Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Discovery of a key protein’s role in cell clearance could impact future treatments of autoimmune diseases, obesity and atherosclerosis

The healthy human body is extremely efficient at cleaning house. Every day, we purge 100 to 200 billion dead or dying cells – a process called cell clearance, which is fundamental in our ability to maintain a healthy physiological balance and prevent a number of chronic diseases. Professional cleaning cells, called phagocytes, are responsible for ridding the body of dead, or ‘apoptotic,’ cells.

6 Sep 2011

Brown fat may help curb obesity: Study

Australian scientists have pioneered a way to grow in the laboratory “brown fat” - a wondrous tissue that burns energy to generate heat - a breakthrough which they claim could be the latest weapon in the battle against obesity.

6 Sep 2011

NINDS awards NeuroSigma STTR Phase I grant to support development of eTNS therapy for epilepsy

NeuroSigma, Inc., a Los Angeles-based medical device company, today announced it has received a notice of award for an NIH Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

6 Sep 2011

Bariatric surgery is cost-effective but has long-term complications

The majority of people who undergo bariatric weight-loss surgery benefit from the procedure, but long-term complications and further surgery are not uncommon, according to a UK paper on late postoperative complications in the October issue of BJS, the British Journal of Surgery.

6 Sep 2011

Ontario Liberal Party includes OMA recommended health care policy initiatives in election platform

Ontario's doctors were pleased to learn that the Ontario Liberal Party has included several health care policy initiatives in their election platform as recommended by the Ontario Medical Association.

6 Sep 2011

McMaster team demonstrates essential role of AMPK enzyme in exercise

You may think your lack of resolve to get off the couch to exercise is because you're lazy, but McMaster University researchers have discovered it may be you are missing key genes.

6 Sep 2011

Cancer cells with specific genetic defect extra susceptible to therapy that damages DNA

Using a strategy based on treating cancer cells that carry a specific genetic signature - hyper-expression of the protein Myc - with therapy that affects the stability of the cell's DNA, more effective results can be achieved.

5 Sep 2011

McDonald’s menus to include calorie counts in Britain

In an advancement against rising rates of obesity nearly 1,200 McDonald's restaurants in the U.K. will this week begin displaying the calorie count of each food and drink item on their wall-mounted menu boards.

5 Sep 2011

Stroke in the young on the rise: Study

A new study has revealed that more children and young adults in the U.S. are having strokes. Researchers speculate that unhealthy lifestyles could be a likely contributor.

5 Sep 2011

Inflammation boosts activity of two proteins that can normalize blood sugar in diabetics

Increased low-grade inflammation in the body resulting from obesity is widely viewed as contributing to type 2 diabetes. Going against this long-held belief, researchers from Children's Hospital Boston report that two proteins activated by inflammation are actually crucial for maintaining good blood sugar levels - and that boosting the activity of these proteins can normalize blood sugar in severely obese and diabetic mice.

5 Sep 2011

Study describes new class of anti-diabetic compound that targets unique molecular switch

In a joint study, scientists from The Scripps Research Institute and Harvard University's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have established a new class of anti-diabetic compound that targets a unique molecular switch.

5 Sep 2011

Natural environment linked to reduced obesity

New research from North Carolina finds that people who live in counties with better weather and more natural features like hills and lakes are more active and thinner than their counterparts, even when researchers take other factors into consideration.

3 Sep 2011

Stroke hospitalization rates in adolescents and young adults increase up to 37%

Ischemic stroke hospitalization rates in adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 44 increased up to 37% between 1995 and 2008 according to a study conducted by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

2 Sep 2011

Scientists discover genetic cause of extreme thinness

Scientists have discovered a genetic cause of extreme thinness for the first time, in a study published today in the journal Nature.

2 Sep 2011

Increased fat mass linked to high-intensity back pain

Increased back pain among people who are overweight or obese is specifically related to increased body fat content, reports a study in the September 15 issue of Spine.

2 Sep 2011

Eating potatoes good for lowering blood pressure, also no weight gain

A new study refutes previous knowledge that potatoes lead to excessive weight gain. The study claims that eating ‘spuds’ daily can help lower your blood pressure; and moreover, there is also no weight gain involved.

2 Sep 2011

Bowel cancer, coffee and diabetes: Two new studies

Australian researchers have identified a link between type 2 diabetes in men and a significantly increased risk of bowel cancer, triggering calls for diabetics to have regular checks.

31 Aug 2011

Americans ‘gulping’ down sweetened beverages: Study

According to health experts half of Americans drink a soda or sugary beverage each day. One in 20 people drinks the equivalent of more than four cans of soda each day. This is in spite of the health officials’ recommendation to limit sweetened beverages to less than half a can.

31 Aug 2011

Inadequate sleep linked to high blood pressure: Study

In the study, men with the lowest level of the deeper stages of slumber, known as slow-wave sleep, had an 80 percent higher chance of developing high blood pressure than men with the highest level of this restorative sleep. The link held regardless of other factors, such as obesity or how long the men slept.

31 Aug 2011

Aerobic exercise best for belly fat reduction: Study

A new study has shown that the best type of exercise to burn unhealthy belly fat is aerobic exercise. The results showed that people who did aerobics for eight months lost about 2.5 square inches of belly fat, as measured on a CT scan. That's about 1.5 times as much as people who did a combination of aerobic exercise and weight lifting, and about 20 times as much as those who only lifted weights.

31 Aug 2011