Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Mothers' early pregnancy weight influences kids’ BMI into adolescence

Children born to mothers with higher BMI in early pregnancy have greater weight and BMI from birth through age 10, regardless of prenatal lifestyle interventions. Paternal BMI also plays a significant role in childhood obesity risk.

10 May 2025

Redlining continues to impact breast cancer survival in America

In neighborhoods across America, women face a daunting threat from a federal practice that, although it was outlawed decades ago, continues to negatively impact their health today.

10 May 2025

Mitochondrial transplantation as a strategy to address metabolic decline in aging

Announcing a new publication for Acta Materia Medica journal. Aging impairs adipose tissue function and contributes to metabolic disorders, such as obesity and insulin resistance.

10 May 2025

Study reveals colonic inflammation as the trigger for beta cell growth in obesity

Researchers at the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine have uncovered a key primary step in the hepatic ERK pathway that leads to increased insulin production.

9 May 2025

Liver disease in pregnancy linked to higher risk of preterm birth

Pregnant women with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) have an increased risk of giving birth prematurely and the risk increase cannot be explained by obesity, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal eClinicalMedicine.

9 May 2025

A California lawmaker leans into her medical training in fight for health safety net

State Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson anticipates that California's sprawling Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal, may need to be dialed back after Gov. Gavin Newsom releases his latest budget, which could reflect a multibillion-dollar deficit.

9 May 2025

Maternal health during pregnancy linked to higher blood pressure in children

Children born to mothers with obesity, gestational diabetes mellitus or a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy have higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure than children born to mothers without these risk factors, according to a new USC study.

8 May 2025

New evidence shows long COVID’s toll on health across all U.S. states

A nationally representative U.S. study of over 100,000 adults found that post-COVID conditions (PCCs) significantly reduce quality of life. Key risk factors for poor health outcomes include obesity, inactivity, chronic disease, and socioeconomic disadvantage.

8 May 2025

Cancer rates are climbing in younger adults and researchers want to know why

A new NIH-led study finds rising rates of 14 cancer types in Americans under 50, especially breast, colorectal, kidney, uterine, and pancreatic cancers. The research urges deeper investigation into shared risk factors and earlier screening strategies.

8 May 2025

Uncovering the architecture of the human sugar sensor

Our attraction to sugar has grown to an unhealthy level. The average person in the United States now consumes more than 100 pounds of the sweet stuff every year, up from 18 pounds in 1800.

7 May 2025

Canadian study links ultra processed foods to poor health outcomes

A landmark study exploring Canadians' consumption of chips, frozen pizzas, breakfast cereals and other ultra-processed foods typically loaded with fat, sugar and additives has confirmed these foods are directly and significantly linked to poor health outcomes.

7 May 2025

Trump policies at odds with ‘make America healthy again’ push

In his March address to Congress, President Donald Trump honored a Texas boy diagnosed with brain cancer. Amid bipartisan applause, he vowed to drive down childhood cancer rates through his "Make America Healthy Again" initiative.

7 May 2025

Healthy diet in childhood linked to later onset of menstruation

Eating a healthy diet as a child is linked to girls having their first menstrual period at an older age than those who consumed a less healthy diet, according to a new study published today (Wednesday) in Human Reproduction, one of the world's leading reproductive medicine journals.

6 May 2025

Varicose veins increase your risk of dementia, study finds

A nationwide Korean study finds a surprising link between varicose veins and dementia, and suggests that treating the veins could help prevent vascular brain damage.

6 May 2025

Want to eat slower? Pick meals that need chopsticks, not hands

A new study from Japan reveals that eating meals like bento boxes—rather than pizza—can slow down eating and boost chewing, regardless of whether vegetables come first or last. It's not the order, but the kind of food, that matters.

5 May 2025

Where and why men die younger: global data breaks it down

A global study published in PLOS Medicine examined sex-disaggregated data on hypertension, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS across 204 countries. It revealed significant but context-dependent differences in disease burden, care access, and outcomes between males and females.

4 May 2025

Semaglutide clears liver inflammation and cuts fibrosis in MASH patients, trial shows

A phase 3 trial shows that once-weekly semaglutide significantly improves liver histology in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). The interim results also reveal meaningful weight loss and improved cardiometabolic markers, with a favorable safety profile.

4 May 2025

Phthalates in plastics linked to over 350,000 heart deaths worldwide

A global modeling study in eBioMedicine links phthalate exposure from plastics, especially DEHP metabolites, to over 356,000 cardiovascular deaths in 2018. Exposure was highest in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, disproportionately affecting lower-income countries.

4 May 2025

Ultra-processed foods linked to higher psoriasis risk

A large UK Biobank study found that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is associated with an increased risk of developing psoriasis. Each 10% increase in UPF intake raised psoriasis risk by 6%, with obesity and inflammation partially mediating this effect.

4 May 2025

Study shows brain estrogen directly regulates appetite in mice

Researchers in Japan found that estrogen produced within the brain, called neuroestrogen, suppresses appetite and reduces body weight in mice by enhancing MC4R expression. The study also showed that neuroestrogen boosts leptin sensitivity, suggesting new targets for obesity treatment.

2 May 2025