Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Puberty reshapes DNA to worsen or reverse insulin resistance

This study uncovers epigenetic changes during puberty that correlate with insulin resistance, offering insights into childhood obesity and metabolic risk.

3 Mar 2026

Global breast cancer burden rising fastest in low-income countries

Despite recent advancements in breast cancer treatments, new breast cancer cases in women are predicted to rise by a third globally from 2.3 million in 2023 to more than 3.5 million in 2050.

2 Mar 2026

Weight-loss drugs may reduce heart damage after heart attack

Weight-loss (GLP-1 mimicking) drugs may help prevent further tissue damage following a heart attack, significantly reducing the risk of further life-threatening complications that affect up to half of all patients, according to a new study led by the University of Bristol and University College London.

2 Mar 2026

The surprising neurological benefits of GLP-1s

For people with chronic migraine, taking glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, or GLP-1 drugs, for other conditions such as diabetes and weight loss, was associated with fewer emergency department visits and hospitalizations overall, and with less need for medications used to stop and prevent migraine attacks, according to a preliminary study released March 1, 2026, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 78th Annual Meeting taking place April 18-22, 2026, in Chicago and online.

2 Mar 2026

Decoding the brain’s love for tempting snacks

Research from the University of East Anglia (UEA) may finally explain why we still reach for the biscuit tin, even when we're full.

1 Mar 2026

Greater food variety at buffets may lead to overeating

At Super Bowl parties, weddings, Independence Day cookouts and Thanksgiving dinners, people celebrate with large spreads of food.

27 Feb 2026

How physical strength and self-belief grow together in teens

Physical fitness and psychological resilience develop side by side during adolescence, a life stage that lays the foundation for adult health. Cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, and agility are well-known predictors of cardiometabolic health, while self-efficacy, defined as the belief in one's ability to overcome challenges, shapes motivation, persistence, and coping strategies.

26 Feb 2026

New review explains how circular RNAs could unlock fat browning therapies

A Cell Death & Disease review synthesizes preclinical evidence that circular RNAs regulate adipose browning and metabolic pathways through microRNA interactions, protein binding, and organelle-linked stress mechanisms. It highlights their biomarker and therapeutic potential in obesity and type 2 diabetes while underscoring key translational challenges, including delivery specificity and human validation.

26 Feb 2026

Heavy alcohol intake is associated with dangerous belly fat accumulation, large UK study shows

In a large UK population cohort, higher weekly alcohol consumption was dose-dependently associated with greater visceral fat mass measured by DXA, independent of total body fat. Heavy drinkers showed over 10% higher proportional visceral fat compared with lower consumption groups, a pattern linked to increased cardiometabolic risk.

26 Feb 2026

Neem compound gedunin shows promise against pancreatic cancer

Ramadevi Subramani Reddy, Ph.D., remembers the neem tree from her childhood in India - a plant her grandmother used to treat everything from fevers to infections.

26 Feb 2026

Organ donation after circulatory death expands transplant opportunities

Organ donation after the heart stops beating, a practice called donation after circulatory death, has gone from rare to routine in the United States, a new study shows.

26 Feb 2026

Middle-aged men most vulnerable to aging effects of new PFAS

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – 'forever chemicals' in common parlance – are a class of thousands of synthetic chemicals often used in non-stick coatings, water-resistant fabrics, fire-fighting foams, food packages, cleaning products, and plastics.

26 Feb 2026

Easy-to-use blood test score can help identify alcohol-related fatty liver disease

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have developed a new, easy-to-use blood test score that can help identify when fatty liver disease is being driven by excessive alcohol use, an important distinction that often goes unrecognized in routine care.

25 Feb 2026

Nearly 6 in 10 women in the U.S. may have cardiovascular disease in the next 25 years

Driven by rising rates in high blood pressure, nearly 6 in 10 women in the U.S. will have some type of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the next 25 years, according to a new scientific statement published today in Circulation, the peer-reviewed, flagship journal of the American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health for all.

25 Feb 2026

Parental obesity before conception raises offspring fatty liver risk

Pre-pregnancy parental overweight and obesity is linked to the next generation's heightened risk of developing fatty liver disease, a potential precursor to cirrhosis and liver failure, suggests research published online in the journal Gut.

24 Feb 2026

Combined GLP-1 and GLP-2 treatment appears safe but does not beat placebo for obesity

In a 12-week randomized phase IIa trial in adults with obesity, the dual GLP-1/GLP-2 receptor agonist dapiglutide was well tolerated but did not achieve statistically significant weight loss compared with placebo at 4 mg or 6 mg doses. Although the higher dose showed modest within-group weight reduction and improved HbA1c, unexpectedly substantial placebo-associated weight loss limited the observed treatment effect.

24 Feb 2026

Tirzepatide activates brown fat, boosting metabolism beyond appetite control

Tirzepatide is one of the drugs that has revolutionized the treatment of obesity and other conditions such as diabetes in recent years.

24 Feb 2026

Early exposure to unhealthy foods leaves lasting brain and feeding changes

Eating unhealthy foods early in life leave lasting brain and feeding changes but gut bacteria can help restore healthy eating, new University College Cork (UCC) research study finds today (Tuesday 24th February 10am)

24 Feb 2026

Swiss centenarians show youthful blood protein profiles in aging study

In Switzerland, 0.02% of the population lives beyond the age of 100. Could there be biological characteristics associated with this exceptional longevity? As part of the "SWISS100" study, the first large-scale Swiss research project dedicated to centenarians, a team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and the University of Lausanne (UNIL) compared the blood profiles of centenarians with those of octogenarians, and then with those of individuals aged 30 to 60.

24 Feb 2026