Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Sports coaches can improve health for athletes with disabilities

Research highlights the role of sports coaches in enhancing health for athletes with disabilities, focusing on collaboration and effective health promotion.

13 May 2026

Endometriosis increases risk of some birth defects in infants

Research indicates women with endometriosis may face a higher risk of congenital anomalies in infants, emphasizing the need for further investigation.

13 May 2026

Could GLP-1 drugs help breast cancer patients live longer?

A large retrospective cohort study of adult female breast cancer patients found that GLP-1 receptor agonist use was associated with better all-cause survival and recurrence-free survival in patients with obesity or type 2 diabetes. The strongest associations were seen versus non-use in obesity and versus insulin or metformin in type 2 diabetes, while comparisons with SGLT2 inhibitors were less consistent and require further study.

12 May 2026

Cannabis compounds may improve metabolism and reduce diabetes risk

A University of California, Riverside preclinical study is shedding light on a long-observed but poorly understood phenomenon: chronic cannabis users tend to have lower body weight and a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes, despite the drug's well-known tendency to increase appetite.

11 May 2026

Molecular switch in mice links energy burning and bone health

Scientists' discovery of a molecular "switch" that activates an energy‑burning pathway in mice has the potential to lead to new treatments for bone disease.

11 May 2026

Why are so many mothers missing diabetes follow-up after childbirth?

A New York City cohort study found that few women with postpartum-onset diabetes received guideline-recommended A1C monitoring over three years. Non-Hispanic Black women and mothers with more children faced lower monitoring rates, while Medicaid coverage was linked to better follow-up.

11 May 2026

Study links metabolic dysfunction to cognitive impairment in bipolar disorder

While they share similar depressive and cognitive symptoms, the biological underpinnings of bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder are distinct.

11 May 2026

New AI framework predicts how cells make fate decisions

Scientists at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Helmholtz Munich, the Technical University of Munich, and the University of Oxford have developed RegVelo - a new AI framework that simultaneously models cellular dynamics and gene regulation, enabling researchers to predict, simulate, and experimentally validate how cells make fate decisions.

11 May 2026

Diabetes, weight-loss drugs not a perfect fit?

Type 2 diabetes affects millions of people worldwide and now a new international study, jointly led by Adelaide University, University of Oxford, ETH Zurich, and Stanford University, has found one in ten people may not be benefiting from common medications used to treat the condition.

11 May 2026

Urges for cardiologists to screen patients for UPF intake

The European Society of Cardiology identifies ultra-processed foods as a key cardiovascular risk, urging a shift in dietary guidelines for better heart health.

11 May 2026

New obesity drugs may shift blame toward food industry

An essay presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul, Turkey (12-15 May) suggests that new age of obesity drugs could shift the blame for living with obesity from individuals to the food industry – just as smoking has been blamed on tobacco industry and to a lesser extent alcohol consumption on the alcohol industry.

11 May 2026

Longer working hours linked to rising obesity across OECD countries

A new study presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2026) in Istanbul, Turkey (12-15 May) shows that a 1% reduction in annual working hours is associated with a 0.16% decrease in obesity rates across OECD countries.

11 May 2026

Semaglutide shows sustained weight loss benefits in older adults

A new analysis of the STEP trails carried out by semaglutide manufacturer Novo Nordisk has analysed various trials to show the safety and efficacy of the obesity drug semaglutide in older adults (over 65 years), and found similar efficacy and safety as in the general trial populations .

11 May 2026

Eating out regularly linked to higher obesity risk worldwide

New research to be presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2026, Istanbul, Turkey, 12-15 May) suggests that no matter where people live, eating out instead of preparing meals at home is linked to weight gain and obesity.

11 May 2026

Daily orforglipron treatment reduces weight and blood sugar in seniors

A new analysis to be presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2026, Istanbul, Turkey, 12-15 May) examined daily oral orforglipron treatment for the treatment of obesity, with or without diabetes, in users aged 65 years and over, with results and a safety profile similar to that seen in the ATTAIN clinical trial programme population.

11 May 2026

Heart disease risk increases in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Heart disease risk has been found to increase in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), even in those with normal weight, according to research presented at the 28th European Congress of Endocrinology in Prague.

10 May 2026

Greater weight loss from GLP-1 drugs lowers health complication risk

New research to be presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2026, Istanbul, Turkey, 12-15 May) shows that, following treatment for obesity or diabetes or both using incretin-based drugs, losing more weight versus less weight, and losing a little weight versus gaining weight, both lead to relatively lower risk of obesity-related conditions.

10 May 2026

Children frequently pressure parents to buy unhealthy foods during shopping

A study using a nationally representative survey of parents in England, to be presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2026, Istanbul, Turkey, 12-15 May), reveals that over half (58%) of parents are frequently pestered by their children or teens to purchase products high in fats, salts and/or sugar (HFSS) when food shopping in stores or online, and almost three-quarters (72%) reported often buying the requested item.

10 May 2026

Walking 8,500 steps daily may help prevent weight regain

New research being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2026) in Istanbul, Turkey (12-15 May) and published in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health shows that doing around 8,500 steps a day can help people keep weight off after dieting.

10 May 2026

Tumors exploit peripheral nerves to support cancer growth and spread

Tumors do not communicate only with immune cells, blood vessels, and stromal tissue. A growing body of evidence suggests that cancer can also co-opt the nervous system, reshaping the tumor microenvironment in ways that support growth, invasion, immune escape, and therapeutic resistance.

10 May 2026