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
Banning fast-food TV ads could dent obesity
A little less “I’m Lovin’ It” could put a significant dent in the problem of childhood obesity, suggests a new study that attempts to measure the effect of TV fast-food ads. A ban on such commercials would reduce the number of obese young children by 18 percent, and the number of obese older kids by 14 percent, researchers found. They also suggested that ending an advertising... Read more
Obese kids have prematurely aged neck arteries
The neck arteries of obese children and teens look more like those of 45-year-olds, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting. “There’s a saying that ‘you’re as old as your arteries,’ meaning that the state of your arteries is more important than your actual age in the evolution of heart disease and stroke,” Dr. Geetha... Read more
High-Fat Diet While Pregnant May Produce Obese Kids
Eating a high-fat diet during pregnancy causes permanent changes in the fetal brain that can result in overeating and obesity early in life, according to a study with rats. The researchers from Rockefeller University in New York City said their finding is an important advance in understanding mechanisms of fetal programming. It also sheds light on the production of new brain cells, helping to explain... Read more
Weight loss surgery may improve IVF outcomes
Preliminary findings from patients who underwent obesity surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, at Washington University in St. Louis, indicate that this procedure used to induce weight loss may improve the ability of morbidly obese women to conceive after undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). Meanwhile, a second study conducted at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York, suggests... Read more
Obese Kids Have Old Arteries
Kids these days are 13 going on 45, at least when it comes to their arteries. According to research presented Tuesday at the American Heart Association’s annual scientific sessions in New Orleans, obese adolescents had arteries more representative of someone three decades older. “These data further illustrate the potential detrimental effects of obesity and its related risk factors, particularly... Read more
Obesity and Your Child
If your child is at an unhealthy, or even dangerous weight, and weight-loss efforts at home aren’t successful, you may want to try a professional weight-loss program. The Cleveland Clinic offers the following recommendations when choosing a child’s weight-loss program: The program should employ an array of health professionals, including physicians, dietitians, psychiatrists and exercise... Read more