ScienceDaily: Obesity News

Beliefs about causes of obesity may impact weight, eating behavior

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:38:38 EDT

Whether a person believes obesity is caused by overeating or by a lack of exercise predicts his or her actual body mass, according to new research.

Parenting and home environment influence children's exercise and eating habits

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:36:36 EDT

Kids whose moms encourage them to exercise and eat well, and model those healthy behaviors themselves, are more likely to be active and healthy eaters, according to researchers. Their findings remind parents that they are role models for their children, and underscore the importance of parental policies promoting physical activity and healthy eating.

Diet may affect Alzheimer's disease risk

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:28:28 EDT

The lipidation states (or modifications) in certain proteins in the brain that are related to the development of Alzheimer disease appear to differ depending on genotype and cognitive diseases, and levels of these protein and peptides appear to be influenced by diet, according to a new report.

Obesity leads to brain inflammation, and low testosterone makes it worse

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:28:28 EDT

Low testosterone worsens the harmful effects of obesity in the nervous system, a new study in mice finds.

Obesity associated with hearing loss in adolescents

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:07:07 EDT

Obese adolescents are more likely than their normal-weight counterparts to have hearing loss, according to results of a new study. Findings showed that obese adolescents had increased hearing loss across all frequencies and were almost twice as likely to have unilateral (one-sided) low-frequency hearing loss.

High-fat diet during pregnancy contributes to offspring's increased weight

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:20:20 EDT

Exposure to a high-fat diet in the womb and after birth can permanently change the cells in the brain that control food intake, predisposing monkeys to overeating and an increased preference for fatty and sugary foods, a new study finds.

Prenatal exposure to BPA affects fat tissues in sheep

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:21:21 EDT

New research suggests that fetal exposure to the common environmental chemical bisphenol A, or BPA, causes increased inflammation in fat tissues after birth, which can lead to obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Bariatric surgery restores nerve cell properties altered by diet

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:13:13 EDT

Understanding how gastric bypass surgery changes the properties of nerve cells that help regulate the digestive system could lead to new treatments that produce the same results without surgery, according to scientists who have shown how surgery restores some properties of nerve cells that tell people their stomachs are full.

Vitamin D deficiency may raise allergy and asthma risk in obese children, teens

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:11:11 EDT

One reason why obese children and teenagers are more likely to have hard-to-control asthma and allergies may be vitamin D deficiency, a new study finds.

Weight loss improves memory and alters brain activity in overweight women

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:09:09 EDT

Memory improves in older, overweight women after they lose weight by dieting, and their brain activity actually changes in the regions of the brain that are important for memory tasks, a new study finds.

Too little sleep may trigger the 'munchies' by raising levels of an appetite-controlling molecule

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:09:09 EDT

Insufficient sleep may contribute to weight gain and obesity by raising levels of a substance in the body that is a natural appetite stimulant, a new study finds.

Drugs used to treat heart failure and high blood pressure may help decrease obesity

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:09:09 EDT

A type of drug normally used to treat heart failure and high blood pressure helped prevent weight gain and other complications related to a high-fat diet in an animal study.

Excessive salt consumption appears to be bad for your bones

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:09:09 EDT

A high-salt diet raises a woman’s risk of breaking a bone after menopause, no matter what her bone density is, according to a new study.

Adolescents' high-fat diet impairs memory and learning

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:08:08 EDT

A high-fat diet in adolescence appears to have long-lasting effects on learning and memory during adulthood, a new study in mice finds.

Short-term antidepressant use, stress, high-fat diet linked to long-term weight gain

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:08:08 EDT

Short-term use of antidepressants, combined with stress and a high-fat diet, is associated with long-term increases in body weight, a new animal study finds.

Obese male mice father offspring with higher levels of body fat

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 15:52:52 EDT

Male mice who were fed a high-fat diet and became obese were more likely to father offspring who also had higher levels of body fat, a new study finds. The effect was observed primarily in male offspring, despite their consumption of a low-fat diet, scientists reported.

Advances in genetic sequencing diagnose Paralympic hopeful's rare condition

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 15:52:52 EDT

National Paracycling Champion Tom Staniford has an extremely rare condition which, until now, has puzzled his doctors. He is unable to store fat under his skin -- yet has type 2 diabetes -- and suffered hearing loss as a child. Now, thanks to advances in genome sequencing, an international research team has identified Tom's condition and pinpointed the single genetic mutation that causes it.

Overweight and obese patients less likely to achieve remission in early rheumatoid arthritis

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 08:26:26 EDT

Overweight and obese patients are less likely to achieve successful remission in early rheumatoid arthritis compared to those of normal weight.

BPA linked to obesity risk in puberty-age girls

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 17:33:33 EDT

Girls between nine and 12 years of age with higher-than-average levels of bisphenol-A (BPA) in their urine had double the risk of being obese than girls with lower levels of BPA, according to a new study.

Lab experiments question effectiveness of green coffee bean weight-loss supplements

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:31:31 EDT

A major ingredient in those green coffee bean dietary supplements -- often touted as "miracle" weight-loss products -- doesn't prevent weight gain in obese laboratory mice fed a high-fat diet when given at higher doses. A new study also linked the ingredient to an unhealthy build-up of fat in the liver.

Cocoa may help fight obesity-related inflammation

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:31:31 EDT

A few cups of hot cocoa may not only fight off the chill of a winter's day, but they could also help obese people better control inflammation-related diseases, such as diabetes, according to new research.

Obesity increases risk of preterm delivery

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 16:19:19 EDT

The risk of preterm delivery increases with maternal overweight and obesity, according to a new Swedish study. Women with the highest Body Mass Index (BMI) also had the highest statistical risk of giving preterm birth – and especially extremely preterm birth.

Obesity can be predicted from infancy, researchers find

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 11:17:17 EDT

Infants as young as two months old already exhibit growth patterns that can predict the child's weight by age 5, according to researchers.

Men with prostate cancer should eat healthy vegetable fats, study suggests

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 19:29:29 EDT

Men with prostate cancer may significantly improve their survival chances with a simple change in their diet, a new study has found.

Brain circuits link obsessive-compulsive behavior and obesity

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 15:20:20 EDT

A new study suggests that the brain circuits that control obsessive-compulsive behavior are intertwined with circuits that control food intake and body weight.

Parents with heavy TV viewing more likely to feed children junk food

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 10:17:17 EDT

If your preschooler thinks a cheeseburger is healthy, you may want to reconsider how you watch TV. A recent study found commercial TV viewing, as opposed to commercial-free digitally recorded TV or other media without food advertising, in the home was related to greater junk food consumption.

Nontoxic cancer therapy proves effective against metastatic cancer

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 19:01:01 EDT

A combination of dietary and hyperbaric oxygen therapies effectively increased survival time in a mouse model of aggressive metastatic cancer, a new research team found. The study demonstrates the potential of these cost-effective, nontoxic therapies to positively contribute to current cancer treatment regimens.

Obese mums may pass health risks on to grandchildren

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 10:44:44 EDT

Health problems linked to obesity -- like heart disease and diabetes -- could skip an entire generation, a new study suggests.

Obese patients trust diet advice from overweight physicians more than normal weight physicians

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 15:33:33 EDT

New study indicates overweight and obese patients trust weight-related counseling from overweight physicians more than normal weight physicians and patients seeing an obese primary care physician were more likely to perceive weight-related stigma.

Early-life risk factors account for racial and ethnic disparities in childhood obesity

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 16:37:37 EDT

A new prospective study finds that the increased prevalence of obesity and overweight among black and Hispanic children can largely be explained by early-life risk factors such as rapid infant weight gain, early introduction of solid foods and a lack of exclusive breast feeding.

Good kidney health begins before birth

Thu, 30 May 2013 19:24:24 EDT

Researchers have found that conditions in the womb can affect kidney development and have serious health implications for the child not only immediately after birth, but decades later.

Epigenetic biomarkers may predict if a specific diet and exercise regimen will work

Thu, 30 May 2013 09:49:49 EDT

Would you try a diet and exercise regimen knowing in advance it would actually help you lose weight? New research shows that this could become reality. Scientists have identified five epigenetic biomarkers in adolescents associated with better weight loss at the beginning of a weight loss program. This could help predict an individual's response to weight loss intervention, and offer targets for enhancing a weight loss program's effects.

People lie about their health related behaviors: Truth in barcodes

Wed, 29 May 2013 12:10:10 EDT

People lie about their health related behaviors. It’s a problem that has long bedeviled health research on issues ranging from diet to exercise to smoking. And it’s not just that we have faulty memories. Many of us stretch the truth to make ourselves seem more virtuous in the eyes of the person in the white coat. That makes drawing conclusions about behaviors that affect health from self-reported records tricky.

Childhood abuse linked with food addiction in adult women

Wed, 29 May 2013 10:15:15 EDT

Women who experienced severe physical or sexual abuse during childhood are much more likely to have a food addiction as adults than women who did not experience such abuse, according to a new study. The study's findings provide valuable new information regarding potential causes and treatments for food addiction and obesity.

Nordic diet lowers cholesterol, study finds

Wed, 29 May 2013 10:15:15 EDT

A healthy Nordic diet lowers cholesterol levels, and therefore the risk of cardiovascular disease, a pan-Nordic study has found. There was also decreased inflammation associated with pre-diabetes. The subjects who ate a Nordic diet had lower levels of harmful LDL cholesterol and higher levels of “good" HDL cholesterol.

Sea anemone venom-derived compound effective in anti-obesity studies

Mon, 27 May 2013 15:36:36 EDT

A synthetic compound ShK-186, originally derived from a sea anemone toxin, has been found to enhance metabolic activity and shows potential as a treatment for obesity and insulin resistance.

Future doctors unaware of their obesity bias

Thu, 23 May 2013 22:37:37 EDT

Two out of five medical students have an unconscious bias against obese people, according to a new study.

Children of married parents less likely to be obese

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:20:20 EDT

Children living in households where the parents are married are less likely to be obese, according to new research.

Overeating learned in infancy, study suggests

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:12:12 EDT

Research shows that clinical obesity at 24 months of age strongly traces back to infant feeding patterns.

Addiction to unhealthy foods could help explain the global obesity epidemic, research suggests

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:58:58 EDT

New research shows that high-fructose corn syrup can cause behavioral reactions in rats similar to those produced by drugs of abuse such as cocaine. These results suggest food addiction could explain, at least partly, the current global obesity epidemic.

Genetic risk for obesity found in many Mexican young adults

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:26:26 EDT

As many as 35 percent of Mexican young adults may have a genetic predisposition for obesity, said a University of Illinois scientist who conducted a study at the Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosw.

Child maltreatment increases risk of adult obesity

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:57:57 EDT

Children who have suffered maltreatment are 36 percent more likely to be obese in adulthood compared to non-maltreated children, according to a new study. The authors estimate that the prevention or effective treatment of seven cases of child maltreatment could avoid one case of adult obesity.

Women who smoke during pregnancy increase the risk of both obesity and gestational diabetes in their daughters

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:54:54 EDT

Women who smoke during pregnancy increase the risk of both obesity and gestational diabetes, in their daughters.

Mediterranean diet seems to boost aging brain power

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:54:54 EDT

A Mediterranean diet with added extra virgin olive oil or mixed nuts seems to improve the brain power of older people better than advising them to follow a low-fat diet, according to new research.

Gym class reduces probability of obesity, study finds for first time

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:36:36 EDT

Little is known about the effect of physical education on child weight, but a new study finds that increasing the amount of time that elementary schoolchildren spent in gym class reduces the probability of obesity.

Do Men's and Women's Hearts Burn Fuel Differently?

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:35:35 EDT

Gender specific shifts in cardiac metabolism under stress may shed light on heart disease.

Link between childhood ADHD and obesity revealed in first long-term study

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:39:39 EDT

A new study found men diagnosed as children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were twice as likely to be obese in a 33-year follow-up study compared to men who were not diagnosed with the condition.

Vicious cycle: Obesity sustained by changes in brain biochemistry

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:55:55 EDT

Scientists have shown that in the brain cells of rats, obesity impedes the production of a hormone that curbs appetite and inspires calorie burning. The root cause appears to be a breakdown in the protein-processing mechanism of the cells. In the lab, the researchers showed they could fix the breakdown with drugs.

Intestinal bacterium Akkermansia curbs obesity

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:37:37 EDT

A dominant and useful bacterium called Akkermansia muciniphila is present in the intestinal system of all humans, from babies to the elderly. This microorganism is found in the intestinal mucus layer that protects against intruders. Even more remarkable is that this bacterium has a favorable effect on the disrupted metabolism associated with obesity.

Body fat hardens arteries after middle age

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:53:53 EDT

Having too much body fat makes arteries become stiff after middle age, a new study has revealed.

Fish oil may stall effects of junk food on brain

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:14:14 EDT

Data from more than 180 research papers suggests fish oils could minimize the effects that junk food can have on the brain, a review has shown.

Super-sized citizens: The relationship between a country's fast-food outlets and its obesity rates

Fri, 10 May 2013 07:54:54 EDT

Many studies have linked the meals served at fast-food outlets to obesity, but is there a relationship between the number of restaurants in a country and the girth of its population?

Nobody likes a 'fat-talker,' study shows

Thu, 09 May 2013 15:45:45 EDT

Women who engage in "fat talk" -- the self-disparaging remarks girls and women make in relation to eating, exercise or their bodies -- are less liked by their peers, a new study from the University of Notre Dame finds.

Excessive weight gain during pregnancy increases risk of lacerations during childbirth

Tue, 07 May 2013 16:42:42 EDT

Excessive weight gain during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of lacerations during vaginal childbirth, according to a new study. Among more than 1,000 women who participated in the study, 126 experienced a significant increase in their body mass index (BMI), both +1 and +2 category changes, according to the criteria established by the World Health Organization (WHO). Of those women, 85.5 percent experienced lacerations compared to 69 percent with no change in BMI category.

Discovery of new hormone opens doors to new type 2 diabetes treatments

Tue, 07 May 2013 13:45:45 EDT

Researchers have discovered that a particular type of protein (hormone) found in fat cells helps regulate how glucose (blood sugar) is controlled and metabolized in the liver. Using experimental models and state-of-the-art technology, the scientists found that switching off this protein leads to better control of glucose production from the liver, revealing a potential new target that may be used to treat type 2 diabetes and other metabolic diseases.

Children's 'healthy' foods marketed at children are higher in fat, sugar and salt

Tue, 07 May 2013 13:44:44 EDT

Foods being marketed to children in UK supermarkets are less healthy than those marketed to the general population according to researchers who question whether more guidelines may be needed in regulating food marketed to children.

Childhood obesity starts at home

Sat, 04 May 2013 16:33:33 EDT

As parents, physicians and policymakers look for ways to curb childhood obesity, they may need to look no further than a child's own backyard. A new study shows that preschool children are less likely to be obese if they live in a neighborhood that is safe and within walking distance of parks and retail services.

New mouse model confirms how type 2 diabetes develops

Fri, 03 May 2013 09:41:41 EDT

Researchers have developed a new mouse model that answers the question of what actually happens in the body when type 2 diabetes develops and how the body responds to drug treatment. Long-term studies of the middle-aged mouse model will be better than previous studies at confirming how drugs for type 2 diabetes function in humans.

Dieting youth show greater brain reward activity in response to food

Thu, 02 May 2013 14:26:26 EDT

Research results imply that dieting characterized by meal skipping and fasting would be less successful than weight loss efforts characterized by intake of low energy dense healthy foods.

Gene variant appears to predict weight loss after gastric bypass

Thu, 02 May 2013 13:19:19 EDT

Researchers have identified a gene variant that helps predict how much weight an individual will lose after gastric bypass surgery, a finding with the potential both to guide treatment planning and to facilitate the development of new therapeutic approaches to treating obesity and related conditions like diabetes.