Obesity

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.

Low carb, higher fat diets cause no arterial health risks

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.

Workplace physical activity linked to obesity epidemic

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

‘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

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.

Obesity not seen to increase risk of depression in teens

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 may improve memory and concentration

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 in obese

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.

QNEXA for Weight Loss in obesity – CONQUER study

QNEXA? Phase 3 Data in The Lancet Show Significant Weight Loss and Broad Improvements in Co-Morbidities – VIVUS, Inc. (NASDAQ: VVUS) announced that detailed results from the 56-week CONQUER study were published in The Lancet evaluating the efficacy and safety of investigational drug QNEXA in 2,487 patients across 93 sites in the US.

Good sleep and less stress better for weight loss

Moderate sleep and less stress may help with weight loss — Kaiser Permanente study finds people who slept 6-8 hours a night and reported lower stress levels lost more weight – A new Kaiser Permanente study found that people trying to lose at least 10 pounds were more likely to reach that goal if they had lower stress levels and slept more than six hours but not more than eight hours a night.

New gene sites linked to obesity and fat distribution

Studies provide new insights into the genetics of obesity and fat distribution – An international consortium has made significant inroads into uncovering the genetic basis of obesity by identifying 18 new gene sites associated with overall obesity and 13 that affect fat distribution.