Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Rising rates of obesity lead to increases in bariatric surgery

With rising rates of morbid obesity, the number of bariatric surgery procedures is likely to increase as well, reports a paper in the October issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

3 Oct 2012

Direct link between pressure ulcers, patient mortality and increased hospitalization

A new clinical study spearheaded by the dean of UCLA's School of Nursing has found a direct correlation between pressure ulcers - commonly known as bedsores - and patient mortality and increased hospitalization.

3 Oct 2012

UIC to study policy and environmental factors that influence youth behaviors

The University of Illinois at Chicago's ImpacTeen project has been awarded a $4.4 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to study policy and environmental factors that influence youth behaviors related to nutrition, physical activity and obesity.

3 Oct 2012

Obesity from high-energy diets may impair brain, fuel overeating

"Betcha can't eat just one!" For obese people trying to lose weight, the Lays potato chip advertising slogan hits a bit too close to home as it describes the daily battle to resist high calorie foods.

3 Oct 2012

Statins linked to reduced glaucoma risk

Cholesterol-lowering medications in the statin class could significantly reduce the risk for developing open-angle glaucoma, show data for more than 500,000 older-age US individuals with hyperlipidemia.

2 Oct 2012

WBC counts in diabetes risk prediction

An elevated white blood cell count in young men is an independent predictor for the development of diabetes in later life, suggest study findings.

1 Oct 2012

Artificially sweet success at curbing childhood weight gain

Substituting sugar-sweetened drinks with artificially sweetened alternatives could help reduce weight gain in schoolchildren, research suggests.

1 Oct 2012

Dramatic rise in total knee arthroplasty, associated infection rates over past 20 years

Study findings document a steep rise in total knee arthroplasty procedures over the past 20 years, being driven by both an increase in the number of patients enrolled in Medicare and greater per capita utilization.

1 Oct 2012

Cafeteria diet increases risk of stroke or death at a younger age

The fat- and sugar-rich Western diet leads to a lifetime of health problems, dramatically increasing the risk of stroke or death at a younger age, according to a study presented today at the Canadian Stroke Congress.

1 Oct 2012

New insights on global fight to prevent cancers

New insights on the global fight to prevent cancers were presented during the ESMO 2012 Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology in Vienna. The studies highlight the challenges of overcoming misunderstandings about how important lifestyle factors are in reducing cancer risk.

1 Oct 2012

Extending sleep duration may help reduce risk of diabetes in youth

A new study suggests that increasing the amount of sleep that teenagers get could improve their insulin resistance and prevent the future onset of diabetes.

29 Sep 2012

Intarcia announces results from ITCA 650 phase 2 study on type 2 diabetes

Intarcia Therapeutics, Inc. announced that an analysis of the results of a phase 2 clinical study of ITCA 650 (continuous subcutaneous delivery of exenatide) for the treatment of type 2 diabetes will be presented at the 48th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Berlin, Germany on Wednesday, October 3, 2012.

29 Sep 2012

Mount Sinai surgeon offers tips to prevent prostate cancer

World-renowned Mount Sinai robotic prostate surgeon, Dr. David Samadi, devotes much of his time to prostate cancer education domestically and internationally. "My SMART robotic prostate removal surgery saves lives, but what men really want to know is how to prevent prostate cancer in the first place," shares Dr. Samadi.

29 Sep 2012

Researchers discover leptin hormone in fruit flies

Researchers have discovered in fruit flies a key metabolic hormone thought to be the exclusive property of vertebrates. The hormone, leptin, is a nutrient sensor, regulating energy intake and output and ultimately controlling appetite.

28 Sep 2012

Inhibiting TRPV4 protects against diet-induced obesity, inflammation and insulin resistance

Ember Therapeutics, Inc., a company harnessing breakthroughs in brown fat biology and insulin sensitization to revolutionize the treatment of metabolic disease, today announced the publication of key preclinical data demonstrating that inhibition of the Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid (TRPV) family of ion channels - specifically TRPV4 - resulted in activation of brown/beige fat and protection from diet-induced obesity, inflammation and insulin resistance. Ember holds an exclusive option to license these TRPV4 findings and technology.

28 Sep 2012

Molecular link between thermogenesis and development of inflammation in fat cells

Flipping a newly discovered molecular switch in white fat cells enabled mice to eat a high-calorie diet without becoming obese or developing the inflammation that causes insulin resistance, report scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

28 Sep 2012

Alpha-glucosidases can be turned on and off, finds study

A study co-led by Simon Fraser University and Purdue University has found that the intestinal enzymes responsible for processing starchy foods can be turned on and off, helping to better control those processes in people with Type 2 diabetes.

28 Sep 2012

Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, YMCA Alliance announce 2.25M expansion grant for Healthy U

The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey and the New Jersey YMCA State Alliance announced today a $2.25 million expansion grant for Healthy U - a collaborative initiative to combat the obesity epidemic among New Jersey children.

28 Sep 2012

Two-part ACR guidelines on gout

Gout is one of the most common forms of inflammatory arthritis, affecting nearly 4% of adult Americans. Newly approved guidelines that educate patients in effective methods to prevent gout attacks and provide physicians with recommended therapies for long-term management of this painful disease are published in Arthritis Care & Research, a peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

28 Sep 2012

Cherry intake reduces risk of gout attacks

A new study found that patients with gout who consumed cherries over a two-day period showed a 35% lower risk of gout attacks compared to those who did not eat the fruit.

28 Sep 2012