Weight Management News

More than a third of children in England are overweight/obese, finds a 20 year study of electronic health records, published online in Archives of Disease in Childhood. But the rapid rise in prevalence may be starting to level off -- at least in younger children -- the findings indicate, although there are no grounds for complacency, warn the researchers. They scrutinised … [Read more...]

A new study suggests that how one compares weight-wise with others in his or her community plays a key role in determining how satisfied the person is with his or her life. "The most interesting finding for us was that, in U.S. counties where obesity is particularly prevalent, being obese has very little negative effect on one's life satisfaction," said study co-author … [Read more...]

Using the latest connected-health technology, research from The University of Manchester indicates that the more often people engage with digital weighing scales, the more weight they lose. The findings, which are based on data gathered over a period of four years with 975 public participants, showed that the users who interacted the most with their internet-enabled scales … [Read more...]

Plasticisers such as phthalates are always found in plastics. They can get into our bodies through the skin or by the diet. They affect our hormone system and are suspected of having an influence on our body weight. The exact correlations and mechanisms have been unclear thus far. In cooperation with the Integrated Research and Treatment Center (IFB) Adiposity Diseases at the … [Read more...]

Researchers at The John B. Pierce Laboratory and the Yale School of Medicine have revealed that the ability to vividly imagine the smell of popcorn, freshly baked cookies and even non-food odors is greater in obese adults. Their research was published in the journal Appetite in August 2015 and was presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive … [Read more...]

New observations show that older bipolar patients often have decreased activity in the hormone system responsible for the secretion of the stress hormone cortisol. Low levels of cortisol in bipolar patients were also associated with depression, low quality of life, obesity, dyslipidaemia and metabolic syndrome. These discoveries could provide important clues as to how treatment … [Read more...]

A new study published today in Obesity, the journal of The Obesity Society, confirms that drinking diet beverages can help people lose weight. "This study clearly demonstrates that diet beverages can in fact help people lose weight, directly countering myths in recent years that suggest the opposite effect -- weight gain," said James O. Hill, Ph.D., executive director of the … [Read more...]

Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have found an association between obesity and the formation of blood clots in the veins of children and adolescents. While obesity is a well-established risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE) in adults, previous studies in pediatric populations have yielded mixed results. The Wake Forest Baptist investigation, however, … [Read more...]

Okay, so maybe not a thousand kilos, exactly, but a study at the University of Alicante shows how a photo diary can keep dieters motivated, making them more likely to achieve their target weight. Isaac Elías Kuzmar Daza, a medical professional from Colombia and more recently PhD student at the Universidad de Alicante (University of Alicante, UA), studied the motivation … [Read more...]

Poorer people of all ages are less likely than wealthier ones to follow recommended strategies for weight loss, finds a recent study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. "We found that compared to persons of higher household incomes, both youths and adults of lower household incomes were less likely to use strategies that are consistent with U.S. Department of … [Read more...]

Teens who mistakenly perceive themselves as overweight are actually at greater risk of obesity as adults, according to research findings forthcoming in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. "Our research shows that psychological factors are important in the development of obesity," says psychological scientist and study author … [Read more...]

Using an antioxidant to reverse inflammation in the brain caused by a high-fat diet greatly improves symptoms related to obesity and type II diabetes, a new study from New Zealand's University of Otago suggests. The research, which appears in the leading international journal Diabetes, was led by Dr Alex Tups of the University's Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department … [Read more...]

Patients undergoing bariatric surgery for severe obesity are often left with excess, sagging skin affecting all areas of the body -- including the face.The unique challenges of facelift surgery in this group of patients -- and effective techniques for addressing them -- are presented in a paper in the February issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical … [Read more...]

For several years, many have been quick to attribute rising fast-food consumption as the major factor causing rapid increases in childhood obesity. However a new study found that fast-food consumption is simply a byproduct of a much bigger problem: poor all-day-long dietary habits that originate in children's homes. The study, titled "The association of fast food consumption … [Read more...]

Scientists are investigating whether an infusion of gut hormones could help people to stop over-eating, quit smoking, or give up alcohol. The team at Imperial College London are seeking volunteers to take part in their study, in which they are giving participants compounds that mimic the action of hormones naturally produced by our stomach and intestines. The hope is that … [Read more...]

Researchers have discovered how a gene commonly linked to obesity -- FTO -- contributes to weight gain. The study shows that variations in FTO indirectly affect the function of the primary cilium, a little-understood hair-like appendage on brain and other cells. Specific abnormalities of cilium molecules, in turn, increase body weight, in some instances, by affecting the … [Read more...]

Both weight gain and weight loss in older (postmenopausal) women are associated with increased incidence of fracture, but at different anatomical sites, finds a study published in The BMJ this week. The findings also challenge the traditional view that weight gain protects against fractures. The influence of body weight on the risk of fracture is complex. Low body weight … [Read more...]

A recent Finnish study shows that high body adiposity, low physical activity, and particularly their combination are related to poorer physical fitness among 6-8 year old children. The results also suggest that physically active overweight children have better fitness compared to their inactive peers. The results published in Journal of Sports Sciences are part of the Physical … [Read more...]

There are small easy steps that we can take to tackle the burgeoning problem of obesity. One of those solutions is surprisingly simple: use smaller plates. There have been over 50 studies examining whether or not smaller plates help in reducing consumption. Despite all these studies, there is surprisingly little consensus on the effect of smaller plates. Some find that … [Read more...]

Sedentary behavior is associated with poor cardiovascular health and diabetes in adults with severe obesity, independent of how much exercise they perform, a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health-led study showed for the first time. The finding, published online and scheduled for the March issue of the journal Preventive Medicine, could be used to design … [Read more...]

Concerns have been raised over the long-term use of nutritional supplements containing chromium, after an Australian research team found the supplement is partially converted into a carcinogenic form when it enters cells. Chromium is a trace mineral found primarily in two forms. Trivalent chromium(III) picolinate and a range of other chromium(III) forms are sold as a … [Read more...]

A world-first QUT study revealing light exposure plays a role in the weight of preschool children has been published by international research journal PLOS ONE. PhD student Cassandra Pattinson and colleagues Simon Smith, Alicia Allan, Sally Staton and Karen Thorpe studied children aged three to five, from six Brisbane childcare centres. At time 1, they measured children's … [Read more...]

For a long time researchers have tracked high rates of obesity among black and Hispanic kids, but a closer look at communities shows family income matters more than race in predicting which kids are overweight. Using a model created from data on 111,799 Massachusetts students, the University of Michigan Health System showed that as poverty rises, so does the rate of obesity … [Read more...]

Weight loss at any age in adulthood is worthwhile because it could yield long-term heart and vascular benefits, suggests new research published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. The findings are from a study examining the impact of lifelong patterns of weight change on cardiovascular risk factors in a group of British men and women followed since birth in March … [Read more...]

Obese people considering weight-reducing bariatric surgery are only topped by pregnant women when it comes to how often they turn to the Internet for health advice. While most use it to read up on relevant procedures and experiences, one in every four patients actually chooses a surgeon based solely on what he or she has gleaned from, in particular, websites hosted by public … [Read more...]

Ways of keeping the heart healthy has widened, with the discovery that the brain can help fight off hardening of the arteries. Atherosclerosis -- hardening and narrowing of the arteries -- can be caused by fat build up that causes plaque deposits, and is one of the main causes of cardiovascular disease. Jessica Yue, a newly recruited researcher in the Department of … [Read more...]

When children and child-care providers sit around a table together at mealtime, passing bowls and serving themselves, children learn to recognize when they are full better than they do when food is pre-plated for them, reports a new University of Illinois study of feeding practices of two- to five-year-old children in 118 child-care centers. "Family-style meals give kids a … [Read more...]

How can Facebook aid someone in their weight loss journey? According to recent research from the Arnold School of Health at the University of South Carolina, use of the social media site can be associated with a significant drop in pounds, especially during the critical maintenance period of a weight loss journey, where support from the clinical staff decreases. Lead author … [Read more...]