Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to expand coverage of MNT

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has prepared a request to submit to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to expand coverage of medical nutrition therapy (MNT) for specific diseases, including hypertension, obesity, and cancer, as part of the CMS National Coverage Determination (NCD) Process.

19 Dec 2011

Arab Health conference to discuss link between vitamin D deficiency and osteoporosis

Reports from the American University of Beirut Medical Centre have concluded that The Middle East and Africa region has the highest incidence of osteoporosis in the world, while UAE-based studies from the Emirates Osteoporosis Society (EOS) across Emiratis and expatriates show that one third of people in the UAE over the age of 50 suffer from osteoporosis. The society's findings also conclude that 78% of the UAE population, most notably Emirati women, suffer from Vitamin D deficiency, which is essential for good bone health, despite the abundance of sunshine.

19 Dec 2011

Sex statistics show a quarter of women beginning before sixteen

According an official annual health survey more than a quarter of young women today say that they first had sex when they were below the age of 16. This is much higher than statistics from the last generation. The findings of the latest survey, for 2010, suggest that sexual behavior has changed over the generations, according to the NHS Information Centre, which publishes the annual report.

18 Dec 2011

Viewpoints: Wyden and Ryan on their Medicare plan; Frist on the need for international health aid

Few issues draw more heated partisan rhetoric than the future of Medicare. Seniors are a reliable and powerful voting bloc, and both Republicans and Democrats are guilty of exploiting Medicare to frighten and entice voters. But turning discussions of Medicare's future into the third rail of American politics does nothing to guarantee that Medicare will continue to be a lifeline for America's seniors.

16 Dec 2011

AtheroNova establishes clear development plan for AHRO-001 after positive FDA feedback

AtheroNova Inc., a biotech company focused on the research and development of compounds to regress atherosclerotic plaque has established a clear development plan, including Phase I and Phase II protocol outlines, based on the recently finalized minutes of its pre-IND meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its AHRO-001, a compound for the treatment of atherosclerosis.

15 Dec 2011

Half of all stillbirths result from pregnancy disorders, placental conditions

Half of all stillbirths result from pregnancy disorders and conditions affecting the placenta, according to results reported by a National Institutes of Health research network established to find the causes of stillbirth as well as ways to prevent or reduce its occurrence.

15 Dec 2011

Isis announces addition of three new drug development candidates

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has added three new drugs to its development pipeline, ISIS-APOARx, ISIS-DGAT2Rx and ISIS-FVIIRx.

15 Dec 2011

Liver transplantations for NASH-Cirrhosis increase dramatically

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) occurs when fat builds up in the liver. This accumulation of fat damages the liver and leads to cirrhosis. NASH is rapidly increasing in the U.S. mainly related to the epidemics of obesity and diabetes.

15 Dec 2011

National conference on mindfulness for children

Beginning February 4, 2012, the UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness will host a national conference for teachers, parents, therapists, and school administrators called Bridging the Hearts & Minds of Youth. The two-day conference is designed to familiarize and train attendees with the ways in which mindfulness is being taught to children and teens in a variety of settings.

15 Dec 2011

FDA warnings to gastric banding centers

The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has come out with warning letters to eight California healthcare organizations and one marketing firm for failing to provide adequate risk information in their advertisements for an implanted gastric band.

14 Dec 2011

Researchers uncover important source of inflammation for CKD

UC Irvine researchers have uncovered an important source of inflammation seen in people with chronic kidney disease, which is increasingly common due to the epidemic of obesity-related diabetes and hypertension.

14 Dec 2011

Lifestyle and environmental factors may increase risk of cancer

It has been well established that certain lifestyle habits relate to the risk of certain cancers (e.g., smoking and lung cancer). In a well-done analysis, the authors estimate the proportion of cancer in the population associated with a variety of lifestyle and environmental factors. They find that smoking has, by far, the largest effect on the risk of cancer, with 19.4% of cancer cases in the UK attributable to tobacco use.

14 Dec 2011

Stillbirth linked with factors identifiable before or at the start of pregnancy

Stillbirth is associated with a range of health and socio-demographic factors identifiable before or at the start of pregnancy, including prior pregnancy outcomes, ethnicity and modifiable health factors, such as diabetes, obesity and smoking.

14 Dec 2011

Older women may face negative consequences with weight regain after loss

The holidays are upon us and, for many Americans that means some degree of weight gain and the subsequent New Year's resolution to diet. However, shedding the pounds may have some negative consequences on the overall health of older women if the weight loss is not maintained, according to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

14 Dec 2011

Link between maternal pre-pregnant BMI, weight change in pregnancy and offspring birthweight

A new study published in the journal Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica (AOGS) reveals that both pre-pregnant weight (body mass index, BMI) and weight gain in pregnancy are important predictors of babies' birthweight. This is important since high birthweight may also predict adult overweight.

14 Dec 2011

Baxter to acquire Synovis

Baxter International Inc. and Synovis Life Technologies, Inc. today announced a definitive agreement for Baxter to acquire Synovis, a leading provider of biological and mechanical products for soft tissue repair used in a variety of surgical procedures.

From Baxter International Inc. 14 Dec 2011

First Edition: December 13, 2011

Kaiser Health News staff writer Phil Galewitz talked with former Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Donald Berwick, who defended these federal health programs, but said they are trapped in a U.S. health system that promotes wasteful spending and inefficient care.

13 Dec 2011

U of A creates 'conversation cards' for pediatric weight management

Medical researchers at the University of Alberta have created a deck of cards with conversation starters about sensitive and informational topics related to weight, that parents can use to guide their discussions when talking about their child's weight management with health professionals.

13 Dec 2011

New nutrition guidelines for healthier living

Figures reveal that more than one third of an average Australian’s diet is made up of fast food that is energy rich but nutrient poor foods and sugary drinks. This is coupled with 62% Australian adults and 25 per cent of children and adolescents being clinically obese. Well balanced nutrition can reduce health risks and only an apple a day can save up to $55m a year in health costs.

12 Dec 2011

Sound sleep despite technology overload: Study

Researchers at the University of Sydney have found there has been no significant change over almost 20 years in the average amount of sleep that Australians are getting. There have been concerns that an average Australian might be losing out on sleep due to the technology overload from computers and mobile phones.

12 Dec 2011