Obesity The Dangers You Should Be Aware Of
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While almost everyone knows that being obese is not healthy, many people who are obese are not fully aware of how dangerous the consequences really are, and they are more dangerous than they think. It is worth taking some time to learn about this issue, because it will likely affect either yourself or at least one of your friends or family members.
While obesity itself does not technically kill people, somewhere between 100,000 to 400,000 Americans die from the diseases that come with it each year. Even at the lower estimates, it is still a huge death toll; much greater than other causes of death which get a lot more press attention.
So, how do you know if you are obese? A formula called the body mass index (or simply BMI) is used to work out who is obese. While those with BMIs of 25 to 29 are classified as being overweight, those at 30 to 40 are regarded as being obese. Regardless of exactly where you come on this scale, it is important to know the dangers of carrying around too much weight.
Early Artificial Pancreas Trials Show Benefits for Kids, Teenagers with Diabetes While Sleeping Over
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In a landmark study in children and teenagers with type 1 diabetes, JDRF-funded researchers at the University of Cambridge showed that using a first-generation artificial pancreas system overnight can lower the risk of low blood sugar emergencies while sleeping, and at the same time improve diabetes control.
Results from the studies are published in the February 5, 2010 issue of The Lancet, available online at http://www.thelancet.com.
The trials tested the safety and effectiveness of a first-generation artificial pancreas system used overnight in a hospital setting with participants between 5 and 18 years of age with type 1 diabetes. The system combined commercially available blood glucose sensors and insulin pumps, controlled by a sophisticated computer program that determined insulin dosage based on blood glucose levels while the participants slept.
Jackson doctor negotiating surrender - lawyers
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Lawyers for Michael Jackson’s doctor said on Thursday they were negotiating his surrender to Los Angeles authorities, amid reports he could face an involuntary manslaughter charge within a day.
Dr. Conrad Murray, who has admitted giving the late pop singer a dose of the powerful anesthetic propofol as a sleep aid, is expected to be formally charged on Friday with involuntary manslaughter, celebrity website TMZ.com reported.
Murray’s lawyer, Ed Chernoff, declined comment on specifics but said in a statement on his legal firm’s website: “We are presently negotiating with the District Attorneys’ office the surrender of Dr. Murray. The specifics have not yet been agreed to and when the agreement is complete we will report further on this website.”
Genes in mother, baby raise risk of preterm birth
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Genes in the mother and the fetus play a role in the risk of preterm labor, a leading cause of infant death and disability, U.S. government researchers said on Thursday.
They said gene variants in the mother and fetus can make them susceptible to an inflammatory response to infections inside the uterus, raising the risk that a baby will be born early - before 37 weeks of gestation.
A preterm baby has a 120 times greater risk of death than a baby born full term, and survivors are at risk of breathing difficulties, bleeding into the brain, and having a significant neurologic handicap such as cerebral palsy.
Medicare cuts damage cancer care, group finds
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Changes to Medicare, the federal health plan for the elderly, may be damaging important aspects of cancer care in the United States, according to a study released on Thursday.
They found that many centers offering cancer care are losing money on patients and predicted that some may be forced out of business.
The Community Oncology Alliance, which commissioned the report, said the findings have implications for healthcare reform in Congress but also require immediate attention from Medicare.
More People Buying Prescription Drugs to Treat Digestive Conditions
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The number of Americans buying prescription drugs to treat digestive conditions climbed over 50 percent, rising from 18.1 million to 29 million people between 1997 and 2007, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Total annual spending for these drugs increased from $7 billion to nearly $19 billion from from 1997 to 2007 ( in 2007 dollars).
Other findings include:
• The proportion of children ages 17 and younger who had at least one prescription drug for a digestive condition purchased rose from 1.5 percent to 2.5 percent. This trend held true for seniors - increasing from 18.6 percent to 26.6 percent - and for 18 to 64 year olds - rising from 6.4 percent to 8.9 percent.
Medical journal retracts autism paper 12 years on
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The Lancet medical journal formally retracted a paper on Tuesday that caused a 12-year international battle over links between the three-in-one childhood MMR vaccine and autism.
The paper, published in 1998 and written by British doctor Andrew Wakefield, suggested the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) shot might be linked to autism and bowel disease.
His assertion, since widely discredited, caused one of the biggest medical rows in a generation and led to a steep drop in the number of vaccinations in the United States, Britain and other parts of Europe, prompting a rise in cases of measles.
Parkinson’s disease research uncovers social barrier
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People with Parkinson’s disease suffer social difficulties simply because of the way they talk, a McGill University researcher has discovered. Marc Pell, at McGill’s School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, has learned that many people develop negative impressions about individuals with Parkinson’s disease, based solely on how they communicate. These perceptions limit opportunities for social interaction and full participation in society for those with the disease, reducing their quality of life. Pell’s research offers the public a better understanding of the difficulties these patients face – as well as an opportunity to promote greater inclusiveness.
The research was conducted in collaboration with Abhishek Jaywant, a research trainee in McGill’s Neuropragmatics and Emotion Lab, and with financial support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec.
Aging adults both with and without Parkinson’s were recorded as they described visual scenes. Their voices were then played to listeners who were unaware of the speaker’s health status. Those with Parkinson’s disease were perceived as less interested, less involved, less happy and less friendly than aging speakers without the disease. Negative impressions of their personality were specifically related to changes in the speaking voices caused by the disease, not the ability to describe the scenes.
Loss of “Guardian Angel” Gene Prompts Premature Birth
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Mutation of a gene that helps protect the body from genetic instability leads to cellular and molecular changes in the pregnant uterus that trigger premature birth, according to a study appearing online Feb. 1 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
The research by scientists in the Division of Reproductive Sciences, part of the Perinatal Institute at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, sheds new light on the still poorly understood genetic and physiological reasons for preterm births. The findings could help lead to the development of new strategies for treating and preventing prematurity, according to Sudhansu K. Dey, Ph.D., director of Reproductive Sciences at Cincinnati Children’s and the study’s senior investigator.
“Preterm birth and prematurity are problems that pose huge long-term social and economic liabilities, and there is an urgent need for research with new approaches to combat this public health concern,” Dr. Dey said.
China investigates as melamine-tainted milk reappears
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China has launched nationwide checks for melamine-tainted milk products after the industrial compound, which killed at least six children in 2008, reappeared on shop shelves, an official newspaper said on Tuesday.
Leftovers of milk powder laced with melamine, which can give a fake positive on protein tests, have been reused as raw materials for dairy products despite an earlier crackdown, the People’s Daily said, citing a conference held by the State Food and Drug Administration.
Batches of dairy products made by three Chinese companies were forced off market shelves in the southwestern province of Guizhou last month after testing positive for melamine.
Mammograms may be overused in women with dementia
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Some elderly women with severe cognitive impairment are getting mammography breast cancer screening even though they are unlikely to ever benefit from it, a new study finds.
Researchers found that among more than 2,100 U.S. women age 70 and older, 18 percent of those with advanced cognitive impairment had received a screening mammogram in the past two years.
This was despite the fact that these women would likely fall into a group that, according to guidelines, should not routinely have mammography screening.
Michelle Obama makes obesity campaign personal
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First lady Michelle Obama framed her national campaign against childhood obesity in intensely personal terms Thursday, relating that her own daughters were starting to get off-track before the family’s pediatrician gave her a wake-up call and warned her to watch it.
“In my eyes, I thought my children were perfect,” the first lady said. “I didn’t see the changes.”
But the family’s pediatrician, she said, kept a close eye on trends in African-American children and “warned that he was concerned that something was getting off-balance.” The doctor “cautioned me that I had to take a look at my own children’s BMI,” or body mass index, the first lady said.
Can intervention prevent adult obesity for overweight teens?
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Paris Woods is hardly a poster child for the obesity epidemic. Lining up dripping wet with kids on her swim team, she’s a blend of girlish chunkiness and womanly curves.
In street clothes — roomy pink sweats or skimpy tank tops revealing broad, brown swimmers’ shoulders — the teen blends in with her friends, a fresh-faced, robust-looking All-American girl.
That’s the problem.
Like nearly one-third of American teens, Paris Woods is overweight. Her doctor worries her weight will creep up into the obesity range. One out of four black girls her age is obese.
Michelle Obama asks mayors to help reduce obesity
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First lady Michelle Obama is asking mayors to help reduce childhood obesity.
In a speech Wednesday to the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Washington, Mrs. Obama said mayors are among the first to see what’s happening to the people they serve.
Government figures show that almost one in three children are overweight, and 17 percent are obese.
Michelle Obama makes obesity campaign personal
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Campaigning against childhood obesity, first lady Michelle Obama says she knows firsthand how tough it can be for stressed parents to fix their kids’ bad eating and exercise habits.
The first lady said her own daughters were starting to get off-track before their pediatrician warned her to watch it. She says the family turned things around by cutting out weekday TV time, paying more attention to portion sizes and sneaking more fruits and vegetables onto the table.
