Obesity traditionally has been defined as a weight at least 20% above the weight corresponding to the lowest death rate for individuals of a specific height, gender, and age (ideal weight). Twenty to forty percent over ideal weight is considered mildly obese; 40?100% over ideal weight is considered moderately obese; and 100% over ideal weight is considered severely, or morbidly, obese.
Large weight gains most likely for men after divorce, women after marriage – Both marriage and divorce can act as “weight shocks,” leading people to add a few extra pounds-especially among those over age 30-according to new research to be presented at the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association. But when it comes to large weight gains, the effects of marital transitions are quite different for men than they are for women.
Weight loss improves sexual health of overweight men with diabetes – Modest weight loss and diet of high nutritional quality improves erectile function, sexual desire and lowers urinary tract symptoms in obese men with type 2 diabetes. This is evidenced in a new study.
Obesity counseling should focus on neurobehavioral processes, not personal choice, researchers say – Current approaches to dietary counseling for obesity are heavily rooted in the notion of personal choice and will power ? the ability to choose healthy foods and portion sizes consistent with weight loss while foregoing sweets and comfort foods. According to preventive medicine and behavioral experts at Rush University Medical Center, research supports a new counseling approach that views obesity as a result of neurobehavioral processes – ways in which the brain controls eating behavior in response to cues in the environment.
Fat substitutes linked to weight gain — Rats on high-fat diet gained more weight after eating low-calorie potato chips made with fat substitutes – Eating food which is naturally low in fat and calories may be a better route than relying on fat substitutes or artificial sweeteners. Synthetic fat substitutes used in low-calorie potato chips and other foods could backfire and contribute to weight gain and obesity, according to a study published by the American Psychological Association.
Children as young as 10 vomit to lose weight, with highest rates in boys — Study of nearly 16,000 schoolchildren showed that 10 percent of girls and 16 percent of boys made themselves vomit – Children as young as ten are making themselves vomit in order to lose weight and the problem is more common in boys than girls, according to a study of nearly 16,000 school pupils published by the Journal of Clinical Nursing. Self-induced vomiting is an early sign that children could develop eating disorders and serious psychological problems, such as binge eating and anorexia.
Low-carb, higher-fat diets add no arterial health risks to obese people seeking to lose weight – Overweight and obese people looking to drop some pounds and considering one of the popular low-carbohydrate diets, along with moderate exercise, need not worry that the higher proportion of fat in such a program compared to a low-fat, high-carb diet may harm their arteries, suggests a pair of new studies by heart and vascular researchers at Johns Hopkins.
Pennington Biomedical Research Center Study Suggests Decreases in U. S. Occupation Energy Levels a Significant Trigger of Obesity Epidemic – The decrease in workplace physical activity over the past fifty years is a significant contributor to the obesity epidemic. Changes in caloric intake cannot solely account for observed trends in weight gain increases for men and women in the United States.
‘Master switch’ gene for obesity and diabetes discovered — Researchers have found that a gene linked to type 2 diabetes and cholesterol levels is in fact a ‘master regulator’ gene, which controls the behavior of other genes found within fat in the body – A team of researchers, led by King’s College London and the University of Oxford, have found that a gene linked to type 2 diabetes and cholesterol levels is in fact a ‘master regulator’ gene, which controls the behaviour of other genes found within fat in the body.
Turning ‘bad’ fat into ‘good’: A future treatment for obesity? — Johns Hopkins researchers transform inert white fat into brown fat to burn off calories and weight – By knocking down the expression of a protein in rat brains known to stimulate eating, Johns Hopkins researchers say they not only reduced the animals’ calorie intake and weight, but also transformed their fat into a type that burns off more energy. The finding could lead to better obesity treatments for humans, the scientists report.
Severe obesity not seen to increase risk of depression in teens — Study does find possibly greater vulnerability among white adolescents – According to a new study, severely obese adolescents are no more likely to be depressed than normal weight peers. The study, which has been released in the Journal of Adolescent Health, did find that white adolescents may be somewhat more vulnerable to psychological effects of obesity.
Weight loss improves memory, according to Kent State researcher – John Gunstad, an associate professor in Kent State University’s Department of Psychology, and a team of researchers have discovered a link between weight loss and improved memory and concentration. The study shows that bariatric surgery patients exhibited improved memory function 12 weeks after their operations.
Blueberries may inhibit development of fat cells – Using blueberry polyphenols, researcers were able to inhibit obesity at a molecular stage. The study was performed in tissue cultures taken from mice. The polyphenols showed a dose-dependent suppression of adipocyte differentiation.
