Weight Loss News and Research

Latest Weight Loss News and Research

Study explains strategies that work against long-term weight loss in post-menopausal women

Many people can drop pounds quickly in the early phases of a diet, but studies have found that it is difficult to keep the weight off in the long term. For post-menopausal women, natural declines in energy expenditure could make long-term weight loss even more challenging. A new study finds that in post-menopausal women, some behaviors that are related to weight loss in the short term are not effective or sustainable for the long term. Interventions targeting these behaviors could improve long-term obesity treatment outcomes.

29 Aug 2012

Aeterna Zentaris commences enrollment in AEZS-130 Phase 2A trial for cancer cachexia

Aeterna Zentaris Inc. today announced that a first patient has been recruited for a Phase 2A trial with its ghrelin agonist, AEZS-130 in patients with cancer cachexia.

28 Aug 2012

Increased incidence of Type 2 diabetes in children

Alarming increases of Type 2 diabetes in children are no closer to being managed successfully according to a study in The New England Journal of Medicine showing common diabetes-control medications failed to work in children.

28 Aug 2012

Fertile women with obesity more likely to develop atrial fibrillation

Obesity triggers atrial fibrillation in fertile women, according to research presented today at the ESC Congress 2012 by Dr Deniz Karasoy from Denmark.

26 Aug 2012

FDA committee to review NPS’ Gattex NDA in October

NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company developing therapeutics for rare gastrointestinal and endocrine disorders, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified the Company that its New Drug Application (NDA) for Gattex (teduglutide) will be discussed at the Gastrointestinal Drugs Advisory Committee meeting scheduled for October 16, 2012.

22 Aug 2012

Healthy brown-bag lunch can combat obesity in school children

As the new school year approaches, parents have to decide what their children will eat for lunch. Should they help the kids brown bag it or remember to take their lunch money? While this might not seem to be a major issue, it is - because the importance of school lunch rises with the rates of childhood obesity, say University of Alabama at Birmingham experts.

21 Aug 2012

Studies raise possibility of new DBS approaches to treat obesity

Scientific advances in understanding the "addiction circuitry" of the brain may lead to effective treatment for obesity using deep brain stimulation (DBS), according to a review article in the August issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

21 Aug 2012

Arthritis patients prioritize lifestyle intervention research

Most patients believe that research into joint pain should focus on self-management and lifestyle modifications, suggests a UK survey of older individuals with self-reported joint pain.

20 Aug 2012

Controversial activities of pro-anorexic bloggers may have benefits

A groundbreaking new research study from Indiana University suggests there may be benefits to the controversial activities of "pro-ana" bloggers, the online community for people with eating disorders.

20 Aug 2012

'Not enough exercise' cited as top children's health concern

Adults across the U.S. rate not getting enough exercise as the top health concern for children in 2012, according to a new University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.

20 Aug 2012

Bariatric surgery improves overall quality of life for people with obesity

New research shows that people who have bariatric surgery to treat obesity report an overall improvement in quality of life issues after surgery, from their relationships to their medical conditions. Arizona State University researchers will present their findings at the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association.

18 Aug 2012

Calorie Calculator can help assess impact of health policy choices on childhood obesity

Dieters often use online calorie calculators to stay true to their weight-loss plan. Translating the concept to the population health arena, researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health created the Caloric Calculator to help policymakers, school district administrators, and others assess the potential impact of health policy choices on childhood obesity.

16 Aug 2012

Yo-yo dieting does not negatively affect metabolism or ability to lose weight long term

Yo-yo dieting - the repetitive loss and regain of body weight, also called weight cycling - is prevalent in the Western world, affecting an estimated 10 percent to 40 percent of the population. The degree to which weight cycling may impact metabolism or thwart a person's ability to lose weight in the long run has been unclear - until now.

16 Aug 2012

Computer and web-based weight management programmes show promise against obesity

Computer and web-based weight management programmes may provide a cost effective way of addressing the growing problem of obesity, according to a team of seven researchers who undertook a Cochrane systematic review. The researchers, from Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, USA, found that delivering weight loss or weight maintenance programmes online or by computer helped overweight and obese patients lose and/or maintain weight.

16 Aug 2012

Online weight management programmes show promise

15 Aug 2012

George Washington University releases 'Obesity Drug Outcome Measures'

The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (GW) today released a report representing consensus findings from a cross-section of stakeholders that could help transform the process used to evaluate interventions to treat obesity, a public health crisis that now affects one in three adults. The report, "Obesity Drug Outcome Measures," results from a stakeholder dialogue group convened by GW that, over a period of nine months, explored why development and approval of obesity drugs have proven so difficult.

15 Aug 2012

Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass ‘acceptable long term’

Obese patients who undergo laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass retain a fair quality of life 9 years later, research suggests.

13 Aug 2012

FDA extends PDUFA action date for NPS Gattex NDA

NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company developing therapeutics for rare gastrointestinal and endocrine disorders, today announced that it has received a communication from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration extending the Prescription Drug User Fee Act action date for its New Drug Application for Gattex (teduglutide) by three months to December 30, 2012.

13 Aug 2012

Research roundup: Disparities in head scans; Unnecessary heart tests; Americans hit the walkway

Among children who suffered minor blows to the head, whites were more likely to receive unneeded cranial CT scans in the ED than were blacks or Hispanics, researchers found.

12 Aug 2012

Smartphone app can combat ongoing epidemic of childhood obesity

To combat the ongoing epidemic of childhood obesity, two Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing students, Janna Stephens, RN, BSN, and Michelle Brei, APRN, CPNP, are using smartphones and websites to engage and invite young audiences.

12 Aug 2012