BMI is a measurement of the relative percentages of fat and muscle mass in the human body, in which mass in kilograms is divided by height in meters squared and the result used as an index of obesity.
Obese women who have bariatric surgery before getting pregnant are at significantly lower risk for developing dangerous hypertensive disorders during pregnancy. – Obese women who undergo bariatric surgery before having a baby have a much lower risk of developing serious health problems during pregnancy, finds a study published on bmj.com today.
Extreme obesity affecting more children at younger ages — Electronic health records used to study 711,000 children – Extreme obesity is affecting more children at younger ages, with 12 percent of black teenage girls, 11.2 percent of Hispanic teenage boys, 7.3 percent of boys and 5.5 percent of girls now classified as extremely obese.
Women who drink moderately appear to gain less weight than nondrinkers – Normal-weight women who drink a light to moderate amount of alcohol appear to gain less weight and have a lower risk of becoming overweight and obese than non-drinkers.
Weight loss diets significantly reverse arterial clogging — Ben-Gurion University study — 2-year study reveals that carotid artery atherosclerosis reduction is due to weight loss-induced decline in blood pressure from either low-carbohydrate, low-fat or Mediterranean diets – A two-year study led by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) found that healthy, long-term weight loss diets can significantly reverse carotid (main brain artery) atherosclerosis, a direct risk factor for strokes and heart attacks.
UNC study: Obese 3-year-olds show early warning signs for future heart disease – Obese children as young as 3 years old have elevated levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation that in adults is considered an early warning sign for possible future heart disease, revealed by researchers.
‘Overweight’ adults age 70 or older are less likely to die over a 10-year period than those of ‘normal’ weight: new study calls into question current BMI guidelines for older adults – Adults aged over 70 years who are classified as overweight are less likely to die over a ten year period than adults who are in the ‘normal’ weight range.
Study links reduced fertility to flame retardant exposure – Women with higher blood levels of PBDEs, a type of flame retardant commonly found in household consumer products, took longer to become pregnant compared with women who have lower PBDE levels.
The effect of maternal child marriage on morbidity and mortality of children under 5 in India. – Infants born to child brides in India (married before the age of 18) have a higher risk of malnutrition than children born to older mothers, revealed in a new study.
Prevalence of Obesity Among U.S. Adults Still High, But Recent Data Suggest Rates May Have Stabilized – The prevalence of adults in the U.S. who are obese is still high, with about one-third of adults obese in 2007-2008, although new data suggest that the rate of increase for obesity in the U.S. in recent decades may be slowing.
Childhood metabolic measurements may predict diabetes development years later – A child’s blood pressure, body mass index, blood glucose level and other laboratory tests and simple office measures may predict the risk of developing type 2 diabetes nine and 26 years later.
Study links restless leg syndrome with erectile dysfunction in older men – Erectile dysfunction was more common in older men with restless leg syndrome (RLS) than in those without RLS, and the magnitude of this association increased with a higher frequency of RLS symptoms, revealed by researchers.
Obesity increases the risk for obstructive sleep apnea in adolescents, but not in younger children – Being overweight or obese increases the risk for developing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adolescents but not in younger children, revealed by researchers.
