Tag: obesity

Snack tax may be more effective than a sugary drink tax to tackle obesity: Effect was double that seen for similar price increase on sugar sweetened drinks

Taxing high sugar snacks such as biscuits, cakes, and sweets might be more effective at reducing obesity levels than increasing the price of sugar sweetened drinks, suggests a study published by The BMJ today. The researchers say this option “is worthy of further research and consideration as part of an integrated approach to tackling obesity.”

Certain metabolites linked to stem cell function in the intestine: Molecules called ketone bodies may improve stem cells’ ability to regenerate new intestinal tissue

MIT biologists have discovered an unexpected effect of a ketogenic, or fat-rich, diet: They showed that high levels of ketone bodies, molecules produced by the breakdown of fat, help the intestine to maintain a large pool of adult stem cells, which are crucial for keeping the intestinal lining healthy. The researchers also found that intestinal

New, healthier ‘butter’ spread almost entirely water

Cornell University food scientists have created a new low-calorie ‘butter’ spread that consists mostly of water. A tablespoon of this low-calorie spread has 2.8 grams of fat and 25.2 calories. Butter, on the other hand, which is 84% fat and about 16% water, has about 11 grams of fat and nearly 100 calories. They figured

Early onset of menstruation associated with higher risk of type 2 diabetes: Large-scale study confirms association may be partially mediated by body mass index

Diabetes is a global health concern expected to affect 693 million people worldwide by 2045. It’s been well documented how diet and exercise influence risk of type 2 diabetes; however, a new study suggests that early menarche also is associated with a higher risk, but body mass index (BMI) may mediate this association. Study results

Weight stigma in men associated with harmful health consequences

Men’s health may be compromised by weight stigma, finds the latest research from the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut. Weight stigma is pervasive against people with obesity, and can contribute to both physical and emotional health problems for those targeted. As many as 40% of men report experiencing

Exercise improves brain function in overweight and obese individuals

New findings out of the University of Tübingen show that, on top of its benefits for metabolism, mood, and general health, exercise also improves brain function. In recent studies, researchers learned that obese and overweight individuals are prone to insulin resistance in the brain, where it provides information about current nutritional status, as well as

Obesity causes more instances of cancer than smoking

Fat cells trigger the growth of extra hormones and also causes cells in the body to divide faster. This, in turn, increases the chance of manufacturing cancerous cells in the body. For the longest time, smoking has been held as the primary cause of cancer. Now, according to a report in BBC, obesity can cause more

Obesity has become the new normal but it’s still a health risk

Nike’s London store recently introduced a plus-sized mannequin to display its active clothing range which goes up to a size 32. The mannequin triggered a cascade of responses ranging from outrage to celebration. One side argues that the mannequin normalizes obesity and leads obese people to feel that they are healthy when in fact they

The brain consumes half of a child’s energy — and that could matter for weight gain: New paper proposes that variation in brain energy expenditure during childhood could be linked to obesity risk

Weight gain occurs when an individual’s energy intake exceeds their energy expenditure — in other words, when calories in exceed calories out. What is less well understood is the fact that, on average, nearly half of the body’s energy is used by the brain during early childhood. In a new paper published in the journal

Overweight soon before Smoking most common cancer cause

Health expert warns: obesity is the new Smoking Simon Stevens is chief of the National Health Service (NHS), the health authority in the UK. On the world’s largest cancer conference of the health expert warned of the massive health impact of the growing number of Obese brings with it. “Obesity is the new Smoking”, warns

It’s OK to indulge once in a while, study suggests: The body adapts to occasional short-term overeating: Body focuses on removing glucose to preserve insulin sensitivity in short-term overeating bout

Overeating has been found to impair blood sugar (glucose) control and insulin levels. A new study suggests that the duration of a bout of overeating can affect how the body adapts glucose and insulin processing when calorie intake increases. The article is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology — Endocrinology and

Cognitive functioning does not predict weight-loss outcome for adolescents: Adolescents with cognitive impairments and intellectual disabilities have similar weight-loss trajectories to peers after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy

Young people with cognitive impairments and developmental disabilities, including Down syndrome, have similar weight-loss trajectories to those with typical cognitive function after bariatric surgery, according to a new study in Pediatrics authored by psychologists at Children’s National Health System. The study is the first to look at post-surgical outcomes for this subgroup of adolescent bariatric

People with obesity often ‘dehumanized,’ study finds

New research, published in Obesity, has found that people with obesity are not only stigmatised, but are blatantly dehumanised. Obesity is now very common in most of developed countries. Around one third of US adults and one quarter of UK adults are now medically defined as having obesity. However, obesity is a complex medical condition

Depression, obesity and pain could be treated by targeting one protein

Depression, obesity and chronic pain could all be treated ‘by blocking the SAME protein’ Scientists blocked protein FKBP51 for the first time without also affecting others Hope will lead to treatment in humans; FKBP51 is also being tested in cancer FKBP51 has many functions from regulating glucose to stress management  e-mail 8 View comments Depression, obesity