Obesity risk might turn teens off smoking

Telling teenage would-be smokers that lighting up may make them fat down the road may be a more effective deterrent than harping on the risks of heart disease and cancer from smoking, hints research published in the latest issue of the American Journal of Public Health. In a study, Finnish researchers found that smoking during adolescence strongly predicted the development of abdominal obesity in adulthood,... Read more

Study finds Genetic Variants linked to Obesity

Certain people just may be destined to be obese, based on the discovery of six additional genetic variants tied to people with higher body mass index, a new study says. The study by an international consortium, published online Dec. 14 in Nature Genetics, adds to previous research that linked two other genetic variants to obesity. “One of the interesting things is that the genes near these variants... Read more

Fast Heart Rate Warns of Obesity, Diabetes

A too-fast heartbeat in early adulthood is a warning sign for increased risk of cardiovascular problems decades later on, a Japanese study suggests. The study of 614 residents of a rural farming community in southwestern Japan found that a heart rate greater than 80 beats a minute during a first examination in 1979 predicted the development of obesity and diabetes, which contribute to heart problems. The... Read more

Family lifestyle equals genes in obesity risk

Obesity can run in families, but family lifestyle has just as much to do with teenagers’ weight as their genes do, new research shows. “What we do as a family — our family lifestyles — matters for weight. Lifestyles aren’t just about individual behaviors,” study author Dr. Molly A. Martin, Pennsylvania State University in University Park said. The study is the first... Read more

Obesity may raise headache risk

Being overweight or obese may increase the likelihood of having severe headaches and migraines, new study findings suggest. An increased prevalence of headache may be associated with being underweight as well. In analyses of 7,601 adult men and women, Dr. Earl S. Ford and colleagues at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, report that being overweight or obese increased the... Read more

Exercise Eases Obesity and Anger in Kids

Overweight kids may be able to work out their anger with exercise, a new report finds. A study of sedentary but otherwise healthy 7- to 11-year-olds found they reduced both their weight and anger issues by taking part in a 10- to 15-week after-school aerobic exercise program. The finding applied to children across lines such as race, gender and socioeconomic status, as well as regardless of how fit... Read more

Obese children risk thyroid damage

Obese children may be damaging their thyroids, creating a vicious cycle of metabolism and overweight, Italian researchers reported on Wednesday. Obesity may cause inflammation that damages the thyroid, which secretes hormones to regulate metabolism and other important functions, Dr. Giorgio Radetti of the Regional Hospital of Bolzano in Italy and colleagues said. They evaluated 186 overweight and obese... Read more

Fat-Sensing Hormones Might Fight Obesity

As you push your chair back from the Thanksgiving table this year, a molecule produced in the small intestine will be swarming through your bloodstream, ready to register on your brain the impact of the fat you’ve just consumed. For now, the signal might keep you feeling full for a while. But, researchers are hoping that one day variations of this family of hormones — known as N-acylphosphatidylethanolamines,... Read more

Obesity, lack of exercise reported in asthmatics

Study findings suggest less than one quarter of asthmatic adults meet national exercise guidelines and, among this group, obesity may be a greater exercise deterrent actual asthma symptoms. People with asthma may get caught in a vicious cycle, note Dr. Carol A. Mancuso and colleagues from Weill Cornell Medical College and the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. “Obesity leads to worse... Read more

High-protein meals may help overweight burn fat

Higher-protein meals may help overweight and obese people burn more fat, the results of a small study suggest. Research has shown that overweight people are less efficient at burning fat after a meal than thinner people are. In the new study, Australian researchers looked at whether the protein composition of a meal affects that weight-related gap. They found that overweight men and women burned more... Read more

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