Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Report: One in two Americans affected by musculoskeletal condition

An estimated 126.6 million Americans (one in two adults) are affected by a musculoskeletal condition--comparable to the total percentage of Americans living with a chronic lung or heart condition--costing an estimated $213 billion in annual treatment, care and lost wages, according to a new report issued today by the United States Bone and Joint Initiative.

2 Mar 2016

Are we ageing healthily? An interview with Professor Carol Jagger

This is the million dollar question but it is hard to give a definite answer. Most data on trends in life and healthy life expectancy use surveys that do not include people in care homes which can skew results at older ages.

29 Feb 2016

UAB researchers focus on five key areas to improve care of CVD patients

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 610,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year — that's one in every four deaths. The impact of cardiovascular diseases is quite large.

28 Feb 2016

Researchers explore genetically-tailored diets

Genes are the latest trend in nutrition, at least going by the burgeoning legion of Internet companies offering diets tailored to our genetic make-up. These services are relatively affordable and simple to use.

27 Feb 2016

Mississippi Department of Education voted to adopt Smart Snack standards

The Mississippi Department of Education voted on Thursday, February 18, 2016 to adopt Smart Snack standards, ensuring all public school students have healthy options beyond what is provided in the School Meal Program.

27 Feb 2016

Rockefeller research reveals vital new component of system responsible for regulating food intake

The molecular intricacies of hunger and satiety, pivotal for understanding metabolic disorders and the problem of obesity, are not yet fully understood by scientists. However, new research from The Rockefeller University reveals an important new component of the system responsible for regulating food intake: a hormone called amylin, which acts in the brain to help control consumption.

27 Feb 2016

Mice with lymphatic defects develop obesity late in life

Lymphatic vessels play multifaceted roles in the body, including the absorption of dietary lipid in the intestines as well as the movement of immune cells throughout the body. Previous work by Guillermo Oliver and colleagues showed that mice with lymphatic defects due to loss of one copy of the Prox1 gene developed obesity late in life.

27 Feb 2016

Bariatric surgery reduces incidence of heart failure exacerbation in patients with morbid obesity

A new study led by Massachusetts General Hospital investigators finds that heart failure patients who underwent bariatric surgery to treat morbid obesity had a significant reduction in the incidence of heart failure exacerbation - a dangerous, sudden worsening of symptoms - in the two years following surgery.

27 Feb 2016

Overweight or obese adults may have poorer episodic memory

Overweight young adults may have poorer episodic memory - the ability to recall past events - than their peers, suggests new research from the University of Cambridge, adding to increasing evidence of a link between memory and overeating.

26 Feb 2016

NUS scientists formulate recipe for making healthier bread

A team of food scientists from the National University of Singapore has successfully formulated a recipe for making healthier bread by adding a natural plant pigment, called anthocyanin, extracted from black rice. This new bread option gets digested at a slower rate - hence improving blood glucose control - and is high in antioxidants, among other health benefits.

26 Feb 2016

Researchers map cellular pathway that may lead to treatments for obesity, diabetes

Control over obesity and diabetes may be one step closer thanks to a Hiroshima University study in fat tissue.

26 Feb 2016

Ohio State study evaluates trans-catheter interatrial shunt device for diastolic heart failure

For the first time in the U.S., a clinical trial is underway that's evaluating a device designed to treat diastolic heart failure. The first patient enrolled in the randomized, blinded study is being treated at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

26 Feb 2016

MOOCs: the future of healthcare training? An interview with David Robertshaw

MOOCs are short, free courses run by major learning providers to share their knowledge of a particular academic topic or to help students develop a specific skill.

From University of Derby Online Learning 25 Feb 2016

New study allows researchers to see how insulin in islets responds to sugar

"Scientists and doctors have wanted to know how much insulin a person has in their body, but haven't been able to know the exact amount without the patient being deceased and actually removing the pancreas," says Peter Arvan, division chief of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes at the University of Michigan.

25 Feb 2016

Omega-3 fatty acids can lower risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal obese women

Omega-3 fatty acids may lower the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal obese women, according to researchers.

24 Feb 2016

Cells with higher fat content live longer than lean cells

Cells with higher fat content outlive lean cells, says a new study from Michigan State University.

24 Feb 2016

Study examines long-term impact of delivery mode on stress urinary incontinence

Stress and urgency incontinence are the two most frequent and the most bothersome urinary symptoms among women. It has been estimated that about twelve percent of women report significant bother from stress incontinence and eight percent from urgency incontinence. Urinary incontinence affects hundreds of millions of women worldwide.

24 Feb 2016

People with higher scores for mindfulness have healthy glucose levels

Dispositional, or "everyday" mindfulness is the inherent trait of being aware of one's present thoughts and feelings. In a new study of 399 people that measured health indicators including dispositional mindfulness and blood glucose, researchers found that those with higher scores for mindfulness were significantly more likely than people with low scores to have healthy glucose levels.

24 Feb 2016

MDI Biological Laboratory scientist identifies potential drug therapy to reverse peripheral nerve damage

The Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory has announced that assistant professor Sandra Rieger, Ph.D., has identified two drugs that could potentially be used to reverse peripheral nerve damage, or peripheral neuropathy, resulting from chemotherapy treatment for ovarian, breast, lung, pancreas and other cancers. The drugs also have potential applications for the treatment of peripheral nerve damage caused by diabetes, traumatic injuries and other conditions.

23 Feb 2016

Losing just 5% of weight has significant health benefits for patients with obesity

For patients with obesity trying to lose weight, the greatest health benefits come from losing just 5 percent of their body weight, according to a new study at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

23 Feb 2016