Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Experts predict rise in food prices

With food prices expected to rise by 50 per cent within 10 years experts are planning to discuss the issues in Brisbane. There is to be a three-day summit on food security this week. With the global population touching nine billion by 2050, Australia’s role in feeding the world will be explored.

27 Sep 2010

HHS announces grants to support public health programs

Six months after the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius highlighted another important facet of the law today with the announcement of nearly $100 million in grants made possible primarily by the new law's Prevention and Public Health Fund.

27 Sep 2010

Active commuting helps to stay fit

Men and women who walk or ride a bike to work appear more fit, and men are less likely to be overweight or obese and have healthier triglyceride levels, blood pressure and insulin levels, according to a report in the July 13 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

27 Sep 2010

HHS awards grant to promote better primary care services for mentally-ill patients

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius today awarded more than $26.2 million in grants to support and promote better primary care and behavioral health services for individuals with mental illnesses or substance use disorders.

27 Sep 2010

Astellas Pharma announces Phase IV study results of Lexiscan injection at ASNC session

Today Astellas Pharma US, Inc. announced results of a Phase IV study showing Lexiscan(regadenoson) Injection was comparable to placebo in causing a >15% decrease in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) in subjects with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are likely candidates for myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) studies.

27 Sep 2010

Americans eating fewer vegetables and getting fatter

Despite two decades of public health initiatives, stricter government dietary guidelines, record growth of farmers' markets and the ease of products like salad in a bag, Americans still aren't eating enough vegetables. This month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a comprehensive nationwide behavioral study of fruit and vegetable consumption.

27 Sep 2010

FDA approves OZURDEX implant for uveitis treatment

Allergan, Inc. today announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved OZURDEX (dexamethasone intravitreal implant) 0.7 mg for the treatment of non-infectious ocular inflammation, or uveitis, affecting the posterior segment of the eye.

27 Sep 2010

Victorian health report card

Results from the 2008 Victorian Population Health Survey of more than 34,000 people are out. Broadly the picture is not too pleasing with signs of poor health like weight gain and disease. People are eating less fruit and vegetables, but smoking is down and asthma is less prevalent than it was earlier in the decade.

26 Sep 2010

Critics say school lunch bill could damage food stamp program

The New York Times: "In her campaign to reduce childhood obesity and improve school nutrition, Michelle Obama has become entangled in a fight with White House allies, including liberal Democrats and advocates for the poor." The bill, which the House is expected to consider in the next few days, "would come up with some of the money by cutting future food stamp benefits. When the Senate passed the bill in early August, Mrs. Obama said she was thrilled. But anti-hunger groups were not.

24 Sep 2010

Consumers need to be made aware of benefits of low-calorie sweeteners

Leading experts in the field of food additive safety and risk communication gathered at a symposium hosted today by the Nutrition Research Foundation at the 2nd World Congress of Public Health Nutrition to discuss the safety of low-calorie sweeteners and reaffirm the positive role they can play in the diet.

24 Sep 2010

Study examines food outlets exposure pattern for school children

Most studies of the food choices available near public schools have focused on fast food outlets rather than the full range of options available to schoolchildren. A new study by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health examined the patterns of exposure to a broad range of food outlets for school children in New York City.

24 Sep 2010

UNC's bariatric surgery center receives BSCN accreditation

The program has been accredited as a Level 1b facility by the Bariatric Surgery Center Network (BSCN) Accreditation Program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). This designation means that UNC Hospitals has met the essential criteria that ensure it is fully capable of supporting a bariatric surgery care program and that its institutional performance meets the requirements outlined by the ACS BSCN Accreditation Program.

24 Sep 2010

United Fresh Produce Association urges passage of Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act legislation

The United Fresh Produce Association is urging the U.S. House of Representatives to immediately pass the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, legislation that will reauthorize all child nutrition programs. It is critical that all child nutrition programs be reauthorized and signed into law by President Obama before they expire on September 30. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act makes important reforms and strengthens child nutrition programs by investing $4.5 billion in programs to reduce childhood hunger and childhood obesity.

24 Sep 2010

Phase 3 clinical study demonstrates efficacy of metformin therapy in type 2 diabetes

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and AstraZeneca today announced results from a randomized, double-blind Phase 3 clinical study in adults with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled on metformin therapy alone.

24 Sep 2010

Swine flu making a come back

A second elderly man succumbed to the swine flu virus as the Northern Territory experiences an upsurge in infection rates from the virus. Both men had serious health problems that raised their risk of dying with the disease.

24 Sep 2010

Negative childhood experiences impacting in the brains of Indigenous kids

Australia will not Close the Gap on Aboriginal health unless more is done to reverse the early life stress and trauma experienced by Indigenous children, new research suggests.

23 Sep 2010

Antipsychotics slightly raise risk for blood clots

Antipsychotics or medications that are used to treat psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are reported to raise the risk of dangerous blood clots.

23 Sep 2010

Pet dog decreases risk of obesity in kids: Study

According to the latest research in England, children who have a dog for a pet are less likely to be obese. Children who are obese in childhood are at increased risk of developing a range of chronic health problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, bone and joint problems, asthma, disrupted sleep patterns, liver and gall bladder disease, early physical maturity and depression.

23 Sep 2010

Study reveals elevated risk of type 2 diabetes in South Asians than other Asian immigrants

South Asians living in the United States are at much higher risk for type 2 diabetes than are whites and immigrants from other Asian countries, a new small study reveals.

23 Sep 2010

Physicians' health habits could affect their abilities to counsel patients on diet, exercise

Physician's confidence in their abilities to counsel patients on a healthy diet and exercise may be related to their own personal habits, according to a study by the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center.

23 Sep 2010