Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

First Edition: September 16, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about new polling indicating that the health law still faces an uphill climb.

16 Sep 2013

Data shows Americans are living longer, reporting fewer symptoms of disease

Thanks to medical advances, better treatments and new drugs not available a generation ago, the average American born today can expect to live 3.8 years longer than a person born two decades ago.

13 Sep 2013

Educational status may protect women living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas against obesity

Educational status may protect women living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas against obesity, finds a new study in the American Journal of Health Promotion.

13 Sep 2013

LA BioMed researchers to explore influence of maternal obesity, BPA in fetal development

While much of the obesity prevention efforts today focus on diet and exercise, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center researchers are going even further back in time to explore what happens during development in the womb that could lead to overeating and obesity later in life.

13 Sep 2013

Surgeons must balance research and medical training with outstanding patient care

Like a juggler keeping multiple plates in the air, a surgeon in academic medicine must balance research and medical training with outstanding patient care. Charles Bellows, MD, FACS, relishes the challenge. Dr. Bellows, a University of New Mexico Professor of General Surgery, recently assumed the role of Chief of the Division of General Surgery in the Department of Surgery at the UNM School of Medicine.

12 Sep 2013

Wiley to grant access to research via patientACCESS

John Wiley & Sons, Inc., has announced it will join patientACCESS, a new program which offers low-cost access to medical and scientific research articles to patients and caregivers.

12 Sep 2013

Antioxidant substances in red wine, dark chocolate, olive oil linked with health benefits

The scientific spotlight focuses today on the healthful antioxidant substances in red wine, dark chocolate, olive oil, coffee, tea, and other foods and dietary supplements that are enticing millions of consumers with the promise of a healthier, longer life.

12 Sep 2013

Research shows smoking and obesity together may pose triple health threat

Millions of people who are obese and smoke tobacco may face additional health problems — including their responses to common prescription medicines — that extend beyond the well-known links with cancer, heart attacks and stroke, according to a report presented here today.

12 Sep 2013

Study: People who get occasional migraines are more likely to be obese

People who get occasional migraines are more likely to be obese than people who do not have migraines, according to a study published in the September 11, 2013, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

12 Sep 2013

UK and US policies risk conscription into unwanted 'war against dementia'

A political drive, led by the UK and US, to screen older people for minor memory changes (often called mild cognitive impairment or pre-dementia) is leading to unnecessary investigation and potentially harmful treatment for what is arguably an inevitable consequence of ageing, warn experts on bmj.com today.

11 Sep 2013

Causes of obesity, insulin resistance tied to fructose generated by the body

Researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine reported today that the cause of obesity and insulin resistance may be tied to the fructose your body makes in addition to the fructose you eat.

11 Sep 2013

Researchers discover 4 novel gene variations linked with blood pressure

Case Western Reserve University is part of a landmark study that has discovered four novel gene variations associated with blood pressure. The 19-site meta-analysis, involving nearly 30,000 African-Americans, also found that the set of genetic mutations are also associated with blood pressure across other populations.

11 Sep 2013

Mental health–asthma link heightened by obesity

Data from Norway suggest that anxiety and depression interact with obesity to increase the risk for adult-onset asthma.

10 Sep 2013

Weill Cornell Medical College gets $100M gift to launch Driving Discoveries, Changing Lives campaign

Weill Cornell Medical College announced today that it has received a $100 million gift from longtime benefactors Joan and Sanford I. Weill and the Weill Family Foundation to launch the Medical College's $300 million Driving Discoveries, Changing Lives campaign dedicated to using the most advanced scientific approaches to rapidly translate research breakthroughs into innovative treatments and therapies for patients.

10 Sep 2013

MJFF awards $1.35M to Rhythm for Phase 2 clinical trial of RM-131 for Parkinson's disease

Rhythm announced today that The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research has awarded a $1.35 million research grant to Rhythm to help fund a Phase 2 clinical trial of RM-131, the company's novel ghrelin agonist, for the treatment of refractory constipation in patients with Parkinson's disease.

10 Sep 2013

Screening older people for minor memory changes may lead to harmful treatment

10 Sep 2013

Focusing on mental health key to improving physical health in teens: Study

Adding a mental health component to school-based lifestyle programs for teens could be key to lowering obesity, improving grades, alleviating severe depression and reducing substance use, a new study suggests.

10 Sep 2013

American Journal of Preventive Medicine evaluates existing diabetes guidelines and potentially supportive laws

New cases of diabetes continue to increase as does the health burden for those with diabetes. Law is a critical tool for health improvement, yet assessments reported in a new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine indicate that federal, state, and local laws give only partial support to guidelines and evidence-based interventions relevant to diabetes prevention and control.

10 Sep 2013

Amino acid arginine improves treatment for type 2 diabetes

More than 371 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes, of whom 90% are affected by lifestyle-related diabetes mellitus type 2 (type 2 diabetes).

10 Sep 2013

Household routines may be effective tool to reduce BMI in minority children

An intervention to improve household routines known to be associated with obesity increased sleep duration and reduced TV viewing among low-income, minority children, and the approach may be an effective tool to reduce body mass index (BMI) in that population, according to a study published by JAMA Pediatrics, a JAMA Network publication.

10 Sep 2013