Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week articles from February 2001

Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week archives from February 2001

Obesity Experts Recommend Body Measurements to Predict Chronic Disease.(body mass index and waist circumference measurements to be used to predict type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases)
February 3, 2001... 2001 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com) -- As part of an effort to address obesity, experts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and their counterparts in 10 countries are recommending the use of body measurements, such as body mass...

Lift Weights to Lift Metabolism, Lower Weight Gain.
February 3, 2001... 2001 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com) -- A comprehensive study funded by the U.S. Agricultural Research Service might allay any lingering debate about why metabolism slows as people age. The findings show that the gradual loss of body cells, especially...

Obese Children at Greater Risk than Those of Normal Weight.(for asthma)
February 3, 2001... 2001 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com) -- Fat children are at greater risk of asthma than children of normal weight, finds a study published in the journal Thorax. The researchers investigated a representative sample of almost 10,000 children between...

Fruits and Vegetables Yield Less Vitamin A Than Previously Thought.(according to Dietary Reference Intakes report)
February 3, 2001... 2001 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com) -- Darkly colored, carotene-rich fruits and vegetables - such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and broccoli - provide the body with half as much vitamin A as previously thought, said the latest report on Dietary Reference...

Over Two-Thirds of U.S. Adults are Obese or Overweight.
February 3, 2001... 2001 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com) -- Initial results from the 1999 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), using measured heights and weights, indicate that an estimated 61% of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese. This...

High Impact Physical Activity May Reduce Risk of Hip Fracture.
February 3, 2001... 2001 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com) -- Men and women who regularly participate in high-impact physical activity may be at a lower risk of hip fracture than those who participate in moderate or low impact activities, finds a study reported in the January...

High Blood Pressure in Obese and Lean People Differs Genetically.(obese persons with hypertension less likely to have or die of heart attacks or strokes than lean hypertensives)
February 3, 2001... 2001 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com) -- Obese patients with hypertension are less likely than lean hypertensives to die or have heart attacks or strokes and genetics might be responsible. "This distinction may explain the difference in cardiovascular...

Persistent Overeating by the Obese Generates Massive Free Radical Load, Initiating Artery Disease.
February 3, 2001... 2001 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com) -- Endocrinologists at the University at Buffalo in New York have pinpointed one of the mechanisms that place the obese at higher risk of atherosclerosis and subsequent heart attack. Their study, published in the...

Experts Spot Hottest Food Trend of 2001: Focus on Vegetables, Fruits.(American Institute for Cancer Research)
February 3, 2001... 2001 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com) -- Experts at the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) predict that the year 2001 will see an ever-greater reliance on vegetables and fruits in U.S. homes, restaurants, and food markets, mirroring the newfound...

Physicians Present Comprehensive Clinical Review of St. John's Wort.
February 3, 2001... 2001 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com) -- Post-holiday blues and a bitter winter season for much of the U.S. could send many people to the bottle in 2001 - the bottle of St. John's wort, that is. Although this herbal supplement appears promising in...

Fructo-oligosaccharides Aren't Irritating.(to persons with irritable bowel syndrome)
February 3, 2001... 2001 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com) -- Fructo-oligosaccharides, new popular health food components, don't irritate an irritable bowel. "Although symptoms worsened in patients with lBS [irritable bowel syndrome] at the onset of treatment with 20 g...

Protective Benefits of Red Wine Remain Uncertain.(in the prevention of heart attacks)
February 3, 2001... 2001 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com) -- Top medical authorities are cautioning U.S. health care professionals to downplay the popular but unproven supposition that drinking red wine can help ward off heart attacks. An American Heart Association...

Pravastatin Reduces Risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Stroke.
February 3, 2001... 2001 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com) -- For the first time, a statin drug has been shown to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in the January 23, 2001, issue of Circulation. In a second study, the same drug, pravastatin...

Reducing Plasma Cholesterol Levels Improves Blood's Ability to Carry Oxygen.
February 3, 2001... 2001 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com) -- - by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Lowering plasma cholesterol levels can enhance the ability of blood to deliver oxygen to tissue by reducing the thickness of red blood cell membranes, according to...

Children Now Developing Type of Diabetes Previously Seen Only in Adults.(type 2 diabetes now in children)
February 10, 2001... 2001 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- Type 2 diabetes, a disease primarily affecting obese adults, has started to appear in children, especially those who are obese and have a strong family history of type 2 diabetes, according to Kenneth Lee Jones,...

Diet Aid Works Best with Other Life Changes.(Meridia works best with diet and exercise and lifestyle change)
February 10, 2001... 2001 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center reported that obese women lost an average 24.4 pounds (10.8% of their body weight) in one year, when they used the weight loss drug, Meridia, in...

Moderate Exercise Has Little Effect on Blood Pressure.
February 10, 2001... 2001 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Although regular, medium-intensity aerobic exercise is often recommended as a treatment for hypertension, such a regimen actually has very little beneficial effect, health...

Metabolism in Women After Weight Loss Varies from that of Never Overweight Women.
February 10, 2001... 2001 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- Women who reach a normal weight after previous obesity have different metabolic profiles than women who have never been overweight, according to a paper in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study...

Puberty Slows Resting Metabolism in White and African-American Children.
February 10, 2001... 2001 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- A study has examined the effect of puberty on resting energy expenditure (REE) in white and African-American adolescents, finding a general metabolic slowdown in both groups, which was greater in the African...

Treatments Undergoing Quiet Revolution.(diabetes treatment)
February 10, 2001... 2001 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- Between the 1950s and 1994, treatments for diabetes patients changed little, but now patients can control their blood sugar levels more precisely than in the past and dodge complications of the illness until late...

Energy-Restricted Diets Shown Best for Improving Lipid Profiles.
February 10, 2001... 2001 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- Dietary fat has been strongly implicated in Western cultures as a factor that contributes to high rates of heart disease. Mahmoud Raeini-Sarjaz et al., reporting in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,...

Nutrient-Dense Food Products Improve Cardiovascular Health in Frail Elderly.
February 10, 2001... 2001 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers conducted a series of controlled interventions to determine if supplementation with nutrient-dense foods, an exercise program, or a combination of the two would benefit elderly subjects' nutritional...

Adolescents in Costa Rica Facing Future Heart Problems.
February 10, 2001... 2001 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- In what could be indicative of trends to come in developing countries around the world, young people in Costa Rica might have to contend with serious future risks of coronary heart disease. Youth in Costa Rica...

Another Reason to Stay Active: Youthful Blood Vessels.
February 10, 2001... 2001 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- Staying active or beginning a regular exercise program can maintain and even restore blood vessel function. A proper diet and maintaining a healthy weight have been known to keep blood vessels healthy as you...

Effectiveness of Dietary Supplements for Improving Symptoms Studied.(glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate evaluated for their effectiveness in reducing osteoarthritis pain)
February 10, 2001... 2001 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, are now enrolling patients in a large multi-center clinical trial to determine whether two popular dietary supplements - glucosamine and...

Dietary Restriction Can Reduce Related Brain Injury.(related to impaired oxidative metabolism)
February 10, 2001... 2001 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Restricting food intake can reduce brain injury related to impaired oxidative metabolism, including neuron death and degradation of the blood-brain barrier, according to...

CDC Reports Case Rates Rose Another 6% in 1999.(increase in diabetes prevalence)
February 17, 2001... 2001 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com) -- Diabetes rates rose a striking 6% among adults in 1999 according to researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Further evidence points to the fact that diabetes is a major public...

Excessive Weight Gain During Pregnancy is Major Contributor to Obesity in U.S.
February 17, 2001... 2001 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com) -- Women who gain more than the amount recommended during pregnancy are four times more likely to be obese one year after giving birth compared with mothers who gain within the recommended range, said a Cornell...

A Persimmon a Day Could Be Better Than an Apple.(for reduction of coronary heart disease)
February 17, 2001... 2001 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com) -- A persimmon a day does more to reduce the risk of heart disease than an apple. A head-to-head comparison of the two fruits by an international group of researchers found persimmons contain significantly higher...

Family Factor Predicts Risk.(family members with diseased coronary arteries have higher risk for atherosclerosis)
February 17, 2001... 2001 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com) -- As many as half of the children and siblings of individuals with diseased coronary arteries might have signs of atherosclerosis, even though they have no symptoms of heart or vessel disease. "We've known that...

Exercise Benefits Patients Being Treated for Early Stage Disease.(breast cancer)
February 17, 2001... 2001 FEB 17 -- (NewsRx.com) -- Contrary to the traditional medical advice that rest is the best medicine for fatigue caused by treatment for breast cancer, the largest study of its kind found that exercise improves physical functioning and...

Grape Seed Extract and Chromium Show Promising Results for Improving Heart Health.(by lowering blood cholesterol levels)
February 17, 2001... 2001 FEB 17 -- (NewsRx.com) -- Results from a pilot study conducted at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, and announced in January -- American Heart Month show that grape seed extract and chromium, when taken together, may lower...

Lower Prices Encourage Healthy Choices at Vending Machines.(lowering prices of healthy snacks promote good health habits)
February 17, 2001... 2001 FEB 17 -- (NewsRx.com) -- Reducing prices on low-fat snacks could promote healthier purchases from vending machines by adults and adolescents. Price reductions on low-fat snacks led to significant sale increases of these items in a...

Nearly Half of All Women 65 and Older Use Herbal Products.(and rarely inform their health care providers)
February 17, 2001... 2001 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com) -- Nearly half of all women over 65 now use herbal therapies to prevent or treat health problems, but they rarely inform their health care providers, according to a University of Florida (UF) study. Because many...

Syndrome May be Provoked by Inflammatory Stimulus.(although type 2 diabetes and HIV related lipodystrophy have similar symptoms, lipodystrophy may be caused by an inflammatory stimulus)
February 17, 2001... 2001 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Although HIV related lipodystrophy has symptoms similar to those of type 2 diabetes, the pathological mechanisms of the disorders are markedly different, according to...

Long-Term Glucosamine Sulphate May Slow Joint Damage.(of osteoarthritis)
February 17, 2001... 2001 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com) -- The symptoms and changes to joint structure associated with osteoarthritis might be moderated by the long-term effects of glucosamine sulphate. Osteoarthritis is a major cause of disability and is among the...

A Little Chocolate for a Healthy Heart.(flavonoids in chocolate may help prevent heart disease by protecting arteries)
February 17, 2001... 2001 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com) -- Chocolate is in the news as a heart-healthy food. Two recent studies have found that some chocolate products contain high levels of antioxidant flavonoids. These plant-based compounds limit the effects of...

Children Under Four in Britain Becoming Overweight, Obese.
February 24, 2001... 2001 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com) -- More British children under four years of age are overweight and obese than ever before. Peter Bundred and colleagues, University of Liverpool, analyzed height and weight measurements of 35,662 infants aged one...

Fat Cell Defect Might Trigger Insulin Resistance in Muscle and Liver.
February 24, 2001... 2001 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com) -- Fat cells that can't take up blood sugar normally appear to trigger the same problem in muscle and a related problem in liver, say researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. ...

Dual Sensor Could Provide More Information and Earlier Warning Signs.(diabetes monitor that measures glucose and insulin levels at the same time)
February 24, 2001... 2001 FEB 24- (NewsRx.com) -- Diabetics could benefit from data provided by a device that monitors glucose and insulin levels simultaneously, allowing better management of the disease. In the laboratory, researchers created the electronic...

Stem Cell Transplantation Enables Move Towards a Cure.(for diabetes)
February 24, 2001... 2001 FEB 24- (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers from Harvard University have developed a tool in the fight against diabetes. Currently, 16 million Americans are afflicted with diabetes; this number is expected surpass 22 million by the year 2025....

Gluten May Be Cause of Recurring Headaches.
February 24, 2001... 2001 FEB 24 -- (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers found that removing or cutting back on gluten a protein in wheat and other grains -- in the diet greatly reduced headaches or lack of coordination symptoms among members of a middle-aged study group....

Researchers Say Munch More Mangoes to Fight Cancer.
February 24, 2001... 2001 FEB 24 -- (NewsRx.com) -- A University of Florida (UF) study indicates mangoes can be added to the arsenal of foods known to help fight cancer. In fact, the study shows, someone looking for cancer-fighting ability might be better off...

Grants Awarded to Implement Inner-City Intervention.(of asthma in children)
February 24, 2001... 2001 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)announced the awarding of grant funds to 23 sites to improve the health of inner-city children with asthma. These funds will enable community-based...

Gaps Found in Mammography Use.
February 24, 2001... 2001 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com) -- An analysis of data from the 1996/97 National Population Health Survey shows continued low use of mammography among certain sub-groups of women. Dr. Colleen Maxwell and colleagues recommended screening every...

Vitamin C as Cancer Treatment Continues to be Debated.
February 24, 2001... 2001 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com) - While it has been known for some time that vitamin C prevents scurvy, just how much of it is necessary for good health remains uncertain. Researchers Sebastian Padayatty and Mark Levine reviewed how...

Vinegar Plus HPV Test Identifies Women at Risk.(human papillomavirus)
February 24, 2001... 2001 FEB 24- (NewsRx.com) -- A lab test for the human papillomavirus (HPV) combined with a visual inspection of the cervix could identify pre-cancerous lesions and vastly reduce the number of false-positives among women at high risk for...

Inhaled Insulin May Be New Treatment Option.(for people with type 1 diabetes)
February 24, 2001... 2001 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com) -- People with type 1 diabetes may be able to regulate blood glucose successfully using inhaled insulin. This approach represents a less-invasive treatment option compared with conventional treatment involving the...

Booklet Advises Taking Active Role in Health Care Decisions.("Improving Health Care Quality: A Guide for Patients and Families")
February 24, 2001... 2001 FEB 24- (NewsRx.com) -- In connection with National Wise Health Consumer Month in February 2001, the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) announced the availability of a resource with practical tips on what people can do...

FDA Issues Letter on Foods Containing Botanical and Other Ingredients.
February 24, 2001... 2001 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a letter to the food industry restating the requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act regarding the marketing of conventional foods...

Excluding Women From Medical studies Hinders Progress, Widens Gender Gap.
February 24, 2001... 2001 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com) -- The exclusion of women from the majority of clinical studies has created gaps in medical knowledge about the effects of disease and treatment of women. The concept of gender-based biology applies to all areas...

Guidelines Say Low Dose Aspirin at Least as Effective as High Dose.(for stroke prevention)
February 24, 2001... 2001 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com) -- Low doses of aspirin (80 to 325 mg) are at least as effective as higher doses (500 to 1,000 mg) in preventing stroke in patients with cerebrovascular disease, according to guidelines released by the American...