Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

IDOM researchers overturn textbook view of liver metabolism

A team led by researchers from the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism (IDOM) at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, has overturned a "textbook" view of what the body does after a meal.

22 Feb 2012

Fructose may not be to blame for obesity

Is fructose being unfairly blamed for the obesity epidemic? Or do we just eat and drink too many calories? Researchers from St. Michael's Hospital reviewed more than 40 published studies on whether the fructose molecule itself causes weight gain.

22 Feb 2012

Series of studies on rising obesity rates among kids

New figures show that nearly a quarter of secondary school students are overweight or obese, and lifestyle and socio-economic status are implicated. The research was funded by Cancer Councils around Australia and the National Heart Foundation. A series of articles published in the Medical Journal of Australia draws attention to the challenges presented by overweight and obesity to people in a variety of age groups especially children.

21 Feb 2012

FDA to review rejected weight loss drug Qnexa

The weight loss pill Qnexa has been once rejected by the FDA over safety concerns. But this Wednesday it will get a second chance before an FDA advisory committee. Qnexa maker Vivus Inc. hopes something might come out of this second chance. The company will be submitting new safety data from patients who took Qnexa for a second year after completing a one-year clinical trial.

21 Feb 2012

New CNN report points to a serious problem - childhood obesity

Childhood obesity has been a rising problem for some time now, and most Americans are aware of the epidemic proportions that childhood obesity has reached. According to a new CNN report, however, this children's health crisis is presenting whole new sets of challenges. CNN reveals that many children are outgrowing their clothing, and even the furniture used in their schools.

20 Feb 2012

Defects in GPR120 protein may lead to obesity and liver disease

Defects in a protein that functions as a dietary fat sensor may be a cause of obesity and liver disease, according to a study published in the journal Nature, led by researchers at Imperial College London. The findings highlight a promising target for new drugs to treat obesity and metabolic disorders.

19 Feb 2012

FDA to reconsider diet drug that failed to get approval in 2010

Next week, advisers to the Food and Drug Administration will recommend whether the agency should approve the first new prescription diet pill in 13 years. The F.D.A. rejected the drug under review, Qnexa, in 2010, amid safety concerns, and the drug's manufacturer is now presenting additional data to argue its case.

18 Feb 2012

Votes expected today on 'doc fix' compromise bill

The legislation, which also extends a payroll tax holiday and unemployment benefits, is a rare sign of bipartisanship within the 112th Congress, though not everyone is happy with the deal.

18 Feb 2012

BYETTA-basal insulin combination therapy receives EMA CHMP positive opinion

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency has issued a positive opinion in the European Union for the expanded use of BYETTA (exenatide twice-daily) as an add-on therapy to basal insulin, with or without metformin and/or Actos (pioglitazone), for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults who have not achieved adequate glycemic control with these agents.

17 Feb 2012

First Edition: February 17, 2012

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations include reports about the latest debate on the Obama administration's regulation to mandate free birth control for women.

17 Feb 2012

Dance against diabetes

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among people with diabetes. In a unique upbeat program, professor and nurse practitioner Terri Lipman, PhD, CRNP, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, encourages children to ward off diabetes and hip-hop their way to good health.

17 Feb 2012

IHP, PFCD organize expert roundtable on NCDs at New Delhi

India Health Progress (IHP) in association with Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) today organized an expert roundtable on 'Non-Communicable Diseases Burden in India: Strategizing the Way Forward' at Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi.

17 Feb 2012

Young Canadians report higher levels of emotional and behavioural problems

Canadian girls report higher levels of emotional problems and lower levels of emotional well-being and life satisfaction, while boys tend to experience more behavioural problems and demonstrate less prosocial behavior, a new Queen's University-led national study of youth health behavior shows.

17 Feb 2012

Congress to vote on 10-month 'doc fix,' payroll tax deal

News outlets report that the legislation would include delaying the cut in Medicare payments to physicians.

17 Feb 2012

WHO should regulate alcohol consumption with legally binding convention, global health expert says

The "WHO should regulate alcohol at the global level, enforcing such regulations as a minimum drinking age, zero-tolerance drunken driving, and bans on unlimited drink specials," Devi Sridhar, a lecturer in global health politics at the University of Oxford, argues in a commentary published on Wednesday in the journal Nature, Scientific American reports.

17 Feb 2012

Longer looks: GOP contraceptive amendment could have wider effect; The love of caregiving

In their latest move in the battle over contraception coverage, top Republicans in Congress are going for broke: They're now pushing a bill that would allow employers and insurance companies to pick and choose which health benefits to provide based simply on executives' personal moral beliefs. ... Last week, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) offered a "conscience amendment," to the law, pitching it as a way to allay religious employers' qualms about providing birth control to their employees.

17 Feb 2012

Low choline intake increases risk of liver scarring in menopausal women with NAFLD

Menopausal women with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) who don't consume enough of the essential nutrient choline appear to be at higher risk for liver scarring, according to research led by scientists at Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

17 Feb 2012

State roundup: Settlements for mental health facilities lawsuits; Minn., Oregon insurers face scrutiny

But the survey underway in Prince George's County is intended to address a complex problem. Officials expect the data to give them a detailed look at the state of health and health care in the county, where conditions such as diabetes and heart disease are much more common than in the rest of the region and most of the state.

17 Feb 2012

Female dog owners more physically active during pregnancy

Collaborative research from the WALTHAM- Centre for Pet Nutrition and the University of Liverpool has shown that pregnant women who own dogs are more physically active than those who don't.

17 Feb 2012

Study finds increase in prevalence of hidden arsenic in organic foods

As people seek healthier dietary regimens they often turn to things labeled "organic." Lurking in the background, however, is an ingredient that may be a hidden source of arsenic-an element known to be both toxic and potentially carcinogenic.

17 Feb 2012