There’s No Such Thing As Healthy Obesity, Says Study | TIME.com

There’s No Such Thing As Healthy Obesity, Says Study | TIME.com: There’s a persistent and controversial question dividing researchers: Can you can be very overweight and also very healthy? The research suggesting people can be healthy at any size was intriguing, and we covered it. But the tide (and the research that supports it) is turning, with many researchers saying it’s simply not possible to be fit and obese.

Obesity Epidemic to Blame for Increased Number of Diabetes Cases in U.S.

Obesity Epidemic to Blame for Increased Number of Diabetes Cases in U.S.: "There has been a staggering increase in the prevalence of obesity over the past 30 years in the United States," said researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland, via dailyrx.com.

Lead study author Elizabeth Selvin, PhD, MPH, of the university, examined diabetic conditions as defined by hemoglobin A1c or HbA1c. This is typically the blood test used to provide information on a patient's average blood sugar levels during the previous three months.

How obesity may raise breast cancer risk | Fox News

How obesity may raise breast cancer risk | Fox News: Women who have a certain genetic marker may be at increased risk for breast cancer, especially if they are overweight or obese, a new study suggests.

In the study, white women with the genetic marker were nearly 70 percent more likely to have breast cancer compared to those without the marker.






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And if women were overweight or obese and had the marker, their risk of breast cancer increased by 210 percent, compared with those who did not have the marker, the study found. The marker is found within a gene called mTOR, according to the study. [6 Foods That May Affect Breast Cancer Risk]

Mediterranean diet more effective than low-fat diet for slowing diabetes progression | Fox News

Mediterranean diet more effective than low-fat diet for slowing diabetes progression | Fox News: "There's been lots of epidemiology suggesting that a Mediterranean diet was beneficial with metabolic syndrome and diabetes," Dr. Leanne Olansky told Reuters Health.

"But this was a randomized controlled trial, so we know it really was the diet causing the results," she said. "This is the kind of evidence that we use to determine if drugs are effective."

"Everybody thinks of fat as being bad, but this shows that it depends on what kind of fat," said Olansky, an endocrinologist at the Cleveland Clinic who was not involved in the new study.

Spouses with low blood sugar get angrier at each other - Daily Dose

Spouses with low blood sugar get angrier at each other - Daily Dose: The study monitored the blood sugars of 107 married couples every evening for 21 days. The individuals were asked to fill out a questionnaire about their satisfaction with their marriage. They also received a voodoo doll of their spouse and 51 pins. The researchers found that people with lowest blood sugar levels inserted twice as many pins into the dolls compared to those with higher blood sugar.

The second half of the experiment turned the spouses against each other in a game. A square turned red on a computer screen and the person who pressed a button in response first won. The winner could make their spouse, who was in a separate room, listen to loud unpleasant sounds through headphones. People with low blood glucose made their spouses listen to the sounds for a longer period than the people who had normal blood glucose levels.

No real progress on child obesity, latest report says

No real progress on child obesity, latest report says: Reports of significant progress against child obesity in the United States have been premature, say the latest researchers to take a look at the data.

Overall child obesity rates are flat, and rates of severe obesity are rising, says a study published Monday by JAMA Pediatrics. And the idea that rates are plunging among preschoolers — heralded in a study and press release from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just weeks ago — did not stand up when researchers scrutinized a few extra years of data, says lead author Asheley Cockrell Skinner, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.

U.S. childhood obesity rates have increased since 1999: study | Reuters

U.S. childhood obesity rates have increased since 1999: study | Reuters: The new study, published online in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics, used the same data source as the CDC, but analyzed obesity rates over a different timeframe. It found increases in obesity for children age 2 to 19, and a marked rise in the percentage who were severely obese.

Asheley Cockrell Skinner of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who led the new study, said the main message of her analysis is that childhood obesity rates have not improved.

"I don't want a study like the previous one to change the national discourse," she told Reuters Health, referring to the CDC's work.

Childhood Obesity Adds Nearly $20K to Lifetime Medical Costs: Study

Childhood Obesity Adds Nearly $20K to Lifetime Medical Costs: Study: Over a lifetime, direct medical costs for an obese 10-year-old will be nearly $20,000 higher than those of slimmer peers, according to new research.

That translates to a whopping $14 billion in additional direct U.S. medical costs over a lifetime for today's obese 10-year-olds, according to the study.

And, those costs only include direct medical costs, such as medications or medical procedures related to obesity. They don't include indirect costs, such as lost productivity and quality-of-life issues, the researchers said.

Dark chocolate ingredient may prevent obesity, diabetes, study shows | Fox News

Dark chocolate ingredient may prevent obesity, diabetes, study shows | Fox News: Dark chocolate is rich in flavonols, a type of antioxidant shown to improve cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure and improving blood flow. In order to determine whether flavonols also have a protective effect on weight, researchers placed lab mice on a high-fat diet rich in flavonols.












Their results, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, demonstrated that a flavonol known as oligomeric procyanidins (PCs) seemed to have the greatest protective effect on health. Mice were able to keep their weight and blood sugar low when consuming a diet rich in PCs, even when the overall content of their diet was high-fat.

Counting Calories, Not Frequent Meals, Helps Dieters – AARP

Counting Calories, Not Frequent Meals, Helps Dieters – AARP: “The size or frequency of the meal doesn’t affect the calories we burn in a day,” said lead study author Milan Kumar Piya, a clinical lecturer with the U.K. National Institute for Health Research. “If you eat two meals or five, as long as it’s the same number of calories, there is no difference in energy expenditures, so there is no effect on weight loss,” he told HealthDay.

There was, however, one big difference between those who ate several small meals and those who didn’t. For overweight women, eating more frequently increased the amount of inflammation in the body, something that didn’t happen in women of normal weight.

Study says 'grazing' is no better for weight loss | The News Star | thenewsstar.com

Study says 'grazing' is no better for weight loss | The News Star | thenewsstar.com: For weight loss, some swear by “grazing” – eating several small meals throughout the day – instead of eating fewer meals at more traditional mealtimes.

Now, a small study comparing both approaches finds it doesn’t matter which tactic you use, as long as you reduce total calories.

8 Surprising Reasons You Should Cut Back on Coffee

8 Surprising Reasons You Should Cut Back on Coffee


A lot of scientific data exists that shows the coffee bean may not be as innocent and healthful as it seems. Some deleterious effects of coffee are as follows:

The Development Of A New Injectable Asthma Medicine? | The Almagest

The Development Of A New Injectable Asthma Medicine? | The Almagest: Rumour has it that there are drug manufacturers making a “bio race” out of a recent medical development. They are trying to develop a brand new injectable “bio tech” medicine for people whom suffer from terribly restricting cases of asthma, but happen to enjoy the use of inhalers and such. GlaxoSmithKline is the apparent “forerunner” when it comes to the development of this brand new medicine, seeing as they are already known as the leaders of asthma treatments and medicines. Although they have first place on lock down, there are plenty of companies whom feel like they should be on top, names like Roche, AstraZeneca, Sanofi and Teva come into mind, as Reuters reported their names specifically.

Scientists Probe Dark Chocolate's Health Secrets

Scientists Probe Dark Chocolate's Health Secrets: Louisiana State University researchers tested cocoa powders in a model of the digestive tract and found that certain bacteria in the stomach eat dark chocolate, ferment it and then release anti-inflammatory compounds that benefit the heart.

The precise reason for the health benefits of dark chocolate: Mystery solved

The precise reason for the health benefits of dark chocolate: Mystery solved: Flavanols such as catechin, epicatechin and polymers are abundant in cocoa products, however their fate in the lower gastrointestinal tract is not clear. We investigated the impact of the human gut microbiome on three different types of cocoa powders: lavado, Geekins Sienna, and Paragon. The cocoa powders differed in sources and processing methods. The materials were predigested in a gastrointestinal model and the non-digestible residues were anaerobically fermented in a human gastrointestinal model. Short chain fatty acids, changes in pH and phenolic profiles were determined at 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours. Fatty acid production was compared to hi-Maize Resistant Starch (positive control). The pH dropped slightly between 6 and 12 hours and acetic acid, butyric acid, and propionic acid were found. The phenolic profiles suggested breakdown of larger molecules to simpler phenolic acids. Colonic fermentation may be responsible for some of the benefits of coca products.

11 simple weight loss tips - CNN.com

11 simple weight loss tips - CNN.com: Most people treat themselves by indulging in a gallon of ice cream or by lounging around the house, watching TV. Blatner wants "treat yourself" to mean exactly the opposite. Her definition is designed to give you more energy, help you lose weight and keep your body healthy.

Immunosuppressive effects of fisetin in ov... [J Agric Food Chem. 2011] - PubMed - NCBI

Immunosuppressive effects of fisetin in ov... [J Agric Food Chem. 2011] - PubMed - NCBI: Fisetin, a flavonoid compound commonly present in fruits and vegetables, can exert anti-inflammation activities via inhibition of the NF-κB-signaling pathway. This study aims to evaluate the antiasthma activity of fisetin and investigate its possible molecular mechanisms. We found that fisetin attenuated lung inflammation, goblet cell hyperplasia, and airway hyperresponsiveness in ovalbumin-induced asthma and decreased eosinophils and lymphocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Fisetin treatment reduced expression of the key initiators of allergic airway inflammation (eotaxin-1 and TSLP), Th2-associated cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13) in lungs, and Th2-predominant transcription factor GATA-3 and cytokines in thoracic lymph node cells and splenocytes. Notably, fisetin treatment impaired NF-κB activation in OVA-stimulated lung tissues and TNF-α-stimulated bronchial epithelial cells. Collectively, this study demonstrated the beneficial effect of fisetin in the amelioration of asthmatic phenotypes. The antiasthma activity of fisetin is associated with reduction of Th2 responses as well as suppression of NF-κB and its downstream chemokines.

Patients with even slightly high blood pressure 'at increased risk of stroke' - Medical News Today

Patients with even slightly high blood pressure 'at increased risk of stroke' - Medical News Today: The researchers found that individuals with prehypertension were 66% more likely to have a stroke than those who had normal blood pressure, and almost 20% of strokes that occurred in the study population were in those with prehypertension.

These results remained even after the team adjusted for factors that may increase stroke risk, including smoking, diabetes and high cholesterol.

How Happiness Affects Weight Loss - Bikini Body Diet - Weight Loss Tips for Women - Shape Magazine

How Happiness Affects Weight Loss - Bikini Body Diet - Weight Loss Tips for Women - Shape Magazine: Any form of depression, no matter how mild, affects neurotransmitters that control mood, thinking, appetite, and behavior, making you more likely to eat poorly, skip exercise, and gain weight. [Tweet this fact!] Similarly, high stress levels cause your body to release the hormone cortisol, which makes us crave energy and comfort (often in the form of pizza and cupcakes). This leads to a sugar-induced dopamine high, then the inevitable crash that causes you to seek even more dopamine, and so on. All those extra empty calories are then stored in your body, most commonly in the form of—you guessed it—belly fat.

Excess Weight a Risk Factor for Ovarian Cancer: Report - US News

Excess Weight a Risk Factor for Ovarian Cancer: Report - US News: The chances for developing many cancers -- such as postmenopausal breast, colorectal, endometrial, esophageal, kidney, gallbladder and pancreatic cancers -- are known to increase with a person's weight, but the evidence for any such link to ovarian cancer has been inconclusive until now, the report authors said.

"We estimated a 6 percent increase in [ovarian cancer] risk per five [points] increase in body-mass index," said report author Dr. Elisa Bandera, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, in New Brunswick. Bandera said the average woman's lifetime risk of ovarian cancer is 1.4 percent.

Teen girls: obesity linked to lower academic performance - Medical News Today

Teen girls: obesity linked to lower academic performance - Medical News Today: Obesity carries with it many health risks, such as cardiovascular disease, prediabetes and many types of cancer. But now, a new study has found a link between obesity in adolescent girls and lower academic levels throughout their teens.

The researchers, from various universities in the UK, have published the results of their study in the International Journal of Obesity, and they say theirs is the first comprehensive study to look into the association between obesity and academics in teens.

Blocking immune signaling stalls inflammation and insulin resistance tied to obesity

Blocking immune signaling stalls inflammation and insulin resistance tied to obesity: Among the study's key findings was that inflammatory macrophage buildup is controlled by Netrin-1, which not only attracts more macrophages into fat tissue, but also prevents macrophages from carrying away pathogens and unwanted fat cells as the immune cells would normally do. Uncontrolled inflammation is known to damage arteries and vital organs.

"Our study results show that targeting Netrin-1 can lessen and possibly reverse the chronic inflammation and insulin resistance associated with major diseases tied to obesity, such as atherosclerosis and type II diabetes," says senior study investigator Kathryn Moore, PhD, a professor of medicine and cell biology at NYU Langone Medical Center. "Our goal, of course, is to let inflammation do the infection-fighting tasks it is supposed to do while stopping it from producing any disease-causing effects in fatty tissue that it is not supposed to do."

Seaweed May Be Key to Weight Loss

Seaweed May Be Key to Weight Loss: Some research conducted by scientists at Newcastle University suggests that seaweed may be one of the keys to weight loss. The scientists have discovered that alginate found in sea kelp prohibits the digestion of fat in the intestine. The findings have been published in Food Chemistry Journal, and showed that by increasing one type of alginate by 400 percent, the amount of fat absorbed was reduced by 75 percent. To many people seaweed may not appear to be appetizing, but the results of the research are very encouraging and researchers hope to begin clinical trials shortly.

Effects of seaweed supplementation on blood glucose concentration, lipid profile, and antioxidant enzyme activities in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Effects of seaweed supplementation on blood glucose concentration, lipid profile, and antioxidant enzyme activities in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: The present study was carried out to evaluate the physiological effects of seaweed supplementation on blood glucose levels, lipid profile, and antioxidant enzyme activities in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Subjects were randomized into either a control group or a seaweed supplementation group. Pills with equal parts of dry powdered sea tangle and sea mustard were provided to the seaweed supplementation group three times a day for 4 weeks. Total daily consumption of seaweed was 48 g. We found that total dietary fiber intake was 2.5 times higher in subjects receiving seaweed supplementation than in the control group. Accordingly, fasting blood glucose levels (p<0.01) and 2-hour postprandial blood glucose measurements (p<0.05) were decreased significantly in those ingesting seaweed. Furthermore, the serum concentrations of triglycerides were decreased and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was increased significantly in seaweed supplement group (p<0.05). However, the concentrations of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were not affected by seaweed supplementation. The level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in erythrocytes was significantly lower with seaweed supplementation compared to controls (p<0.05). Catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities with seaweed supplementation were higher than the controls (p<0.05), but superoxide dismutase activity was not affected. We, therefore, conclude that ingestion of seaweed influences glycemic control, lowers blood lipids, and increases antioxidant enzyme activities.

WHO cuts sugar intake advice to 5 percent of daily energy | Reuters

WHO cuts sugar intake advice to 5 percent of daily energy | Reuters: Issuing new draft sugar guidelines, the United Nations health agency said its recommendations were based on "the totality of evidence regarding the relationship between free sugars intake and body weight and dental caries".

Free sugars include monosaccharides and disaccharides that are added to foods by manufacturers, cooks or consumers, and sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit concentrates.