Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Study finds obesity and super obesity associated with increased risk of asthma

Asthma is reaching epidemic levels in the U.S., with 8 percent of the total population and 10 percent of the African-American population suffering from this disease. Obesity rates are also increasing, now affecting 34 percent of the population.

15 Nov 2010

Regular exercise could reduce risk of developing physical, mental health conditions

People who take regular exercise could reduce their risk of developing around two dozen physical and mental health conditions including some cancers and dementia and slow down how quickly their body deteriorates as they age.

15 Nov 2010

Bariatric surgery improves disease symptoms in obese heart failure patients

A small Mayo Clinic study has found that morbidly obese heart failure patients who undergo bariatric surgery gain long-lasting and meaningful improvements in disease symptoms and quality of life. The results were presented today at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2010 in Chicago.

15 Nov 2010

Obese children with congenital heart disease face risk of heart disease as adults

Children with congenital heart disease are more overweight than similar children a generation ago, raising their risk of heart attack and heart disease as adults, according to a new study.

15 Nov 2010

Acute sleep deprivation increases inflammation: Research

People who sleep poorly or do not get enough sleep have higher levels of inflammation, a risk factor for heart disease and stroke, researchers have found.

15 Nov 2010

Lancet series focuses on chronic diseases, development

"Just a small percentage of low- and middle-income countries' health care budgets are allocated toward the treatment and prevention of chronic diseases even though such illnesses are expected to account for 69% of global deaths by 2030," according to a paper published Wednesday in the Lancet, as part of a series on chronic disease and development, ModernHealthcare.com reports.

12 Nov 2010

33rd CTRC-AACR Symposium to feature breast cancer research

The 33rd CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium will feature the latest findings in prevention, epidemiological, laboratory, translational and clinical breast cancer research. This year's symposium will highlight new therapies in the pipeline, new approaches with existing agents and emerging biology that will affect the quest for personalized medicine.

12 Nov 2010

Think treatments for cancer, diabetes don't grow on trees? Think again

Supported by thousands of years of use, a new wave of polymolecular botanical drugs (PBDs), backed by strong biomedical research and clinical trials, are growing in acceptance as a viable new drug category for the treatment and prevention of a wide spectrum of diseases from cancer to obesity.

11 Nov 2010

Novel mechanism regulating circadian rhythm identified

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have identified for the first time a novel mechanism that regulates circadian rhythm, the master clock that controls the body's natural 24-hour physiological cycle. These new findings could provide a new target not only for jet lag, shift work, and sleep disturbances, but also for disorders that result from circadian rhythm disruption, including diabetes and obesity as well as some types of cancer.

11 Nov 2010

Pleasurable activity also reduces stress by inhibiting anxiety responses

Whether it's food or sex, pleasurable activity provides more than just pleasure, University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers say. It actually reduces stress by inhibiting anxiety responses in the brain.

11 Nov 2010

ESC emphasizes simple measures for diabetic patients to slow-down CVD progression

Diabetics can face a five times increase in the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) than non-diabetics. This leads to a seven to ten year reduction in life expectancy and a higher probability of suffering a fatal heart attack. These sad statistics have prompted the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) to mark World Diabetes Day on 14 November 2010 by emphasising the simple measures that diabetes patients should adopt to slow-down the progression of CVD and greatly improve their quality of life.

11 Nov 2010

Mother's poor nutrition during pregnancy affects offspring's ability to process medications

New research has found that a mother's poor nutrition during pregnancy and nursing can cause problems for her offspring's ability to process medications, even well into adulthood.

11 Nov 2010

Obese teens become obese adults

A new report shows that obese adolescent Americans tend to carry their extra weight into adulthood. The nationally representative study of American youth showed that one in 12 teenagers became severely obese as they entered adulthood with some 100 pounds above their ideal weight. And nearly half the girls and more than a third of the boys who are obese as teenagers grew up to be obese adults with a high risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancers.

10 Nov 2010

Omeros identifies orphan GPCR compound that potentiates tumor-killing activity of doxorubicin

Omeros Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing and commercializing products focused on inflammation and disorders of the central nervous system, today announced that a compound identified by the Company as an antagonist of GPR87, an orphan GPCR recently unlocked for drug development by Omeros and linked to squamous cell carcinoma, potentiates the tumor-killing activity of doxorubicin (Adriamycin), a widely used chemotherapeutic agent.

10 Nov 2010

Nuffield Health Leeds Hospital offers incisionless TOGA Procedure for treatment of obesity

Nuffield Health Leeds Hospital announced today that it will be the first hospital in the UK to offer the incisionless TOGA® Procedure for treatment of obesity commencing in January 2011. The TOGA Procedure has been used to treat over 450 patients worldwide - its incision-free approach is very minimally invasive and offers the benefits of minimal pain and downtime, and an excellent safety profile.

10 Nov 2010

Experts to discuss public health issues on using mobile health technology at 2010 mHealth Summit

As obesity rates and the cost of healthcare continue to be on the rise, the 2010 mHealth Summit in Washington D.C. is bringing together industry thought leaders, researchers, and policy makers to discuss the opportunities to address pressing public health issues utilizing mobile health technology.

10 Nov 2010

Researchers estimate increasing trend of hyperuricemia among adults, senior citizens

Hyperuricemia rates among the nation's adults and senior citizens remain substantially high, putting them at greater risk for developing gout, according to research presented at the Nov 2010, American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Atlanta.

10 Nov 2010

Adolescent obesity associated with risk of severe obesity in adulthood

Obese adolescents are 16 times more likely to become severely obese by age 30 than their healthy weight or even overweight peers, according to a new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

10 Nov 2010

Common foot disorders more prevalent among African Americans

Common foot disorders such as flat feet, corns and bunions are more prevalent among African Americans than in whites, a new study by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers has found.

10 Nov 2010

Stressed out Americans

The American Psychological Association’s (APA) have released the results of the 2010 Stress in America survey that shows up the long-term impact that chronic stress could have on physical and emotional health and the health of the families. The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive in August 2010. It showed some worrying trends of stress among parents as well as children.

9 Nov 2010