Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Commercial weight-loss programs can make significant difference in overall health

New research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine finds that commercial weight-loss programs can offer significant weight loss after one year of participation when compared to a control group. Researchers led by Kimberly A. Gudzune, M D, MPH, found that participants achieved up to 4.9% mean total weight loss following one year of participation, which could be medically significant for many people with obesity or excess weight.

9 Apr 2015

Simple dietary intervention can help reduce weight gain

A University of Calgary study has found that rats fed a fibre supplement while on a high fat and high sugar diet show a much lower weight gain than those who did not eat the fibre. A team of researchers from the university's Cumming School of Medicine and the Faculty of Kinesiology says the study helps scientists better understand the mechanisms of weight control and energy balance.

9 Apr 2015

TABS study: Older people can improve their health by reducing sitting time

"I feel lethargic when I sit all day," said Gerald Alexander, an 82-year-old retired social service worker among the 25 Group Health patients who participated in the Take Active Breaks from Sitting (TABS) pilot study. "I feel much peppier when I stand and take walks."

9 Apr 2015

Rhythm, Actavis announce initiation of relamorelin Phase 2b trial for treatment of diabetic gastroparesis

Rhythm, a biopharmaceutical company, and Actavis plc, a leading global pharmaceutical company, announced today the initiation of a Phase 2b clinical trial assessing the efficacy and safety of relamorelin (RM-131), Rhythm's ghrelin agonist, for the treatment of gastroparesis in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

8 Apr 2015

Exercise benefits obese, overweight people with NAFLD

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease in the western world. A new study published in the Journal of Hepatology shows that exercise, regardless of frequency or intensity, benefits obese and overweight adults with NAFLD.

8 Apr 2015

New study analyses physical, psychological consequences of bariatric surgery

Bariatric surgery, or reduction of gastric capacity, is one of the longer lasting options to achieve considerable weight loss in obese people. A Spanish researcher has participated in a study that confirms that the effects of this relatively complex medical surgery are not only physical, but also psychological.

8 Apr 2015

Study identifies gut immune system as new, effective target for diabetes

A commonly-used drug to treat inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease, has been shown to lower blood sugar levels in obese mice, potentially identifying the gut immune system as a new and effective target in treating diabetes in humans.

8 Apr 2015

American Oil Chemists' Society honors UMass Amherst food scientist

The American Oil Chemists' Society has honored University of Massachusetts Amherst food scientist Yeonhwa Park with the Timothy L. Mounts Award for her "significant and important contributions in the area of bioactive lipids and their impact on health conditions such as obesity, osteoporosis, arthritis and cardiovascular disease."

8 Apr 2015

Family stressors during childhood are associated with weight gain

Adolescent obesity is a national public health concern and, unchecked, places young people on a trajectory for a variety of health issues as they grow older.

7 Apr 2015

Breastfeeding is not a frontline strategy to prevent obesity, say researchers

A new study supports human milk as the optimal first food for babies, but the study raises questions about whether breast milk protects children from becoming obese.

7 Apr 2015

Researchers discover genetic factors key to POMC cells

The little voice inside your head that tells you to eat, or stop eating, isn't a little voice - it's actually a cluster of about 10,000 specialized brain cells. And now, an international team of scientists has found tiny triggers inside those cells that give rise to this "voice", and keep it speaking throughout life.

6 Apr 2015

Symposium to highlight latest thinking related to obesity

The 15th Plymouth Obesity, Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome Symposium will take place at Plymouth Postgraduate Medical Centre on 21st May.

6 Apr 2015

Visual Health Solutions launches Visualize You – Weight Change Viewer mobile app

Visual Health Solutions, Inc., today introduced the Visualize You – Weight Change Viewer mobile app, an ultra-sophisticated weight-loss activation tool that uses a photo to display the effects of weight loss on a user's facial appearance in unprecedented detail. Unlike conventional photo manipulations that only stretch or pinch images, the Visualize You - Weight Change Viewer app generates a stunningly accurate facial image that reflects actual weight change dynamics aligned with an individual's target weight-loss goal.

6 Apr 2015

U-M's Taubman Institute receives $3 million gift to support next generation of medical research

A $3 million gift from noted business and philanthropic leaders Leslie and Abigail Wexner will support the next generation of medical research trailblazers at the University of Michigan through grants from the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute.

6 Apr 2015

NASH patients more likely to have increased intestinal permeability, shows study

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), the more severe form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) that can progress to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, is associated with leakiness of the intestinal wall, which in turn may worsen liver disease, according to research published in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the new basic science journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.

3 Apr 2015

Study suggests link between androgens, atherosclerosis and obesity in females

While testosterone replacement therapies may be controversial in males, new research in The FASEB Journal may extend this controversy to females too. That's because research involving mice, appearing in the April 2015 issue, suggests that there is an association between low levels of androgens (which includes testosterone), and atherosclerosis and obesity in females.

2 Apr 2015

Older mothers who exercise during pregnancy can reduce baby's risk of congenital heart defects

In people, a baby's risk of congenital heart defects is associated with the age of the mother. Risk goes up with increasing age. Newborn mice predisposed to heart defects because of genetic mutations show the same age association.

2 Apr 2015

Bariatric procedure improves outcomes in obese patients looking to get joint replacement

According to research presented recently at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, obese patients looking to get a joint replacement are more likely to have success with their hip or knee surgery if they first undergo a bariatric procedure.

2 Apr 2015

Scientists isolate energy-burning 'beige' fat from adult humans

For the first time, a research team, led by a UC San Francisco biologist, has isolated energy-burning "beige" fat from adult humans, which is known to be able to convert unhealthy white fat into healthy brown fat. The scientists also found new genetic markers of this beige fat.

1 Apr 2015

CVD risk assessment still important in severely obese adolescents

Researchers report a dose–response relationship between body mass index and cardiovascular risk even in severely obese adolescents, making its assessment important to limit further disease progression.

1 Apr 2015