Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Meridia – weight loss pill off the shelves in US

Abbott Pharmaceuticals has announced the withdrawal of weight loss drug Meridia from shelves in the United States and urged patients to stop taking it after regulators questioned its safety. The withdrawal happened last Friday in the US. In January, Meridia sales were suspended in Europe.

10 Oct 2010

Weight loss pill off shelves due to heart attack risk

Final verdict on a popular weight loss drug Reductil is to be delivered today. It is being debated whether the pill should be taken off the shelves in Australia and New Zealand. The drug Sibutramine sold as Reductil is linked to increased risk of heart attacks.

10 Oct 2010

US continues to lag behind other nations when it comes to gains in life expectancy: Study

America continues to lag behind other nations when it comes to gains in life expectancy, and commonly cited causes for our poor performance-obesity, smoking, traffic fatalities and homicide-are not to blame, according to a study by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.

8 Oct 2010

Clinical study data on Natural S-equol supplement presented at NAMS Annual Meeting

Four clinical studies that add to the evidence about the use of a new nutritional supplement containing the whole soy germ-based ingredient Natural S-equol to improve health were presented at the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Annual Meeting.

8 Oct 2010

Low-fat diet reduces risk of heart disease

Losing weight, especially among adults who are very heavy to obese, is a good way to prevent the onset of atherosclerosis, the artery-thickening condition that leads to potentially deadly heart disease. A diet that is low in either fats or carbohydrates can help reduce weight. But which one is the more heart-healthy?

8 Oct 2010

Study: Cost of obesity among U.S. full-time employees estimated to be $73.1 billion

The cost of obesity among U.S. full-time employees is estimated to be $73.1 billion, according to a new study by a Duke University obesity researcher, published today in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

8 Oct 2010

N.Y. officials seek to ban purchase of sugary drinks with food stamps

"New Yorkers on food stamps would not be allowed to spend them on sugar-sweetened drinks under an obesity-fighting proposal being floated by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. David Paterson. Bloomberg and Paterson planned to announce Thursday that they are seeking permission from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the nation's food stamp program, to add sugary drinks to the list of prohibited goods for city residents receiving assistance. If approved, it would be the first time an item would be banned from the federal program based solely on nutritional value" (Kugler Frazier, 10/7).

8 Oct 2010

Phase 3 study of D-tagatose in Type 2 diabetes shows significant reduction in HbA1c levels

Spherix Incorporated, an innovator in biotechnology for therapy in diabetes, metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis; and providers of technical and regulatory consulting services to food, supplement, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, today announced that its Phase 3 study of D-tagatose as a monotherapy in Type 2 diabetes showed a statistically significant (p<0.05) reduction in HbA1c levels of 0.4% at 10 months in relatively healthy people with diabetes

8 Oct 2010

Arthritis Foundation launches new initiatives on World Arthritis Day

The already staggering social and economic impact of arthritis in the United States is set to explode during the coming decades, says the Arthritis Foundation in response to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report published in the Oct. 8 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which coincides with World Arthritis Day on Tuesday, Oct. 12.

8 Oct 2010

First Edition: October 7, 2010

Today's headlines include stories on waivers given some companies that offer only minimal health insurance coverage, insurers' political efforts during this campaign season and efforts in New York to bar the use of food stamps to buy soda.

7 Oct 2010

Vitamin D deficiency may impact orthopaedic procedure outcomes

Forty-three percent of patients scheduled to undergo orthopaedic surgery have insufficient levels of vitamin D and two out of five of those patients had levels low enough to place them at risk for metabolic bone disease, according to a study published this month in the October 6th issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS).

7 Oct 2010

U.S. continues to lag behind other nations in life expectancy

The United States continues to lag behind other nations when it comes to gains in life expectancy, and commonly cited causes for our poor performance-obesity, smoking, traffic fatalities, and homicide-are not to blame, according to a Commonwealth Fund-supported study published today as a Health Affairs Web First.

7 Oct 2010

American Cancer Society awards 94 national research, training grants to 70 institutions nationwide

The American Cancer Society, the largest non-government, not-for-profit funding source of cancer research in the United States, has awarded 94 national research and training grants totaling $46,633,000 to 70 institutions nationwide in the first of two grants cycles for 2011.

7 Oct 2010

Waist size can predict diabetes risk

A higher rate of diabetes seen among adult Americans when compared to peers in England is explained primarily by a larger waist size rather than conventional risk factors such as obesity, according to a new study by researchers from the RAND Corporation, University College London and the Institute for Fiscal Studies in London.

7 Oct 2010

NIH grants $3.7 million to develop more accurate algorithms for tracking fetal development

Fetal growth is used as a marker of health and well-being in unborn babies as well as children. But, the tools that are currently available to differentiate between a small, healthy fetus and a fetus that is small due to pathologic causes have significant limitations. What if they were improved. Would it save the health care system resources spent monitoring women who might need medical intervention because their fetuses might just be small and healthy. Would it help some women avoid the anxiety such intervention brings.

7 Oct 2010

Researchers to conduct trial to improve drug abstinence, relapse rates

A $15.7 million award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is allowing researchers to see whether consistent exercise will help people abstain from stimulant abuse.

6 Oct 2010

Universite de Montreal study links office work with obesity

Working nine-to-five may be the way to make a living, but it may be padding more than the wallet. According to a new study from the Universit- de Montr-al, office-workers have become less active over the last three decades and this decreased activity may partly explain the rise in obesity. Their findings, published in the early online edition of Preventive Medicine, may have health implications for the millions of people toiling behind their desks.

6 Oct 2010

UnitedHealth announces $2.25 million to support Y's healthy-living initiatives

UnitedHealth Group has announced a three-year, $2.25 million commitment to support the Y's healthy-living initiatives and efforts to prevent obesity and related chronic diseases.

5 Oct 2010

Research on spatial memories may lead to potential treatments for addiction and obesity

A researcher from the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta has discovered a mechanism underlying some forms of obesity and addictions which could lead to a treatment for both diseases.

5 Oct 2010

VIVUS announces divestiture of MUSE to Meda

VIVUS, Inc. today announced that it has entered into an asset purchase agreement with Meda - an international specialty pharma company - for MUSE®, transurethral alprostadil, for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). Under the agreement, Meda will acquire the MUSE assets including the United States and foreign MUSE patents, existing inventory and the manufacturing facility located in Lakewood, New Jersey.

4 Oct 2010