Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week articles from December 2002

Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week archives from December 2002

Depression leads to obesity, but the reverse is not true.
December 7, 2002... 2002 DEC 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - Depressed adolescents were significantly more likely to be come obese, according to a report in Pediatrics. "Adolescent obesity is a strong...

Low-fat diet and exercise are keys to maintaining weight loss.
December 7, 2002... 2002 DEC 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - Three years after completing a very-low-calorie diet, women who maintained a high activity level and limited the amount of dietary fat regained the...

Research clarifies mechanisms behind fat buildup.
December 7, 2002... 2002 DEC 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The growing prevalence of obesity in western societies represents a critical public health concern to millions of people, yet the factors controlling the buildup of fat within our bodies are not...

Older runners appear to postpone disability, have lower mortality.
December 7, 2002... 2002 DEC 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Older people who run and participate in other aerobic activities are less likely to develop disabilities and have lower mortality rates, according to a new report. Benjamin W.E. Wang, MD, FRCPC, of...

Diet high in empty calories increases risk of becoming overweight.
December 7, 2002... 2002 DEC 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - Information coming out of the Framingham Nutrition Studies indicates that identifying dietary patterns may aid development of effective weight...

Natural Alternatives International awarded GMP registration.
December 7, 2002... 2002 DEC 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Natural Alternatives International (NAI), Inc., (NAII), has been awarded Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) registration by NSF International (NSF) through the NSF Dietary Supplements Certification...

Merck KGaA enters $61 million international drug licensing agreement.
December 7, 2002... 2002 DEC 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Merck KGaA and Kos Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (KOSP) announced a manufacturing and licensing agreement for Niaspan and Advicor, two products internally developed by Kos for the treatment of cholesterol...

BMP-7 may prevent bone and vascular complications.
December 7, 2002... 2002 DEC 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Curis, Inc., (CRIS) announced its proprietary compound, BMP-7, has shown effectiveness for the prevention of several serious complications of chronic kidney disease in animal models of these disorders....

Ferring and Johnson & Johnson join in a research collaboration.
December 7, 2002... 2002 DEC 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Ferring announced that it will collaborate with Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals,Inc., (Ortho-McNeil) and Ortho-McNeil's research affiliate, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, LLC,...

Nu Skin Enterprises announces management changes, reports third-quarter 2002 results.
December 7, 2002... 2002 DEC 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc., (NUS) announced the appointment of Ritch N. Wood as the company's chief financial officer and a member of the executive committee effective. Wood will replace Corey B....

Health and weight monitoring devices rank high with consumers.
December 7, 2002... 2002 DEC 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Given the results of the recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which found that the percentage of overweight Americans continues to climb, it's no surprise that consumers are...

Obesity and insulin resistance combine to increase heart disease risk.
December 7, 2002... 2002 DEC 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - Obesity significantly increases the risk of coronary heart disease, a risk that is greatly exacerbated by insulin resistance, according to a report in...

New Enfamil LactoFree LIPIL with DHA and ARA to launch later in 2002.
December 7, 2002... 2002 DEC 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Mead Johnson Nutritionals has submitted its intent to launch new Enfamil LactoFree LIPIL infant formula to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, with the goal of introducing the new formula nationwide...

Morbidly obese patients in ICU more likely than others to die.
December 7, 2002... 2002 DEC 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Morbidly obese people who are hospitalized in the intensive care unit are more likely to die from their illness than patients who are not as overweight, finds a study presented at CHEST 2002, the 68th...

Significant variation found in strength of garlic supplements.
December 7, 2002... 2002 DEC 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- ConsumerLab.com's Product Review of Garlic Supplements found strength to vary by as much as 1500% across products. Strength was based on each product's ability to generate allicin, a chemical...

Bariatric surgery used on kids.
December 7, 2002... 2002 DEC 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Drastic surgery for obesity, once viewed as suitable only for adults, is emerging as an option for children, a new report says. Whether gastric bypass surgery, which shrinks the stomach from the...

Surgeons perform first Zeus robotics system-assisted gastric bypass.
December 7, 2002... 2002 DEC 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Although a casual observer in the operating room at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on October 8, 2002, could have been pardoned for initially believing that the surgeon was playing high-tech video games,...

Micro Laboratories approved for trading on Berlin Stock Exchange.
December 7, 2002... 2002 DEC 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Micro Laboratories, Inc., (MLAR), a manufacturer of oral spray vitamins and breath sprays announced that it has been granted permission to trade its shares on the Third Market Segment of the Berlin...

NutraStar approved for trading on Third Segment of Berlin Stock Exchange.
December 7, 2002... 2002 DEC 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NutraStar, Inc., (NTRA), a life-sciences-based nutraceutical company, announced that it has been granted permission and has begun trading on the Third Market Segment of the Berlin Stock Exchange. ...

Exploration of obesity development may lead to novel treatments.
December 14, 2002... 2002 DEC 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - Researchers in Switzerland report that advances in current research into the molecular mechanisms of obesity development are likely to yield new...

Internet no substitute for real human contact in weight loss programs.
December 14, 2002... 2002 DEC 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - The Internet just cannot replace real human contact for helping people to lose weight or maintain weight loss, say investigators in the U.S. J....

How much exercise will help your heart?
December 14, 2002... 2002 DEC 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- If you want to boost your heart health, a new study reported in The New England Journal of Medicine suggests you get moving and keep moving - as much as 20 miles a week. The results of the study...

Patients seeking weight loss surgery often require psychological screening.
December 14, 2002... 2002 DEC 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Most patients seeking radical gastric bypass surgery suffer from some form of mental health problem and should first be evaluated by a mental health worker, according to a study completed by...

Obese women have thicker carotid artery walls, higher stroke risk.
December 14, 2002... 2002 DEC 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Obesity in middle-aged women is independently associated with premature thickening of the carotid arteries, a sign of impending heart disease, researchers report. Carotid arteries are in the neck...

Pain may come with gain in childhood exercise.
December 14, 2002... 2002 DEC 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The phrase "no pain, no gain," used by coaches to prod school-age athletes, may have more meaning than they ever imagined, two University of California Irvine (UCI) College of Medicine studies have...

Health group urges less salt in food.
December 14, 2002... 2002 DEC 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The American Public Health Association has approved policy calling for a fundamental shift in the restaurant and food processing industries and in consumer behavior to dramatically lower the amount of...

Fat lurks behind slim Asian frames, researchers warn.
December 14, 2002... 2002 DEC 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Prapai Lertphiphat is an average Thai woman: short and slender, a picture of perfect health. But in Asia, appearances can be deceptive. The 44-year-old hospital clerk is suffering from the...

Obesity on the increase in the Netherlands.
December 14, 2002... 2002 DEC 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - As has been seen in many developed countries throughout the world, the prevalence of obesity among Dutch men and women has steadily increased in the...

Leptin targeted in research on obesity, pregnancy.
December 14, 2002... 2002 DEC 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Intent on helping Americans fight obesity, Agricultural Research Service scientists are probing the role that leptin plays in regulating appetite and weight gain. Janet C. King and Ratna Mukherjea...

Dextroamphetamine controls weight, improves attention in children with craniopharyngioma.
December 21, 2002... 2002 DEC 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - Dextroamphetamine improved concentration in and stabilized the weight of children who underwent surgery for craniopharyngioma, according to a report...

Excess weight over the long term increases hypertension and coronary heart disease risks.
December 21, 2002... 2002 DEC 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - Forty-four years of data obtained from the Framingham Heart Study indicated that overweight adults were significantly more likely than were normal...

Myriad Genetics discovers a major cause of hereditary obesity.
December 21, 2002... 2002 DEC 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Myriad Genetics, Inc., (MYGN) announced that it has discovered a novel gene that causes human obesity. Myriad scientists led by Drs. Steven Stone and Donna Shattuck and University of Utah...

Study focuses on after-school hours.
December 21, 2002... 2002 DEC 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Whether after-school hours filled with study, exercise and nutritious snacks can help turn around unprecedented obesity rates in children is the focus of a new study at the Medical College of Georgia....

BMI shows strong heritability among male family members.
December 21, 2002... 2002 DEC 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - Strong similarities in body mass index found among biologically unrelated members of the same family indicate that factors in addition to simple...

American Heart Association issues statement on high-protein, low-carb diet study.
December 21, 2002... 2002 DEC 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Media reports about a small study funded by the Robert C. Atkins Foundation may have created the erroneous impression that the American Heart Association has revised its dietary guidelines. This is...

New antioxidant measurement technology records nutrition's vital sign.
December 21, 2002... 2002 DEC 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Pharmanex has launched the Pharmanex BioPhotonic Scanner, a testing device that noninvasively measures the human body's level of antioxidants. Pharmanex uses a proprietary laser technology allowing...

Vista establishes new training center for weight reduction surgery program.
December 21, 2002... 2002 DEC 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Vista Medical Technologies, Inc., (VMTI) announced the establishment of an additional training center for the Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery (LBS) Preceptorship program, to be directed by Robin...

Genomics company reports third quarter 2002 financial results.
December 21, 2002... 2002 DEC 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Lexicon Genetics, Inc., (LEXG), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery of breakthrough treatments for human disease, reported financial results for the 3 and 9 months ended September 30,...

Zevex reports third quarter 2002 results.
December 21, 2002... 2002 DEC 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Zevex International, Inc., (ZVXI), reported financial results for the 3 and 9 months ended September 30, 2002. Net income for the third quarter of 2002 was $56,256 ($0.02 per fully diluted share),...

Study: Exercise hits cholesterol risk.
December 21, 2002... 2002 DEC 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Need another reason to exercise? Scientists have discovered it makes cholesterol less dangerous. A new study found that even modest exercise changes the size and density of cholesterol-carrying...

Atkins diet helps patients lose weight, lower very LDL.
December 21, 2002... 2002 DEC 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Lynn Yoffee, senior medical writer - In one of the first randomized trials looking at the popular Atkins diet, researchers have found that a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet, with supplements, led...

Martek's oils receive Canadian clearance for use in infant formula.
December 21, 2002... 2002 DEC 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Martek Biosciences Corp. (MATK) announced that Canada's government health agency, Health Canada, has completed a favorable review of the company's submission supporting the use of Martek's proprietary...

Mead Johnson Nutritionals extends LIPIL to lactose-free formula.
December 21, 2002... 2002 DEC 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Martek Biosciences Corp. (MATK) announced that Mead Johnson Nutritionals has submitted a notification of its intent to launch a new lactose-free version of its LIPIL infant formula to the United States...

Ross launches preterm infant formulas supplemented with DHA and ARA.
December 21, 2002... 2002 DEC 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Abbott Laboratories' Ross Products Division announced the launch of three preterm infant formulas, NeoSure Advance, Similac Special Care and Similac Natural Care, supplemented with DHA and ARA, two...

Lonza files patent and trademark infringement lawsuits.
December 21, 2002... 2002 DEC 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Lonza, Ltd., and Lonza, Inc., both subsidiaries of Lonza Group, Ltd., filed a series of patent infringement lawsuits against Carnitech, Inc., and Barrington Chemical Corp. in the District Court for the...

Grape Commission: New study shows fresh grapes protect the heart like wine.
December 21, 2002... 2002 DEC 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- New research indicates that eating fresh grapes provides the same heart-health benefits touted for red wine, according to the California Table Grape Commission. A growing body of research suggests...

Guidelines: Soy oils recommended for good fatty acids, avoiding heart disease.
December 21, 2002... 2002 DEC 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A Harvard Medical School publication recommends soy oils to replace "bad" saturated fats and transfats with healthier "good" omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Harvard Women's Health Watch reports...

New guidelines focus on fish, fish oil, omega-3 fatty acids.
December 21, 2002... 2002 DEC 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Healthy people should eat omega-3 fatty acids from fish and plant sources to protect their hearts, according to updated American Heart Association recommendations. "Omega-3 fatty acids are not...

Optimal diet may help prevent coronary heart disease.
December 21, 2002... 2002 DEC 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- An analysis of the results of clinical trials and other research concerning diet and coronary heart disease (CHD) identifies three dietary strategies that appear to be effective in offering protection...

Obesity on the rise in children entering school in Bavaria.
December 21, 2002... 2002 DEC 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - The prevalence of obesity among young Bavarian schoolchildren is increasing, raising concerns about health and the need for intervention. H....

Advocacy group: USDA school-lunch policies discriminate against minorities.
December 21, 2002... 2002 DEC 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Federal regulations that mandate cow's milk in school lunches but disallow other calcium-rich beverages are archaic and discriminate against minorities, many of whom are lactose-intolerant, said the...

Prostate and breast cancer deaths more common among the obese.
December 28, 2002... 2002 DEC 28 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - In a large cohort in the United Kingdom, obesity increased the risks of developing prostate cancer and breast cancer but not colorectal cancer,...

Heart disease risk more closely associated with waist circumference than body mass index.
December 28, 2002... 2002 DEC 28 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - Waist circumference (WC) is better than body mass index (BMI) at predicting risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a report in the American...

Prevalence of class 3 obesity in the United States climbs.
December 28, 2002... 2002 DEC 28 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - A rapid increase in the prevalence of extremely obese people is alarming, according to a report in JAMA - Journal of the American Medical...

Triple drug therapy causes successful weight loss in obese patients.
December 28, 2002... 2002 DEC 28 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - Obesity treatment involving three drugs - orlistat, sibutramine, and topiramate - was effective at promoting weight loss in obese patients with...

Key gene discovered for obesity and diabetes.
December 28, 2002... 2002 DEC 28 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A team of researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, led by Gokhan Hotamisligil of the department of nutrition and collaborators Lufen Chang and Michael Karin from University of California,...

Racial differences found in response to diet-induced weight loss.
December 28, 2002... 2002 DEC 28 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - After a weight-loss diet, black women became less fit and were less likely to exercise, in contrast to white women, who engaged in higher levels of...

Cheney named senior vice president marketing, sales.
December 28, 2002... 2002 DEC 28 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cyberonics, Inc., (CYBX) announced that Michael A. Cheney has been promoted from vice president of marketing to senior vice president, marketing and sales. Cheney joined Cyberonics in July 2001...

Obesity link identified.
December 28, 2002... 2002 DEC 28 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Leptin, the growth factor associated with weight gain, has been found to promote breast cancer cell growth, according to a new study. The research also found a lack of leptin or its receptor is...

New device exploits fat tissue differences to provide accurate diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.
December 28, 2002... 2002 DEC 28 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - The subcutaneous adipose tissue of men with type 2 diabetes is different from the fat tissue of nondiabetic men, a characteristic that can be used...

Despite rise in obesity, diabetes prevalence in Sweden did not increase.
December 28, 2002... 2002 DEC 28 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - No significant increase in the prevalence of diabetes occurred in northern Sweden from 1986 to 1999, even though adiposity increased over the same...

Artificial sweeteners benefit overweight adults.
December 28, 2002... 2002 DEC 28 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - Supplementing a nonrestricted diet with artificial sweeteners prevented additional weight gain and promoted fat loss and reductions in blood pressure...

Worsening bulimia may deplete hormone that regulates appetite.
December 28, 2002... 2002 DEC 28 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Previous studies have noted that some bulimia nervosa patients have low levels of a hormone called leptin in their blood, while others have normal levels. Researchers from Italy suspect this hormone...

Rapidly expanding indications for neurostimulation drive market revenues.
December 28, 2002... 2002 DEC 28 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The growing demand for a better quality of life for patients suffering from neurological disorders is encouraging manufacturers to develop new adjunctive therapies. Neurostimulators are based on...

BRACAnalysis developer reports results for first quarter of fiscal 2003.
December 28, 2002... 2002 DEC 28 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Myriad Genetics, Inc., (MYGN) reported that for the 3-month period ended September 30, 2002, predictive medicine revenues increased to $7.9 million from $5.5 million in the same quarter last year, an...

NBTY reports record fourth quarter and year-end results.
December 28, 2002... 2002 DEC 28 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NBTY, Inc., (NBTY) a manufacturer and marketer of nutritional supplements, announced record results for the fiscal fourth quarter and fiscal year ended September 30, 2002. For the fiscal fourth...

Patients seeking weight-loss surgery often require screening by psychologists.
December 28, 2002... 2002 DEC 28 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Most patients seeking radical gastric bypass surgery suffer from some form of mental health problem and should first be evaluated by a mental health worker, according to a study completed by...

Study: Stabilized rice bran may lower blood sugar levels.
December 28, 2002... 2002 DEC 28 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NutraStar, Inc., (NTRA) (Berlin: NTQ) announced that a double-blind cross-over study that resulted in the issuance of U.S. Patent no. 6,126,943 indicates that stabilized rice bran may help control...

Lawyers for overweight kids file class-action suit against McDonald's.
December 28, 2002... 2002 DEC 28 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Are Big Macs hazardous to children's health? Lawyers have filed a class-action lawsuit against McDonald's on behalf of New York children who have suffered health problems, including diabetes, high...

Obese type 2 diabetic patients prone to kidney problems.
December 28, 2002... 2002 DEC 28 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - Obesity in type 2 diabetic patients may increase the risk of nephropathy, according to a report in Diabetic Medicine. "Our recent studies...

Zyrtec, Lipitor receive FDA approvals for pediatric use.
December 28, 2002... 2002 DEC 28 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Pfizer, Inc., has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market its cholesterol-lowering medicine Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium) for use in children and its allergy medicine...

Serving method and portion size affect the amount of food consumed at a single meal.
December 28, 2002... 2002 DEC 28 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The easy availability of large portions of relatively energy-dense foods may contribute to the increasing prevalence of obesity in the U.S. Rolls et al. studied the effects of portion size on overall...