Weight Loss
Being Overweight May Independently Increase Risk for Heart Disease Events
|
|
Being moderately overweight or obese appears to increase the risk for developing coronary heart disease events independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors, according to a meta-analysis of previously published studies in the September 10 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight and therefore at higher risk for heart disease, other illnesses and death, according to background information in the article. “Because of the high prevalence of overweight and the expected future increases, it is essential to gain precise insight into the consequences of overweight for health and into the metabolic pathways that link the two,” the authors write.
Soft drinks alone do not affect children’s weight
|
|
Soft drink consumption has increased in both the USA and the UK over the years and this has often been blamed for a rise in childhood body mass index (BMI). However, many of the review methodologies investigating the alleged links have been flawed. A recent scientific analysis of a nationally representative sample of children’s diets and lifestyles found no link between the amount of soft drinks children consume and their body weight.
UK researchers, led by Sigrid Gibson (SiG-Nurture Independent Nutrition Consultants), investigated sugars and soft drinks intake in children across the range of body weights seen in a nationally representative sample.
Diabetes drug promising as aid to weight loss
|
|
Treatment with pramlintide, which is approved in the US for lowering blood sugar in people with diabetes, leads to progressive weight loss in obese subjects, according to researchers.
Pramlintide, sold in the United States under the trade name Symlin, is a synthetic version of a natural hormone called amylin that slows down gastric emptying, thereby increasing the sensation of satiety and reducing food intake. Dr. Christian Weyer, the senior investigator on the current study, told Reuters Health that the results “are the most robust clinical proof-of-concept reported to date for the anti-obesity potential of a satiogenic peptide hormone.”
Being overweight may raise women’s psoriasis risk
|
|
Women who are overweight or obese may face a higher risk of developing the psoriasis, a common skin condition, a large study suggests.
Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease that, in most cases, causes patches of skin to become red, itchy and covered in silvery scales. It’s caused by an abnormal immune system reaction that accelerates the growth of new skin cells.
Diet foods for children may lead to obesity
|
|
Diet foods and drinks for children may inadvertently lead to overeating and obesity, says a new report from the University of Alberta.
A team of researchers contends that animals learn to connect the taste of food with the amount of caloric energy it provides, and children who consume low-calorie versions of foods that are normally high in calories may develop distorted connections between taste and calorie content, leading them to overeat as they grow up.
Watch out, you may catch obesity
|
|
Like the common cold, obesity can be spread from person to person, new research suggests.
A person’s social network can influence their risk of obesity, according to new study findings reported in The New England Journal of Medicine. The results suggest that if you want to stay thin, you may not want to surround yourself with obese friends and relatives.
Lo-glycemic index diets help obese lose weight
|
|
Overweight adults who would like to shed some pounds may want to replace their white bread with a serving of beans, a research review suggests.
In an analysis of six clinical trials, Australian researchers found that diets based on the glycemic index were generally effective at helping overweight and obese adults lose weight in the short term. What’s more, these low-glycemic index diets seemed to work somewhat better than traditional calorie- and fat-conscious weight-loss plans.
Newer beta-blocker doesn’t up weight in diabetics
|
|
Unlike earlier beta-blocker drugs used to treat high blood pressure, the newer drug carvedilol does not cause weight gain in people with diabetes, according to findings from a new study.
“Increases in body weight have been documented with long-term therapy of traditional beta-blockers,” Dr. Franz H. Messerli, of St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, and colleagues write in the American Journal of Medicine. “Any weight gain is of concern in patients with type 2 diabetes because of the rise in insulin resistance associated with excess weight and obesity.”
Breastfeeding Not Associated with Reduced Risk of Adult Obesity
|
|
An independent study conducted by Harvard Medical School researchers, published in the July edition of the International Journal of Obesity, finds that women who were breastfed did not have lower incidence of overweight or obesity in adulthood when compared to women who were not breastfed.
Additionally, the study finds that although exclusive breastfeeding (for at least six months) is associated with leaner body shape at five years, this association does not persist into adolescence or adulthood. The study is based on data collected from 35,526 women participating in the Nurse’s Health Study II (NHS), is the largest to date examining breastfeeding and its influence on adult weight status.
Low ‘energy density’ foods aid weight loss
|
|
Foods that fill you up without packing a ton of calories can help in the battle of the bulge, results of a new study suggest.
In the study, obese women who reduced the “energy density” of their diet by cutting their intake of fats and adding more fruits and vegetables lost more weight over a 12-month period, and felt less hungry, than did those who simply reduced their fat intake.
Does OTC Diet Pill Alli Live Up to Its Name?
|
|
The first and only over-the-counter product for weight loss approved by the Food and Drug Administration will be available Friday, June 15.
Orlistat, known by the brand name Alli, works by decreasing the amount of fat absorbed by the body. It is the OTC version of Xenical, a prescription weight loss pill. The good news: Orlistat has been tested and the prescription version has been used since 1999.
Weight loss TV show draws obese viewers in India
|
|
An Indian version of the weight loss reality TV show “Biggest Loser” is attracting a large following in a country increasingly grappling with obesity.
“Biggest Loser Jeetega”, or biggest loser wins, features 16 obese contestants closeted in a house near the western city of Mumbai for nearly four months with only trainers and fitness equipment for company.
Lack of sun does not explain low vitamin D in elderly who are overweight
|
|
It’s not yet clear why overweight elderly adults have low levels of vitamin D in their blood. However, researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University (USDA HNRCA) have found that lack of sun exposure may not account for low levels of vitamin D in elders who are overweight.
“People aged 65 and over with high percent body fat have lower levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the storage form of vitamin D, compared to those who have lower percent body fat,” says corresponding author Susan Harris, DSc, epidemiologist in the Bone Metabolism Laboratory at the USDA HNRCA.
It’s Safe for Obese Moms-to-Be to Lose Weight During Pregnancy
|
|
Most women who are obese can safely exercise and diet to lose weight during pregnancy, according to a small pilot study conducted by Saint Louis University researchers.
“Doctors hadn’t encouraged pregnant women who were obese to limit their weight gain or have them lose weight because they were afraid it would hurt the baby,” says Raul Artal, M.D., principal investigator and chair of the department of obstetrics, gynecology and women’s health at Saint Louis University.
Healthy Body Weight throughout Adulthood May Help Delay Disability
|
|
Maintaining a healthy body weight throughout adulthood may help prevent or delay the onset of physical disability as we age, according to researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and colleagues.
The study, reported on-line by the International Journal of Obesity, found that older adults with a history of excess weight in midlife or earlier had worse physical performance than those who were normal weight throughout adulthood or became overweight in late adulthood.
