Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Partner's lifestyle has greater influence on obesity risk

The lifestyle a person shares with their partner has a greater influence on their chances of becoming obese than their upbringing, research suggests.

23 Feb 2016

Higher body weight, taller stature during adolescence increase NHL risk

A new analysis indicates that higher body weight and taller stature during adolescence increase the risk of developing Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL), a type of cancer of the lymphatic system. The findings are published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

22 Feb 2016

Understanding risk factors that contribute to childhood obesity

As the rate of obesity in the U.S. population has risen dramatically, more and more children are becoming overweight at younger and younger ages. Understanding the factors that contribute to childhood obesity and identifying ways to prevent its development are critical to stemming the historically high prevalence of childhood obesity and of associated health problems like type 2 diabetes.

22 Feb 2016

Scientists find that lifespan of supportive cells in tumor may control cancer metastasis

Researchers have discovered that eliminating cells thought to aid tumor growth did not slow or halt the growth of cancer tumors. In fact, when the cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), were eliminated after 10 days, the risk of metastasis of the primary tumor to the lungs and bones of mice increased dramatically.

22 Feb 2016

Air pollution exposure increases obesity risk

Laboratory rats who breathed Beijing's highly polluted air gained weight and experienced cardio-respiratory and metabolic dysfunctions after three to eight weeks of exposure.

22 Feb 2016

Over a third of US population not getting enough sleep

A large study of US adults, conducted collaboratively by state health departments and the CDC, has shown that over a third of the population are regularly not getting enough sleep. This is the first study to obtain self-reported estimates of sleep duration for all 50 US states and the District of Columbia.

19 Feb 2016

Physical exercise during pregnancy can prevent gestational hypertension

Researchers at UPM and UWO have shown that performing supervised moderate-intensity exercise during pregnancy can prevent gestational hypertension in pregnant women and overweight in newborns.

19 Feb 2016

Bariatric surgery prior to TKR is cost-effective option to improve outcomes in severely obese patients

Obesity is not only a risk factor for developing knee arthritis. It is also linked to less favorable outcomes after joint replacement surgery. A study at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City finds that bariatric surgery prior to total knee replacement (TKR) is a cost-effective option to improve outcomes.

19 Feb 2016

Is breast density really linked to breast cancer risk? An interview with Dr Wenlian Zhu

Breast is composed of fatty and dense glandular and fibrous tissues. Breast density is expressed as the fraction of a mammogram occupied by dense tissues.

19 Feb 2016

African Americans and Hispanics at higher risk of developing heart failure

More than 915,000 Americans will be diagnosed with heart failure this year, according to the recently published American Heart Association 2016 Statistical Update.

18 Feb 2016

Smoking linked to worsening degenerative disc disease in cervical spine

Adding to the already length list of reasons not to smoke, researchers have connected smoking to worsening degenerative disc disease in the cervical spine, according to research presented this week at the Association of Academic Physiatrists Annual Meeting in Sacramento, Calif.

18 Feb 2016

Findings offer new approach to treating metabolic disorders

A new research study has revealed an important relationship between proteins secreted by the heart and obesity, glucose intolerance, and insulin resistance. The findings, published today in Obesity, offer a new approach to treating metabolic disorders, including type 2 diabetes, by targeting the pathway that controls the proteins' concentration in the blood.

18 Feb 2016

Northwestern Medicine study identifies new cancer predictor

Epigenetic age is a new way to measure your biological age. When your biological (epigenetic) age is older than your chronological age, you are at increased risk for getting and dying of cancer, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.

18 Feb 2016

Cornell Food and Brand Lab researchers develop online Global Healthy Weight Registry

To shed light on the health behaviors of those who maintain a healthy weight, Cornell Food and Brand Lab researchers developed an online Global Healthy Weight Registry (formerly named the Slim by Design Registry). Adults of healthy weight were invited to sign up for the registry and then answer questions about diet, exercise, and daily routines (see the infographic for more details about registry participants).

18 Feb 2016

Local neighbourhoods strongly influence health behaviour and obesity risk

Where you live and how you view your neighbourhood is strongly related to your health behaviour and your risk of developing obesity, according to research published this week.

18 Feb 2016

Beiging of white fat could be harnessed to combat diabetes

Researchers are getting closer to learning how to turn white fat cells into brown fat cells, in a process called "beiging," to bring down blood sugar levels and fight diabetes. The team, led by Joseph Baur, PhD, an assistant professor of Physiology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania published their findings this month in the journal Diabetes.

18 Feb 2016