Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Fat people shorten their lives

A new study has found that being obese is not just unhealthy, it can in fact seriously increase the risk of death.

24 Aug 2006

BMI unreliable when assessing obesity and risk of heart disease

According to doctors in the United States the standard measure of obesity, the Body Mass Index (BMI), is badly flawed and may not be such an accurate indicator as it lumps muscle and fat into one category.

21 Aug 2006

Body mass index cannot reliably predict the outcome for patients with heart disease

Doctors already know that obesity is a risk factor for developing heart disease. However, how obesity affects people with established heart disease has been unclear because previous studies have had contradictory results.

17 Aug 2006

People in China getting fatter

People in China are becoming overweight and obese at an alarmingly fast rate, according to an editorial in this week's British Medical Journal.

17 Aug 2006

Strokes will cost U.S. $2.2 trillion over the next 45 years

Unless Americans do more to lower their risk of stroke and improve stroke care, the nation will pay $2.2 trillion over the next 45 years to care for people who suffer the most common form of stroke, a new University of Michigan study predicts.

16 Aug 2006

Waist-hip ratio should replace body mass index as indicator of mortality risk in older people

Older people with high waist-hip ratios (WHRs) have a higher mortality risk than those with a high body mass index, or BMI, a new study reveals.

15 Aug 2006

Lack of outdoor play is health time bomb for children

Unless more suitable outdoor play opportunities are provided for children and young people, a physical and mental illness time bomb is likely to explode, an international conference in Bristol was told.

15 Aug 2006

Experts say control obesity by taxing junk food

According to experts in food and nutrition the number of people in the world who are now overweight is now far more than those who are starving.

15 Aug 2006

Breast cancer 'wonder drug' Herceptin carries a risk for heart problems

According to the latest research breast cancer wonder drug Herceptin puts some women at risk of heart problems.

15 Aug 2006

Some brains wired to encourage fidgeting

Some brains may be wired to encourage fidgeting and other restless behaviors that consume calories and help control weight, according to new research published by The American Physiological Society.

14 Aug 2006

In this day and age, even babies are fatter!

Researchers in the U.S. say it is not just the adult population that is getting fatter and fatter, babies today are far more likely to be overweight than they were twenty years ago.

14 Aug 2006

That extra can of soda each day equals 15 pounds extra in weight

A scientific review says what they are drinking is what is making Americans obese.

10 Aug 2006

Infants more heavy today than 20 years ago

By examining more than 120,000 children under age 6 in Massachusetts over 22 years, a newly published study shows that young children - especially infants - are now more likely to be overweight.

9 Aug 2006

Exercise important in reducing size of abdominal fat cells

Reducing the size of abdominal fat cells - which are a risk factor for diabetes and heart disease - takes more than cutting calories, according to new research from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

8 Aug 2006

Older people with high waist-hip ratios have a higher mortality risk than those with a high body mass index

Older people with high waist-hip ratios (WHRs) have a higher mortality risk than those with a high body mass index, or BMI, a new study reveals.

8 Aug 2006

Actual meal time activates genes in specific brain area

Giving up your regular late-night snack may be hard, and not just because it's a routine.

6 Aug 2006

Genetics is a very strong component of obesity

Nearly 6 percent of morbidly obese children and adults have a genetic defect that keeps them feeling like their stomach is running on empty, no matter how much they have eaten.

6 Aug 2006

Impact of adolescent overweight on adult mortality

Researchers found that being overweight at age 18 is associated with an increased risk of premature death in younger and middle-aged women.

6 Aug 2006

New method to predict dementia risk

A team of researchers have developed a new method to predict dementia risk that could help to identify individuals who might benefit from intensive lifestyle consultations and drug interventions.

3 Aug 2006

Women more likely to categorize themselves as overweight than men

Study suggests our media and cultural obsession with achieving a certain weight does little to convince couch potatoes of any size to abandon their favorite sofa cushions and get active.

3 Aug 2006