Affiliate Press Releases | Back to Obesity

2003

Higher Body Mass Index (BMI) Hastens the Progression of Age-related Macular Degeneration; Exercise May Slow the Disease - June 2003. Overall and abdominal obesity may increase the risk of developing advanced age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness and vision impairment in the United States. Increased exercise may lower the risk.

Study Links Changes in Adolescent Activity with Weight Gain and Loss - April 2003.
Adolescents may lower their body fat by increasing their activity levels during a one year time span. An increase over one year in sedentary activities - TV/video viewing and playing video games - is associated with fat gains.

Childhood Obesity May Be the Strongest Predictor of Future Hip Replacement - Feb. 2003
From the Nurses' Health Study - being overweight early in life may be the strongest predictor of future hip replacement. Obese and older women may be more susceptible to osteoarthritic hip problems and increase their likelihood of having hip replacement surgery.

Scientists Identify Hundreds of Worm Genes that Regulate Fat Storage - Jan. 2003.
Genes with counterparts in mammals may shed light on obesity.

2002

Greater Incidence Of Obesity Among Adults with Disabling Conditions - Sept. 2002.
Adults with sensory, physical and mental health conditions are at increased risk for obesity.

Study Suggests a Possible Link Between High-starch Diet And Pancreatic Cancer in Overweight, Sedentary Women - Aug. 2002.
Study suggests excess insulin - a substance used by the body to process the sugar in foods - can promotes the development of pancreatic cancer.

Fat Tissue Can Be Controlled By The Blood Vessels That Feed It - Aug. 2002.
Investigators gave obese mice blood vessel inhibitors. Blood vessels in the fat tissue regressed and the mice lost the excess weight.

Insulin Stimulation of Fat Cells is Critical for Obesity - July 2002.
Mice bred to lack insulin receptors in fat cells had a lean body mass and were protected from obesity associated with age, overeating, and insulin-resistance - a condition of obesity leading to diabetes.

Simple Lifestyle Changes Can Lead to Weight Loss in Mentally Ill - May 2002.
Psychiatric patients can control and even reverse treatment-related weight gain by making simple lifestyle changes.

Researchers Identify Protein that Overcomes Leptin Resistance - April 2002.
The identification of a protein that enables the body to overcome resistance to the hormone leptin could help scientists move one step closer to a drug therapy to help prevent and treat obesity.

Officials Step Up Efforts to Identify Those with "Pre-Diabetes" To Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Epidemic - April 2002.
Those with pre-diabetes are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes within a decade unless they adopt a healthier lifestyle that includes weight loss and more exercise.

Increased Intake of Dairy Products May Help Reduce Risk of Developing Insulin Resistance Syndrome in Overweight Adults - April 2002.
Overweight young adults who drink and eat more dairy products may be less likely to develop insulin resistance syndrome - linked to risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Researchers Shed Light on Role of Leptin in Obesity - Feb. 2002.
Leptin controls food intake. Overweight individuals have high concentrations of leptin in the blood, suggesting that they do not respond to leptin by reducing food intake.

Can Weight Loss Decrease Heart Disease in Type 2 Diabetes? - Jan. 2002.
Named Look AHEAD: Action for Health in Diabetes, a clinical trial lifestyle intervention program will promote weight loss through reduced calorie intake and regular exercise in approximately 5,000 volunteers.

2001

Single Enzyme May Be Linked to Obesity - Dec. 2001.
The increased activity of a single enzyme in fat cells may be a common cause of obesity and obesity-linked diseases.

Researchers Find Potential Mechanism Linking Obesity to Type 2 Diabetes - June 2001.
Problems with a protein buried deep within pancreatic beta cells may explain how obesity evolves into type 2 diabetes.

Fat Cell Defect May Trigger Insulin Resistance in Muscle and Liver - Feb. 2001.
Findings in mice may explain why obesity is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance - potentially offering a new target for diabetes treatment and prevention.

Study Finds Increased Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Promotes Childhood Obesity - February 2001.
For each additional daily serving of a sugar-sweetened soft drink, the incidence of obesity in children was significantly increased.

2000

Researchers Identify Predictors to Detect Fatty Liver in Children - May 2000.
Researchers identify an enzyme which may predict liver disease in obese children.

'Obesity Gene' Causes Cancer of Fat Tissue - April 2000.
A gene previously identified as important in promoting obesity also appears responsible for causing a common tumor in human fat tissue.