmental conditions.

7 May 2026

Ultra processed foods linked to higher cardiovascular disease and death

People who eat more ultra processed food (UPF) have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death, according to a report published in the European Heart Journal today (Thursday).

7 May 2026

Bariatric surgery offers greater long-term health protection for seniors than GLP-1 drugs

Metabolic and bariatric surgery offers significantly greater long-term protection against heart attack, stroke and death than widely-used GLP-1 drugs in older adults with obesity and diabetes, according to new real-world analysis study presented today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

6 May 2026

Bariatric surgery outperforms GLP-1 medications for obesity disease remission

Metabolic and bariatric surgery delivers significantly greater weight loss and higher rates of obesity-related disease remission than glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s), according to one of the largest and most comprehensive real-world comparisons of the two treatments.

6 May 2026

Six genes found to connect pancreatic cancer with metabolic dysfunction

New research shows that the same genes are active in pancreatic cancer, obesity and diabetes, helping to explain why people with metabolic disease often face poorer cancer outcomes and pointing to future ways to predict recurrence and develop more targeted treatments.

6 May 2026

Popular GLP-1 drugs significantly reduce major cardiovascular events,

Researchers evaluate the long-term cardiovascular safety and efficacy of GLP-1RAs in high-risk populations.

6 May 2026

Exercise remains essential alongside GLP-1 obesity treatments

As GLP-1 receptor agonists reshape obesity treatment, a new medical perspective published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, or JAMA, underscores a persistent gap in care: integrating exercise into weight management in ways patients can sustain.

5 May 2026

Obesity and Alzheimer’s linked through early metabolic disruptions

By 2030, the population in the United States aged 65 and older is expected to reach 71 million or about 20% of Americans. This growth is likely to increase the burden of age-related diseases, particularly Alzheimer's disease (AD), affecting about 1 in 9 adults over 65.

5 May 2026

U.S. bariatric surgery rates drop significantly amid GLP-1 surge

The number of metabolic and bariatric surgery procedures in the United States dropped below 200,000 in 2024 for the first time since 2020, a more than 20% decline from the prior year, according to new research presented today at the annual scientific meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

5 May 2026

Bariatric surgery improves outcomes for patients with obesity and chronic kidney disease

Metabolic and bariatric surgery, also known as weight-loss surgery, dramatically improves outcomes for patients with obesity and chronic kidney disease (CKD), significantly reducing the risk of kidney failure, major cardiovascular events and death, according to new research presented here today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

5 May 2026

GLP-1 use surges as surgery rates drop for severe obesity

Drawing on electronic health records from nearly 20 million patients with severe obesity, researchers from University of California San Diego find that GLP-1 prescriptions have grown exponentially -- from less than 4,600 prescriptions in 2018 to more than 1.4 million in 2025 -- according to a new real-world analysis presented today at the annual scientific meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

5 May 2026

Bariatric surgery costs significantly less than GLP-1 drugs over two years

A new real-world analysis of more than 90,000 patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes finds metabolic and bariatric surgery is costs significantly less than weekly injections of GLP-1 drugs over a two-year period, according to a new research presented today at the annual scientific meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

5 May 2026

GLP-1 drugs combined with surgery yield superior weight loss results

People who begin obesity treatment with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s) and then undergo metabolic and bariatric surgery achieve substantially greater weight loss than with the medications alone, according to new research presented today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

5 May 2026

A new tool that predicts obesity-related disease risk beyond BMI

OBSCORE is a data-driven tool that identifies high-risk individuals for obesity-related diseases, enhancing treatment targeting beyond traditional BMI metrics.

5 May 2026

Blood tests years before pregnancy predict risk of hypertension

Pre-pregnancy blood biomarkers linked to hypertension risk highlight the potential for early intervention in managing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

5 May 2026

Study highlights stigma surrounding popular GLP-1 weight loss drugs

Glucagonlike peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications have taken over the national conversation around weight loss.

4 May 2026

Using symptom dimensions may provide more precise, personalized mental health care

A researcher from the University of Kansas has led a large-scale study of university undergraduates to better understand how psychological conditions such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and eating disorders are connected.

4 May 2026

Virginia Tech researcher wins NIH award to study metabolic brain health

Mary Elizabeth Baugh, a research scientist with Virginia Tech's Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, has been awarded a National Institutes of Health Mentored Research Scientist Development Award to study how metabolic health influences the brain systems that shape what and how we eat.

4 May 2026

Learn B.E. F.A.S.T. to recognize stroke signs and save lives

A stroke can change a life in an instant. In the minutes after symptoms begin, quick action can help protect the brain, reduce long-term disability and save a life, according to the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association.

4 May 2026

Study: One in ten babies regularly falls asleep with a screen

Despite recent government guidelines that parents should avoid screen time for babies under the age of two, a new global study finds that one in ten babies now regularly fall asleep with a screen.

4 May 2026