Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

To ban or not to ban, the case for reformulating ultra-processed foods

Despite concerns about ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), evidence of causality remains unclear; reformulating UPFs may offer significant health advantages.

1 Apr 2024

Study links sleep disorders to higher healthcare use in chronically ill children

The risk of increased health care utilization among children with a chronic medical condition is higher for those who also have a sleep disorder, according to a new study that examined Medicaid claims data.

1 Apr 2024

Ketogenic diet can be a powerful aid in treating mental illness

For people living with serious mental illness like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, standard treatment with antipsychotic medications can be a double-edged sword.

1 Apr 2024

Childhood BMI tied to higher blood pressure in middle age

Children and teenagers living with overweight or obesity are more likely to have high blood pressure as adults (aged 50-64 years), suggesting the processes behind the condition could begin as early as childhood, suggests new research being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Venice, Italy (12-15 May).

1 Apr 2024

Lancet study reveals alarming global obesity trends in 2022

New study released by the Lancet shows that, in 2022, more than 1 billion people in the world are now living with obesity.

1 Apr 2024

Research identifies optimal body weight to reduce cardiovascular risk in diabetes patients

New research being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Venice, Italy (12-15 May), identifies the optimum body weight range for adults with type 2 diabetes to minimize their risk of dying from any cardiovascular disease, including heart failure, heart disease, stroke, and chronic kidney disease.

30 Mar 2024

Study reveals obesity's link to increased risk of multiple sclerosis and ischemic stroke

The genetic relationship between body mass index (BMI) and multiple neurological diseases.

29 Mar 2024

Study suggests revising pregnancy weight gain guidelines for obese women

The guidelines for weight gain during pregnancy in obese women have long been questioned. New research from Karolinska Institutet supports the idea of lowering or removing the current recommendation of a weight gain of at least 5 kg.

28 Mar 2024

Childhood obesity linked to over double the risk of developing multiple sclerosis

New research to be presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity in Venice, Italy (12-15 May) shows that having obesity in childhood is associated with a more than doubling of the risk of later developing multiple sclerosis.

28 Mar 2024

Sweeteners do not increase hunger and help lower blood sugar, study finds

Replacing sugar with artificial and natural sweeteners in foods does not make people hungrier – and also helps to reduce blood sugar levels, a significant new study has found.

28 Mar 2024

Personalizing exercise to fight obesity: Study finds genetics influence effectiveness

A recent study in JAMA Network Open reveals that genetic risk influences how physical activity interventions counter obesity, suggesting a personalized approach to exercise based on one's genetic makeup might be more effective in managing obesity.

28 Mar 2024

Eating fish during pregnancy doesn't shape kids' heart health, study finds

A comprehensive study published in Nutrients finds that maternal fish consumption during pregnancy does not affect the cardiovascular health of their children at age 11, challenging assumptions about diet's long-term impact on heart health.

28 Mar 2024

Study links heavy drinking to increased heart disease risk in young women

Young to middle-aged women who reported drinking eight or more alcoholic beverages per week—more than one per day, on average—were significantly more likely to develop coronary heart disease compared with those who drank less, finds a study presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session.

28 Mar 2024

Genetic and lifestyle factors linked to brain network aging, study reveals

Research highlights the impact of genetic and lifestyle factors on a brain network particularly sensitive to aging, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease, using data from nearly 40,000 UK Biobank participants to investigate modifiable risk factors and genetic associations.

28 Mar 2024

Synthetic gut lining developed for microbiome research

A team of Penn State researchers has developed a new synthetic material that could enable scientists to more easily study how microorganisms interact with the gastrointestinal (GI) system.

28 Mar 2024

Using microbiota analysis for health and disease management

The human body harbors approximately 30 trillion microbes, known collectively as the microbiota.

28 Mar 2024

Benchmarking lifestyle medicine's effectiveness with new performance measures

An expert panel has published the first performance measures to identify remission and evaluate the effectiveness of lifestyle medicine treatments, which will allow more objective comparisons between lifestyle behavior interventions and other non-lifestyle treatments.

28 Mar 2024

Study finds changing trends in arterial disease risk among diabetics

There has been a redistribution in the risk of arterial disease in type 1 and 2 diabetes. The risks of heart attack and stroke have decreased significantly, while complications in more peripheral vessels have increased in relative importance, according to studies at the University of Gothenburg.

28 Mar 2024

Extreme poverty linked to unexpected high cardiovascular risks

Research uncovers a surprising prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors among adults in extreme poverty, challenging assumptions about lower risks due to their lifestyle and diet, and underscores the need for targeted health interventions and policies.

27 Mar 2024

Weight loss drugs associated with increased risk of aspiration pneumonia following endoscopy

New research from Cedars-Sinai suggests people who are scheduled for certain medical procedures should stop taking popular weight loss drugs in the days or weeks prior to avoid complications.

27 Mar 2024