Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Peer mentoring in schools can increase kids' physical activity levels

Using peer mentors to enhance school-day physical activity in elementary aged students has been given an A+ from Nova Scotia researchers.

29 Oct 2012

Data shows association between increased weight and breast cancer survival varies by race/ethnicity

An extreme body mass index or high waist-to-hip ratio, both measures of body fat, increased risk for mortality among patients with breast cancer, but this association varied by race/ethnicity, according to recently presented data.

29 Oct 2012

Neuraxial anesthesia should be promoted for bilateral total knee replacements: HSS

Using regional anesthesia rather than general anesthesia reduces the need for blood transfusions in patients undergoing bilateral total knee replacement, according to a new study by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery, in New York City.

29 Oct 2012

Researchers investigate unique features of arcuate neurons in the hypothalamus

Maintaining a healthy body weight may be difficult for many people, but it's reassuring to know that our brains and bodies are wired to work together to do just that-in essence, to achieve a phenomenon known as energy balance, a tight matching between the number of calories consumed versus those expended. This careful balance results from a complex interchange of neurobiological crosstalk within regions of the brain's hypothalamus, and when this "conversation" goes awry, obesity or anorexia can result.

29 Oct 2012

New anti-thrombotic treatments in AF patients can reduce risk of stroke

Atrial fibrillation, whose prevalence continues to rise, was described last year as the "new epidemic" in cardiovascular disease, even though AF can be successfully controlled by the detection and management of risk factors, by rhythm control treatments, and by the use of antithrombotic therapies.

29 Oct 2012

Cardiac arrhythmias: latest developments in diagnosis and treatment

A new Lancet Series explores the latest developments in the diagnosis, treatment and biology of cardiac arrhythmias, ahead of the American Heart Association’s annual meeting taking place this year on Nov 3–7 in Los Angeles, CA, USA.

26 Oct 2012

Allergies and hygiene: an interview with Sally Bloomfield

Allergies occur when the body overreacts to substances in our environment, such as pollen, dust mites and so forth. What happens is that when we are exposed to these potential threats, the immune system should react, deal with it, and then shut down.

26 Oct 2012

Viewpoints: Medicare provider cuts 'won't work'; A 'pamphlet isn't a plan'

Once the presidential election is over, Congress will try to address the Medicare cost shortfall one way or another. They will almost certainly consider a method that is guaranteed to fail: Medicare rate cuts for doctors and hospitals. It's been tried before, most notably as part of the 1997 Balanced Budget Act. Not once since the BBA required annual physician rate cuts have those cuts been implemented, leading every year to the predictable and depressing final-hours "doc fix" vote.

26 Oct 2012

ACS BSCN accredits UCSD Bariatric Metabolic Institute as Level 1 facility

The Bariatric Metabolic Institute (BMI) at University of California, San Diego Health System has been accredited as a Level 1 facility by the Bariatric Surgery Center Network (BSCN) Accreditation Program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). This designation means that the institutional performance of UC San Diego BMI meets the rigorous requirements outlined by the ACS BSCN Accreditation Program.

26 Oct 2012

Study defines complexity of underlying mutations responsible for pancreatic cancers

A large-scale study that defines the complexity of underlying mutations responsible for pancreatic cancers in more than 100 patients was published in Nature today.

26 Oct 2012

Roundup: New laws on breast screening irk some doctors; Improved school meals cut obesity; More Coloradans use ER

In a sign of the improving national economy, Medicaid spending growth this year slowed to 2 percent as enrollment in the state-federal health insurance program for the poor also slowed for the third consecutive year, according to a report released Thursday. In 2011, Medicaid spending soared by nearly 10 percent, which helped put the entitlement program in the crosshairs of politicians looking to lower the federal deficit and ease pressure on state budgets.

26 Oct 2012

Population Health Management discusses latest information on shingles and PHN

Shingles, a reactivation of the herpes zoster (chickenpox) virus affects nearly 1 in 3 Americans. About 1 million cases are diagnosed each year, with some patients suffering excruciating pain and itching due to post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), a complication of the viral infection that can last for years despite treatment.

26 Oct 2012

Three new gene variants associated with BMI levels in adults

A large international study has identified three new gene variants associated with body mass index (BMI) levels in adults. The scientific consortium, numbering approximately 200 researchers, performed a meta-analysis of 46 studies, covering gene data from nearly 109,000 adults, spanning four ethnic groups.

26 Oct 2012

Check for surgical sponges using radiofrequency apparatus

A radiofrequency mat or wand is able to detect the presence of surgical sponges with complete accuracy, indicating that the method is superior to either a manual sponge count or an intraoperative radiograph, report researchers.

25 Oct 2012

Study indicates that Firemaster 550 is an endocrine disruptor

The flame-retardant mixture known as "Firemaster 550" is an endocrine disruptor that causes extreme weight gain, early onset of puberty and cardiovascular health effects in lab animals, according to a new study spearheaded by researchers from North Carolina State University and Duke University.

25 Oct 2012

Pomc gene can be turned on and off in a mouse model of obesity

Obesity is a chronic metabolic disorder that affects half a billion people worldwide. Managing obesity is difficult, as many patients rebound to their pre-treatment weight. There is a hypothesis that chronic weight gain causes the body to adopt a state that supports excess weight.

25 Oct 2012

Airport security scanners may affect function of insulin pump or CGM devices

Full-body or X-ray scanners used for airport security screening may affect the function of insulin pump or continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices.

25 Oct 2012

Study sheds light on why the weight inevitably comes back

Joint research between the University of Michigan and the Argentina-based National Council of Science and Technology (CONICET) has shed light on one of the most frustrating mysteries of weight loss - why the weight inevitably comes back.

25 Oct 2012

Obese patients more likely to have complications after total knee replacement surgery

Obese patients have a greater risk of complications following total knee replacement surgery, including post-surgical infections, according to a new literature review recently published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS).

25 Oct 2012

Old Order Amish children less likely to be overweight

Old Order Amish children are much more physically active and three times less likely to be overweight than non-Amish children, which may provide them with some long-term protection against developing Type 2 diabetes, University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers report in the journal Diabetes Care.

24 Oct 2012