Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Study examines impact of poor care coordination on quality, cost of care in America

Many Americans seek medical treatment from a variety of care providers and often must play the role of informing each doctor what the others are recommending or prescribing. This fragmented experience of poorly coordinated care is due in part to a lack of consistent systems and processes in place to coordinate care across providers and facilities.

8 Dec 2010

FDA advisory committee's approval of Contrave for obesity encourages OAC, TOS, ASMBS

The Obesity Action Coalition, The Obesity Society and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery found encouragement in the outcome of today's advisory committee hearing, favoring approval for the first new obesity treatment in more than 10 years.

8 Dec 2010

Children's Hospital LA investigators elected into the Society for Pediatric Research

Three investigators from The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles have been elected into the prestigious Society for Pediatric Research. Their election to this Society represents peer recognition of their research achievements in pediatrics.

8 Dec 2010

FDA Advisory Committee votes in favor of Orexigen's Contrave for treatment of obesity

Orexigen® Therapeutics, Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 13 to 7 that the available data adequately demonstrate that the potential benefits of Contrave® (naltrexone sustained release (SR)/bupropion SR) outweigh the potential risks when used long-term in a population of overweight and obese individuals and support approval.

8 Dec 2010

NIH awards Scripps Research $2.35M to study new treatment for obesity

The Scripps Research Institute has been awarded a $2.35 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study a new way of treating obesity as part of a national consortium with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

8 Dec 2010

New sensitive blood test could determine unrecognized heart disease

A more sensitive version of a blood test typically used to confirm that someone is having a heart attack could indicate whether a seemingly healthy, middle-aged person has unrecognized heart disease and an increased risk of dying, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found.

7 Dec 2010

Contrave, new weight loss pill gets FDA panel nod

A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel yesterday recommended the approval of Orexigen Therapeutics’ weight loss drug Contrave. This is the first time a weight loss drug has received the nod. The vote went 13 to 7 for Contrave’s approval and 11 to 8, with an abstention that additional studies be conducted on heart risks. Although experts agree to risks they believe the benefits outweigh the risks. Although the FDA is not compelled to go with the panel’s recommendation, it more often than not does. The FDA will deliver its verdict by Jan. 31 2011.

7 Dec 2010

32% of UAE residents could have diabetes or prediabetes by 2020

One in three United Arab Emirates (UAE) residents could have diabetes or prediabetes by the end of the decade, according to a new analysis from international health and well-being company UnitedHealth Group, released today at the World Health Care Congress Middle East meeting in Abu Dhabi.

7 Dec 2010

Smoking is common among young adults and children with diabetes, raises risk of heart disease

Cigarette smoking is widespread among children and young adults with diabetes yet few health care providers are counseling children and young adults with diabetes to not smoke or stop smoking, according to a new report from the SEARCH Study Group, published online in the Journal of Pediatrics.

7 Dec 2010

High blood pressure may be caused by racial and geographic differences

High blood pressure may help to explain why deaths from heart disease and stroke vary according to geography, race and sex, researchers reported in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

7 Dec 2010

Researchers examine relationship between childhood obesity, physical activity

Scientists may have discovered a new trend in childhood obesity, according to research published this month in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine. In comparing physical activity levels among American children, researchers discovered that the most overweight and obese ethnic groups are also some of the most active.

7 Dec 2010

New study reveals that sick teens are more isolated than other kids

A new study reveals that sick teens are more isolated than other kids, but they do not necessarily realize it and often think their friendships are stronger than they actually are.

7 Dec 2010

VIVUS reports positive results from avanafil phase 3 study in erectile dysfunction

VIVUS, Inc. today announced positive results from TA-314, a phase 3 pivotal open-label safety study of avanafil, an investigational drug for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). The study met all primary endpoints by demonstrating improvement from baseline in erectile function as measured by the Sexual Encounter Profile (both SEP2 and SEP3) and improvements in the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF).

7 Dec 2010

Food outlets sending vouchers to kids in mail-outs

Now fast food outlets are sending direct mailers to kids under the age of 12 as part of online marketing campaigns to pre-teens that include special offers, free food vouchers and competitions. Outlet names like Hungry Jacks and Taco Bill Mexican Restaurants have come up in a submission to a Senate inquiry on privacy laws made by a coalition of some of the country’s peak health bodies.

5 Dec 2010

FDA Advisory Committee votes in favor of expanded use of LAP-BAND gastric band

Allergan, Inc. (NYSE: AGN) today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Gastroenterology and Urology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee has recommended with an 8-2 vote that the FDA extend the currently approved use of the LAP-BAND® System, Allergan's gastric band, on the basis of a favorable benefit-risk profile for weight reduction in obese adults who have failed more conservative weight reduction alternatives and have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 35 or a BMI ≥30 and at least one comorbid condition.

4 Dec 2010

LifeSpan TR1200i folding treadmill named 'Best New Treadmill'

The LifeSpan TR1200i folding treadmill was named "Best New Treadmill" by Treadmill Doctor in their 2011 fitness equipment reviews. Fitness Professor Review also selected the LifeSpan TR1200i, made by PCE Health and Fitness (www.lifespanfitness.com) as its choice for "Best Treadmill under $1000."

3 Dec 2010

Loyola nurses honored

Loyola University Health System revenue specialist Judy Williams, RN, CEN, TNS, recently took on a nontraditional nursing role, which resulted in a significant cost savings for the organization. Williams oversees fiscal responsibility for the Emergency Department. In this position, she has identified opportunities to overcome billing obstacles through intradepartmental collaboration and nurse education on proper documentation for reimbursement.

3 Dec 2010

Exposure to polluted air leads to accumulation of abdominal fat and insulin resistance

Exposure to polluted air early in life led to an accumulation of abdominal fat and insulin resistance in mice even if they ate a normal diet, according to new research.

3 Dec 2010

Nemours commends House and Senate for passage of child nutrition legislation

Nemours, a premier, integrated child health system, congratulates the United States House of Representatives for passing the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, legislation that reauthorizes critical child nutrition programs. We applaud Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, and Chairman Miller for their leadership in working with the Senate to pass legislation that will protect and promote the health of children. House passage of the bill has cleared the way for the President to sign it into law.

3 Dec 2010

CDC: Hip replacement surgical procedures are more prevalent in the U.S.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hip replacements are among the most common surgical procedures in the United States; and with osteoarthritis and obesity on the rise, demand for the procedure is expected to grow.

3 Dec 2010