Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Depression linked to heart disease mortality among young people

The negative effects of depression in young people on the health of their hearts may be stronger than previously recognized. Depression or a history of suicide attempts in people younger than 40, especially young women, markedly increases their risk for dying from heart disease, results from a nationwide study have revealed.

14 Nov 2011

UM to host Summit on Childhood Obesity at Hilton Baltimore

Science and medical reporters are invited to sample a wide diversity of new research and policy initiatives at a Summit on Childhood Obesity on Tues., Nov. 15 and Wed., Nov. 16 at the Hilton Baltimore.

13 Nov 2011

Research roundup: Cutting speciality care by raising co-payments; Asthma diagnosis and insurance coverage; GAO on early retirees

Mayo Clinic Employees Responded To New Requirements For Cost Sharing By Reducing Possibly Unneeded Health Services Use -- Researchers at the Mayo Clinic examined the effects of changes in the clinic's self-funded health plan "to decrease the use of potentially inappropriate health care services and foster a deliver system centered on primary care."

11 Nov 2011

Unfavorable fetal development affects physical functioning at the age of 60 years

Low birth weight and slow growth progressing to greater body mass in pre-adolescence significantly increased the risk of poor physical functioning at the age of 60 years, a new Finnish study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found.

11 Nov 2011

Health benefits of nut consumption

A recent scientific study has revealed the relationship between nut consumption and a high level of serotonin metabolites (an important neurotransmitter) in patients with metabolic syndrome, who are at high risk of cardiovascular disease.

11 Nov 2011

Fish consumption linked to lower risk of diabetes

A study analyses the dietary patterns of the adult Spanish population with high cardiovascular risk. The results reveal a high consumption of both red meat and fish. However, whilst eating lots of cured meats is associated with greater weight gain and a higher obesity rate, the consumption of fish is linked to lower glucose concentrations and a smaller risk of developing diabetes.

11 Nov 2011

Dramatic rise in obesity, fatty liver disease increases need for transplants

The dramatic rise in obesity is leading to more fatty liver disease in the United States, increasing the need for more transplants at a time when there already is a severe shortage of donated organs.

11 Nov 2011

Johns Hopkins to establish new global center for childhood obesity

The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has been awarded a $16 million U54 cooperative agreement from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish a global center of excellence to address the childhood obesity epidemic.

11 Nov 2011

U of I to help researchers learn about physical activity in preschool-aged children

University of Illinois researchers have received funding from the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) for a series of workshops that will help researchers learn about physical activity in preschool-aged children.

11 Nov 2011

School lunches improve health outcomes of children

The federally funded National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides free and reduced-price meals to more than 31 million children every school day, according to its website.

11 Nov 2011

Link between physical activity, sedentary behavior and sleep in teens

Earlier research has had similar findings, but this is the first large, nationally representative study to connect physical activity, sedentary behavior and sleep in high school students, explained Kathryn Foti, M.P.H., a health scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Division of Adolescent and School Health and lead author of the paper.

11 Nov 2011

High-fiber diets may lower risk of heart disease, type-2 diabetes in teens

A diet high in fiber - but not necessarily one low in saturated fat or cholesterol - is tied to a lower risk of heart disease and type-2 diabetes in teenagers, according to new findings from Michigan State University.

11 Nov 2011

Drug effectively combats obesity in “couch potato” monkeys” Study

According a new study an experimental anti-cancer drug could help fight obesity. The drug chokes off the blood supply to fat cells and helped obese monkeys slim down in the experiments.

10 Nov 2011

eButton combines the powers of cameras, GPS, and other sensors to combat obesity

People attempting to lose weight won't need to track their daily food intake anymore, thanks to a wearable, picture-taking device created at the University of Pittsburgh. eButton -- a device worn on the chest (like a pin) that contains a miniature camera, accelerometer, GPS, and other sensors -- captures data and information of health activities, eliminating the need for daily self-reporting.

10 Nov 2011

Patchwork of progress in California's battle against childhood obesity

A new study released today offers hope that California may finally be getting a handle on its 30-year battle with childhood obesity, but it also showcases a patchwork of progress that leaves the majority of the state's counties still registering increases in obesity rates among school-age children.

10 Nov 2011

Experimental drug selectively destroys blood supply of fat tissue and decreases body fat

Obese rhesus monkeys lost on average 11 percent of their body weight after four weeks of treatment with an experimental drug that selectively destroys the blood supply of fat tissue, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reports in Science Translational Medicine.

10 Nov 2011

Electrochemical sensor device can measure blood sugar levels from tears

Scientists are reporting development and successful laboratory testing of an electrochemical sensor device that has the potential to measure blood sugar levels from tears instead of blood - an advance that could save the world's 350 million diabetes patients the discomfort of pricking their fingers for droplets of blood used in traditional blood sugar tests.

10 Nov 2011

IASO selects Inmedius Generation21 Learning Suite to improve care for obese patients

Inmedius, Inc. announces that the International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO) has adopted its Generation21 Learning Suite to disseminate evidence-based eLearning resources to health professionals globally.

10 Nov 2011

Viewpoints: Romney's critical missing information on Medicare; anti-smoking messages too graphic

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney conveniently left out key facts when he ripped a new health care cost-control measure - the Independent Payment Advisory Board. . The Affordable Care Act also specifically limits the board's powers. It cannot ration care, reduce benefits, raise premiums or other cost-sharing such as copays. As part of that, it cannot raise Medicare's eligibility age, as Romney himself has proposed.

10 Nov 2011

Study: Children are most physically active on long summer days

"Long, dark nights are with us now that the clocks have gone back, but they may be held at bay in future years after new research led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine suggests that moving the clock forward all year round could be good for health.".

9 Nov 2011