Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

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

New cancer research findings presented at 53rd ASH annual meeting

Researchers from Seidman Cancer Center at University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine presented new research findings in 25 presentations this weekend at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) at the San Diego Convention Center.

12 Dec 2011

People in Northern Ireland less likely to develop cancers

People in Northern Ireland have a lower risk of developing some cancers than those living in the Republic of Ireland, according to the All-Ireland Cancer Atlas - a collaborative publication by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry at Queen's University Belfast and the National Cancer Registry in Cork.

12 Dec 2011

PSA testing that combines blood test with other factors can help men avoid prostate biopsies

Prostate cancer screening that combines an adjusted blood test with other factors including the size of the gland, the patient's overall weight and family history, can help up to one-quarter of men avoid biopsies and the risks associated with them, a Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center-led research team says.

12 Dec 2011

Trastuzumab improves long-term outcomes in obese patients with HER2-positive breast cancer

A large, multicenter, randomized study has shown that obese patients with HER2-positive breast cancer have larger tumors, increased lymph node involvement and, when not treated with trastuzumab, poorer long-term outcomes than normal-weight patients.

9 Dec 2011

Viewpoints: Obama's lessons from LBJ; Plan B positions; Choosing Gingrich

In 2005, for example, the United States devoted only 29 percent of gross domestic product to health and social services combined, while countries like Sweden, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark dedicated 33 percent to 38 percent of their G.D.P. to the combination.

9 Dec 2011

VDF, CDC and VDC to educate women about gender-specific DVT risks

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot in the deep veins in the legs. These clots can break loose and travel to the lungs, causing a potentially fatal pulmonary embolism (PE). Even when they don't, they can cause permanent damage to the leg veins that results in long-term pain, swelling, and disability of the leg.

9 Dec 2011

VIVUS announces results of Qnexa clinical study on cardiometabolic disease

VIVUS, Inc. today announced that results from the SEQUEL study were published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a peer-reviewed journal with broad, multidisciplinary readership.

9 Dec 2011

Young football players may be at higher risk for stroke

Young football players may be at higher risk for stroke, according to a new study released in Journal of Child Neurology (JCN), published by SAGE.

9 Dec 2011

Viewpoints: Politics overtakes Plan B; Gingrich's entitlement plans; Cheeseburgers and death

Once again, the politics of birth control have trumped science and sound public policy. On Wednesday, the Obama administration overruled a carefully reasoned decision by the Food and Drug Administration to make the so-called morning-after pill available without prescription to adolescent girls below the age of 17.

9 Dec 2011

Scientists discover mechanism that controls 'fat switch' in the body

Scientists at Warwick Medical School have made an important discovery about the mechanism controlling the body's 'fat switch', shedding new light on our understanding of how proteins regulate appetite control and insulin secretion.

9 Dec 2011

Dietary fibers from brown algae help people lose more weight

A new research project conducted at the Faculty of Life Sciences (LIFE), University of Copenhagen, shows that dietary fibres from brown algae boost the sensation of satiety, thereby making people eat less and lose more weight.

9 Dec 2011