Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Metabolism imbalance increases asthma risk in children: Research

Even children of a healthy weight who have an imbalanced metabolism due to poor diet or exercise may be at increased risk of asthma, according to new research, which challenges the widespread assumption that obesity itself is a risk factor for asthma.

17 Sep 2010

CDPAC to work with health ministers on concrete actions to address childhood obesity

The Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance of Canada (CDPAC), a coalition comprised of ten national organizations committed to integrated action for chronic disease prevention in Canada, commends the federal, provincial and territorial ministers of health for their commitment to address the issue of childhood obesity at their meeting in St. John's Newfoundland yesterday.

16 Sep 2010

Researchers identify role of bile acid in lifespan extension

The human quest for longer life may be one step closer, thanks to research from Concordia University. Published in the journal Aging, a new study is the first to identify the role of a bile acid, called lithocholic acid (LCA), in extending the lifespan of normally aging yeast. The findings may have significant implications for human longevity and health, as yeast share some common elements with people.

16 Sep 2010

NHLBI selects NuGEN to provide automated reagent solutions for expression profiling

NuGEN Technologies, the provider of innovative RNA and DNA amplification and sample preparation technologies for genomic analysis, today announced it has been selected by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to provide automated reagent solutions for expression profiling of approximately 6,000 blood samples from the Framingham Heart Study.

16 Sep 2010

Scientists discover 13 genes linked to human body mass

Johns Hopkins scientists who specialize in unconventional hunts for genetic information outside nuclear DNA sequences have bagged a weighty quarry 13 genes linked to human body mass. The experiments screened the so called epigenome for key information that cells remember other than the DNA code itself and may have serious implications for preventing and treating obesity, the investigators say.

16 Sep 2010

Orexo signs agreement with NewBridge for Abstral drug sale

Orexo AB announces today that an exclusive licensing and distribution agreement has been signed with NewBridge Pharmaceuticals for Abstral, Orexo´s product for the treatment of breakthrough cancer pain.

16 Sep 2010

Aetna supports landmark study on BRCA testing

Testing is available to help identify if a woman is likely to face one of her gender's worst fears: inherited breast and ovarian cancer. But significant questions have been raised among doctors and public health agencies about whether these tests are being offered to the women who can most benefit - consistent with the evidence-based guidelines for this testing - and whether the information learned from testing is being put to best use.

16 Sep 2010

Gene network behind hardening of arteries, coronary heart disease identified

A gene network behind hardening of the arteries and coronary heart disease has been identified by a team of scientists from Australia, Europe and the United Kingdom. Their findings expose potential targets for the treatment of heart disease.

16 Sep 2010

Today's Opinions: Health law repeal and Insurance Hikes on minds of Americans

Until Congress or the courts discard ObamaCare's mandates, price controls, and new entitlement spending, there is literally nothing that can arrest this downward spiral of rising costs and deteriorating quality (Michael Cannon, 9/14).

16 Sep 2010

ABCB4 gene causes bad cholesterol to accumulate in blood: Research

Scientists at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research (SFBR) in San Antonio have found a gene that causes high levels of bad cholesterol to accumulate in the blood as a result of a high-cholesterol diet.

16 Sep 2010

Researchers to develop new wearable sensor network to assess physical activity

Researchers from Michigan State University's departments of Electrical Engineering and Kinesiology are teaming up to create a new wearable sensor network to assess a person's physical activity and overall well-being.

15 Sep 2010

Bruner to encourage FDA advisory committee to consider effectiveness of obesity drug Lorcaserin

On September 16, Denise Bruner, MD, FASBP will speak in favor of FDA approval for the new obesity drug Lorcaserin, during the open public hearing hour at the Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drug Advisory Committee meeting.

15 Sep 2010

CINJ experts available for discussion during National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) is making experts available to discuss the risks, treatments and prevention options surrounding prostate cancer during September, which is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

15 Sep 2010

A.C.T.S. of F.A.I.T.H. calls for partnerships to address childhood obesity

Partnering in an innovative health initiative, the City Produce Project and the participating churches of the Actions Connected to Spirituality Forming Alliances in Transforming Health (A.C.T.S. of F.A.I.T.H.) are calling for more public and private partnerships to create programming that directly addresses obesity and its associated co-morbidities in underserved communities.

15 Sep 2010

HHS awards $31 million as part of 'Communities Putting Prevention to Work' program

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced $31 million for awards to ten communities in eight states and one award to a state health department to support public health efforts to reduce obesity and smoking, increase physical activity and improve nutrition.

15 Sep 2010

Danny Davis to discuss diabetes, obesity rates in U.S. at UIC Midwest Conference

U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-Chicago) will give opening remarks when the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies convenes a regional meeting Sept. 21 at the University of Illinois at Chicago to discuss the rapidly rising rates of diabetes and obesity in the U.S.

15 Sep 2010

AMRI selects compound for advanced preclinical testing in treatment of IBS

AMRI today announced the selection of a compound from its proprietary research program for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) for advanced preclinical testing, with the goal of submitting an Investigational New Drug Application (IND) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2011.

15 Sep 2010

UT Southwestern receives $8 million NIH grant to study influence of brain and liver on inflammation

An $8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will enable UT Southwestern Medical Center to investigate how fat tissue "talks" to the brain and the liver to promote inflammation-related disorders such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

15 Sep 2010

White House supports effort to scale back small business provision of health law

"Facing a backlash from small businesses over a new tax-reporting requirement in the healthcare law the president signed in March, the Obama administration is embracing the first change to the landmark legislation," the Los Angeles Times reports. "In a letter to Senate leaders, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner urged the Senate to back a proposal to scale back the new reporting mandate.

15 Sep 2010

School leavers at risk for obesity: Study

In a large scale national study it has been found that the period of leaving school is a high risk one for obesity and weight gain. The study authors say that obesity rates double in the short transition from adolescence to adulthood in over 1,500 young people included in the study.

15 Sep 2010