Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota reports $9 billion revenue for 2010

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and its family of companies (Blue Cross) today announced audited financial results for 2010. The nonprofit health company reported full-year 2010 revenues of $9 billion and an operating margin of 1.4%, which resulted in a net operating income of $127 million. This marks the second consecutive year of positive operating results, following three consecutive years of operating losses from 2006 to 2008.

1 Apr 2011

Micro-RNAs appear to play a key role in new mechanism underlying obesity

Max Planck researchers have discovered a new mechanism that leads to the development of type 2 diabetes in obesity. Body weight influences the risk of developing diabetes: between 80 and 90 percent of patients with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese.

31 Mar 2011

No amount of added sugar is right

According to a recently released study that traced the eating habits of Minnesota residents for 27 years, the body weight of Americans is rising along with their increased intake of sugars added to processed and home-cooked foods.

31 Mar 2011

Growing stigma against overweight people around the world

Stigma against overweight people is becoming a cultural norm around the world, even in places where larger bodies have traditionally been valued. That's according to a cross-cultural study of attitudes toward obesity to be published in the April issue of Current Anthropology.

31 Mar 2011

Master regulators of cholesterol and fat play key role in liver fibrosis development

UCLA researchers have demonstrated that a key regulator of cholesterol and fat metabolism in the liver also plays an important role in the development of liver fibrosis - the build-up of collagen scar tissue that can develop into cirrhosis. Cirrhosis, in turn, is a major cause of premature death and is incurable without a liver transplant.

31 Mar 2011

Candy consumption can help reduce weight and risk of CVD

Good news for candy and chocolate lovers: they tend to weigh less, have lower body mass indices and waist circumferences, and have decreased levels of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome, according to a new study published in Nutrition Research.

31 Mar 2011

Lack of equipment, venues and motivation are main barriers to physical activity for adolescent boys

A lack of equipment and venues - and a lack of motivation even if those were available - are the main barriers to physical activity for adolescent boys, according to recently published research from a Michigan State University nursing researcher.

31 Mar 2011

20-year data shows bariatric surgery to reduce risk of heart attack and stroke in diabetics

In the longest study of its kind, bariatric surgery has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients with diabetes. These results and other groundbreaking research were presented at the 2nd World Congress on Interventional Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes, hosted by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College.

31 Mar 2011

Higher protein diets associated with greater feelings of fullness during weight loss

Dieters trying to stick to their diets may want to look no further than lean protein, according to two studies published in the prestigious journal Obesity. Including protein such as lean pork in three daily meals could reduce late-night desires to eat, increase feelings of fullness and decrease distracting thoughts about food, according to the research.

31 Mar 2011

Study: Diet-exercise can improve physical performance in obese seniors

For obese seniors, dieting and exercise together are more effective at improving physical performance and reducing frailty than either alone.

31 Mar 2011

Eating disorders - hitting early and hard

Children as young as seven have been admitted to hospitals for eating disorders. A peak support group has reported a doubling of calls about children under the age of 12 in the past decade. Being hit so early with these disorders also means malnutrition leading to retarded growth, osteoporosis, infertility and changes in brain structure say experts.

30 Mar 2011

Target parents to tackle childhood obesity: Study

A new study has shown that educating parents on healthy eating could be more effective at reducing childhood obesity than physical activity. The study came from researchers from the universities of Newcastle and Wollongong who found that targeting parents rather than children is the key to combating childhood obesity. The study was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

30 Mar 2011

DSP, Intercept enter license agreement for OCA

Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co, Ltd. and Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that they have entered into an exclusive licensing agreement for the development and commercialization of Intercept's first-in-class FXR agonist obeticholic acid.

30 Mar 2011

IntraPace reports first commercial use of abiliti system in obese patients

IntraPace, Inc., announced today that the first commercial patients in Europe have successfully received the abiliti system as a treatment for obesity. The patients were treated at the Clinica La Luz in Madrid, Spain, and Stadtkrankenhaus Schwabach, Germany.

30 Mar 2011

GI Dynamics announces positive results from EndoBarrier studies against type 2 diabetes

GI Dynamics, a leader in non-surgical, endoscopic treatments for type 2 diabetes and obesity, announced today new results from three studies that demonstrate the positive effects of the EndoBarrier Gastrointestinal Liner on type 2 diabetes, weight loss and other metabolic factors.

30 Mar 2011

Maternal childhood maltreatment can affect offspring's health

Mothers who were maltreated as children have increased risk for giving birth to low birth weight babies. The findings, by researchers at the University of Washington, are the first to show that maternal maltreatment can affect the health of offspring.

30 Mar 2011

Intercept initiates OCA FLINT trial in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc., has been informed by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health that patient enrollment has started in a new clinical trial in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, which will evaluate Intercept's first-in-class farnesoid X receptor agonist obeticholic acid as a novel therapy for NASH.

30 Mar 2011

Stress affects sleep, mood and body weight: Study

In a new study that appeared in the International Journal of Obesity, researchers have found that stress may affect sleep, mood and ultimately body weight. The study found that people with high stress and poor sleep were less likely to achieve a 10-lb. weight loss goal.

29 Mar 2011

Bariatric surgery highly cost-effective treatment for obese type 2 diabetics

Bariatric surgery is an especially cost-effective therapy for managing Type 2 diabetes in moderately and severely obese patients. These findings and others were presented today at the 2nd World Congress on Interventional Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes, hosted by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College.

29 Mar 2011

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of paediatric bariatric surgery

“Bariatric surgery” refers to several different surgical procedures designed to assist weight loss by limiting the amount of food someone eats or the amount they absorb during digestion. It has been used for several years to treat obesity in adults. A new study published in the journal Clinical Obesity reveals that bariatric surgery can result in significant weight loss in severely obese adolescents.

29 Mar 2011