Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week articles from August 2001

Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week archives from August 2001

Influences of Family Environment, Physical Activity Confirmed.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Children with an overweight parent are more likely to be overweight themselves, and the influence of family environment doesn't stop there, researchers in...

Adjustable Gastric Bypass Patients Have High Complication Rates, Little Weight Loss.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - A new surgical treatment for morbid obesity has shown dismal results at one of eight U.S. hospitals originally chosen to test the procedure. That's a pity...

Increased Risk Linked To Higher Body Mass Index.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Increasing levels of body mass index (measure of weight relative to height) are related to the risk of having asthma, according to an article in the July 9, 2001, issue of the Archives of Internal...

Gastric Bypass Appears To Have Best Results Of Available Techniques.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Standards should be changed so that more obese people have the option of bariatric surgery (surgery used to manage obesity) for weight loss, says one expert on the subject. George A. Bray, MD,...

Fat Intake Strongly Associated With Lifestyle Factors.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Smoking and moderate drinking are more consistently associated with high fat intake than socioeconomic factors, according to a new report in the European...

Fetal Origin Hypothesis Says Reducing Disease Risk Starts Before Birth.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Modest improvements in fetal and infant growth would lead to substantial falls in disease rates in later life, an epidemiologist reported at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human...

Short Periods Of Aerobic Activity May Improve Mood.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Exercising even for a short period each day may improve mood, suggest the results of a pilot study of female college students. "These results offer initial and tentative guidelines for the...

More Physical Activity Found Among Nondiabetics.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Physical activity may stave off non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), particularly among Hispanics, according to a new study published in the...

Plant Extract Hinders Fat Digestibility, Prevents Weight Gain In Rats.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - An extract of the herb Gymnema sylvestre R. Br (GE) prevents weight gain in rats fed a high-fat diet, apparently by lowering fat digestibility, researchers...

Harvard Researchers Say Zinc Does Not Reduce Age-Related Macular Degeneration.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Moderate zinc intake does not reduce a person's risk for the onset of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a long-term study conducted by Harvard...

Older Doesn't Have To Mean Aches And Pains.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The weight goes on but the muscle comes off. The heart rate falls, bones get weak. Aging is one physical frustration after another. But experts say it doesn't have to feel so bad. Many of what...

Switch From Plant-Based To Animal-Based Diet Is Detrimental To Asians.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The long-term health benefits to Chinese and other Asian people who have traditionally existed on a primarily plant-based diet might be lost as more people in Asia switch to a Western-style diet...

Researchers Report Case Of Vitamin D Intoxification.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- For many people, vitamins are beneficial and essential, not potentially poisonous. However, in a Letter to the Editor of the July 4, 2001, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers...

Metformin May Be Useful For PCOS Patients With Metabolic Syndrome Features.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - A new report in the Medical Journal of Australia describes the potential therapeutic use of metformin for patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)...

Question Of How Much We Need Stymies Researchers.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A 300-page summation of decades of research on exercise is bringing scientists face-to-face with how little they know. Consensus statements published by the American College of Sports Medicine...

Innovative Food Intolerance Test Now Screens More Foods.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- York Nutritional Laboratories announced it has increased the number of foods screened for immunoglobulin G (IgG)-mediated food allergy in its FoodSCAN Food Intolerance Test from 93 to 113 foods,...

Exercise, HRT Independently Reduce Fat Mass And Improve Insulin Action.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Postmenopausal women who exercise and take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) have less fat mass and better insulin action, say researchers working in the...

C-Reactive Protein Correlates With Adiposity, HRT Use In Menopause.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Levels of C-reactive protein are associated with weight gain, obesity, and use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in postmenopausal women, researchers in...

Dangers Are Overlooked.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The public mistakenly views obesity as a cosmetic problem rather than as a major source of illness and death, an expert in nutrition, exercise, and obesity warns. "Being overweight or obese is...

Diabetes Drug May Reduce Risk Of Developing Atherosclerosis.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The oral anti-diabetes drug Avandia(R) (rosiglitazone maleate) may decrease the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. Results from a study...

Insulin Resistance, Hypertension Can Predict Fatty Liver.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - A new report in Gastroenterology has found that people in whom obesity is accompanied by systemic hypertension or insulin resistance are at greater risk...

Spain Study Finds Older Women With Little Education At Greatest Risk.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Public health officials in Spain should gear their efforts to cut the prevalence of obesity toward older women with low levels of education. That's...

Vitamin E Can Replace Estrogen Treatment for Bone Loss.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- New research in an animal model indicates that vitamin E can be a safer and much less expensive treatment for bone loss than estrogen. Dr. Sunil Wimalawansa presented the data at a meeting of...

Plant Sterols Help Lower Cholesterol.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A recent study shows that plant sterols incorporated into a low-fat diet can help lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Plant sterols are natural substances that are structurally...

Obesity Linked To Higher Miscarriage Rate After In Vitro Fertilization.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Obese women should lose weight before embarking on in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment for infertility if they want to minimize their risk of miscarriage, fertility experts recommend. In a...

Orlistat Chosen As Weight-Loss Medication For Look AHEAD Study.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Xenical(R) (orlistat) is currently the sole pharmacological agent that will be used in Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes), the first long-term study to examine the effects of weight loss in...

Weight Loss May Reverse Effects.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Successful weight loss decreases the risk of developing diabetes and may alleviate non-insulin dependent diabetes in patients who have been diagnosed five years or less. People who have been...

Common Side Effect Of Risperidone Not Seen With Quetiapine Treatment.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- New data suggest that the atypical antipsychotic Seroquel(R) (quetiapine) may hold important benefits for young patients who experience excessive weight gain as a result of antipsychotic treatment....

Adopting Four Behaviors Can Lead To Success.
August 11, 2001... 2001 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Losing weight is easy, the hardest and most important thing is keeping the weight off, according to a leading expert in weight maintenance. "People mistakenly assign most of their effort to...

Malnutrition Predicts Survival In Liver Cirrhosis.
August 18, 2001... 2001 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Scientists believe malnutrition is a predictive indicator for long-term outcomes in patients with liver cirrhosis, based on a study of more than 200...

Children May Inherit Preference For Fatty Foods, Sedentary Activities.
August 18, 2001... 2001 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - The genetic tendency toward obesity may be due to a predisposition to select fatty foods, to overeat, and to be sedentary, say researchers working in...

Genetics May Cause Abdominal Fat In Postmenopausal Women.
August 18, 2001... 2001 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A team of researchers at Mayo Clinic has found that genetics often determines the amount and location of abdominal fat in postmenopausal women. Abdominal fat is a proven risk factor for...

Overweight Children Risk Coronary Heart Disease And Diabetes As Obese Adults.
August 18, 2001... 2001 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Overweight children who mature into obese adults are at greater risk for the early development of conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. There is also alarming evidence...

Obesity Triggers Scourge Of Life-Threatening Diseases.
August 18, 2001... 2001 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The fattening of America is causing increasing concern about potentially fatal conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, blood clots, and stroke. "Instead of worrying about weight...

Addition Of Natural Fiber To Orlistat Regimen Eases Gastric Discomfort.
August 18, 2001... 2001 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Patients undergoing orlistat treatment for obesity can benefit from concomitant fiber supplementation, researchers in Brazil have found. "This...

Administration Of Leptin To The Brain Induces Weight Loss In Rats.
August 18, 2001... 2001 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Deborah W. Heinrich, PhD, staff medical writer - Researchers in Florida observed marked weight loss in rats after only one intracerebroventricular dose of leptin. H. Dhillon and colleagues...

Black Tea Tames Artery Disease.
August 18, 2001... 2001 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new study finds a strong link between drinking black tea and healthy arteries in individuals who have heart disease. Black tea offers some of the same benefits as other foods rich in the...

Eating A Variety Of Fruits And Vegetables Provides Best Health Benefits.
August 18, 2001... 2001 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Going to the gym this summer may be a popular place to help power your muscles, but does the nutritional content of the summer produce you consume pack enough punch? "You need to eat a wide...

Comfrey Could Cause Liver Damage.
August 18, 2001... 2001 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned manufacturers of dietary supplements that comfrey, an herb in some of their products, is known to cause liver damage. Several people have...

Vanadium Limits Food Intake, Normalizes Insulin In Obese Rats.
August 18, 2001... 2001 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - The ability of an organic vanadium compound to curb appetite, limit weight gain, and improve insulin sensitivity in obese rats suggests its potential as a...

New Device Speeds Recovery.
August 18, 2001... 2001 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new liposuction device that varies the amount of ultrasound used is enabling plastic surgeons to help patients recover with less bruising and discomfort than traditional ultrasound-assisted...

High BMI Boosts Heart Risk, Even In Absence Of Diabetes.
August 18, 2001... 2001 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - The higher the body mass index (BMI), the greater the burden of coronary risk factors such as hypertension and hypertriglyceridemia, researchers in England...

Low Work-Related Activity Strongest Predictor Of Weight Gain In Chinese.
August 18, 2001... 2001 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Chinese adults whose jobs require only light physical activity are much more likely than those in more strenuous jobs to gain weight, researchers have...

Metformin Cuts Heart Disease Risk In Nondiabetic Obese Subjects.
August 18, 2001... 2001 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - The antidiabetic agent metformin is beneficial even in obese people who are not diabetic, researchers in the United States have found. The drug safely...

Radiologic Imaging Uncovers Gastric Banding Complications Early.
August 18, 2001... 2001 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Radiologic imaging can allow early intervention for complications in patients who have undergone laparoscopic banding procedures for morbid obesity,...

Relationship Between Abdominal Fat, CHD, Mild At Best.
August 18, 2001... 2001 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - A new study disputes previous findings that waist circumference alone or the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) are strong predictors of coronary heart disease (CHD)...

Mental Outlook Important Factor In Diabetic Health.
August 18, 2001... 2001 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new study indicates that stress, attitude, and ability to cope are all factors in the seriousness of a patient's type 1 diabetes. A study entitled "Meaning of Illness and Health Outcomes in...

Distinguishing Between Juvenile, Adult-Onset Disease In Children Possible.
August 18, 2001... 2001 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - There are enough clinical differences between children and adolescents with type 1 and type 2 diabetes that diagnosis of type 2 disease is possible even in...

Risk of Heart Failure Increases With Worsening Glycemic Control.
August 18, 2001... 2001 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Type 2 diabetes increases the risk of heart failure in adults and that risk worsens with rising levels of hemoglobin A[1c] (HbA[1c]), researchers in the...

Obese Patients Shortchanged On Weight Counseling By Their Doctors.
August 18, 2001... 2001 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - People who are overweight or obese want weight management advice from their primary care physicians, but they aren't getting it, according to the results...

Poverty, Smoking Don't Influence Health As Much As Obesity.
August 18, 2001... 2001 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - The recent U.S. public health focus on smoking and drinking is neglecting a more profound influence on morbidity - obesity. That's especially worrisome as...

Excess Weight Linked To Early Heart Attack.
August 25, 2001... 2001 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A 10-year Mayo Clinic study of patients arriving at the emergency room has found that overweight or obese patients had their first heart attacks at a younger age than their normal-weight...

Obesity Itself, Not Obesity-Induced Cirrhosis, May Cause Liver Cancer.
August 25, 2001... 2001 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Obesity increases the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) but whether it does so by promoting cirrhosis, a general risk factor for HCC, or through some...

Greater BMI Increases Risk Of Asthma.
August 25, 2001... 2001 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Obesity is an independent predictor of asthma, researchers studying a military population have found. Although S.Y.N. Young and associates described...

Environmental and Social Factors May Be Catalysts for Increased Incidence In Western Nations.
August 25, 2001... 2001 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The incidence of adenocarcinoma (AC) of the esophagus in white males has increased rapidly during the last 20 years in Western industrialized nations, according to a study published in the August...

Some Counseling Interventions About Physical Activity Are Effective For Women, But Not Men.
August 25, 2001... 2001 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Two interventions for educating sedentary patients about physical activity were more effective than current recommended care standards in improving female patients' cardiorespiratory fitness,...

Women With Higher Levels Of Physical Activity Less Likely To Develop Mental Decline.
August 25, 2001... 2001 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Elderly women who are more physically active, even at moderate levels, are at lower risk for mental decline, study results show. Kristine Yaffe, MD, of the University of California, San...

Dose-Response Relationship Seen Between BMI And Chronic Disease.
August 25, 2001... 2001 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - The relationship between morbid obesity and chronic disease is well-established, but a new report in the Archives of Internal Medicine proposes that even...

Weight Alone Can't Explain Earlier Puberty In U.S. Girls.
August 25, 2001... 2001 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Obesity is a significant contributor to the early onset of puberty in American girls, but other, as-yet-unclear factors also play a role, according to a...

Antioxidant Supplements Lessen HDL Response To Cholesterol Drugs.
August 25, 2001... 2001 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Adding to a growing number of disappointing turns, a new study shows that antioxidant vitamin supplements might nullify a key beneficial effect of the cholesterol-lowering drugs niacin and...

Few Drawbacks To Following Low-Fat, High-Fiber Diet.
August 25, 2001... 2001 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Eating a healthy diet that is low in fat, high in fiber, and rich in fruits and vegetables may seem fraught with sacrifice, but it actually adds to a sense of personal satisfaction, according to a...

Public Education Campaign Focuses On Benefits Of Dietary Supplements.
August 25, 2001... 2001 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- With mounting evidence that consumers want greater access to information about vitamins, minerals, herbs, and specialty supplements, the dietary supplement industry launched one of the most...

Low Serum Leptin In Non-Westernized Population Due To Lack Of Obesity.
August 25, 2001... 2001 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Serum leptin levels in a given population can apparently be predicted by that population's tendency toward overweight or hyperinsulinemia, researchers in...

Frail Elderly Get A Boost In Emotional Health From Exercise.
August 25, 2001... 2001 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new assessment of several clinical trials indicates exercise may raise the spirits of the frail elderly without causing more pain. "Exercise can improve quality of life in at least one...

Researchers Isolate Key Protein In Transforming Excess Glucose Into Fat.
August 25, 2001... 2001 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A team of biochemists from the Department of Veterans Affairs and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas has identified a glucose-sensitive protein that translates...

Rise In Obesity Raises Concerns About Frequency, Progression Of NASH.
August 25, 2001... 2001 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - A Mayo Clinic study has raised concerns about the extent to which nonalcoholic steatohepatitis affects the liver, particularly in light of the rising...

Experts Address Obesity And Related Health Consequences.
August 25, 2001... 2001 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The loss and maintenance of as little as 5% to 10% of body weight can provide significant health benefits to overweight people, reported seven internationally recognized obesity experts...

Meal Replacements Tip Scales In Favor of Weight Loss Maintenance.
August 25, 2001... 2001 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Obese women who participated in dietitian- or physician office-led weight loss programs were better able to maintain weight loss if meal replacements were...

Elevation Of Leptin Levels In The Hypothalamus Reduces Weight Gain.
August 25, 2001... 2001 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Deborah W. Heinrich, PhD, staff medical writer - Dose-dependent reductions in weight gain and food intake resulted from increased levels of leptin in the hypothalamus, according to a follow-up...

Higher BMI Means Greater Risk For Pregnant Women.
August 25, 2001... 2001 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Obesity bumps up the risk for pregnant women and their fetuses, probably because of alterations in the metabolic state, say researchers working in London....

This Summer, Camp Calcium Is Where The Boys Are.
August 25, 2001... 2001 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- For the first time, teenage boys were invited to attend Camp Calcium on the Purdue University campus this summer, and 47 young males accepted the invitation. The camp gets its name because it...

New Agent Improves Insulin Resistance In Ob/Ob Mice.
August 25, 2001... 2001 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - A newly synthesized vanadyl complex shows promise against insulin resistance in an obese non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) animal model, say...

Dietary Supplement Trims Waists Of Overweight Adults.
August 25, 2001... 2001 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new study concludes that the natural dietary supplement conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) reduces abdominal fat among men classified as abdominally obese. The study participants taking CLA lost...