Addiction drug may work for obesityTue. Aug 26, 2008 
A drug currently under investigation for its effectiveness in treating cocaine and methamphetamine addiction may hold hope for severely obese people say US scientists. Vigabatrin (VYE-gab-a-trin), an anticonvulsant medication most commonly used for preventing epileptic seizures, is currently under evaluation for its effectiveness against some addictive disorders. Scientists at the DOE's Brookhaven Laboratory found that administering vigabatrin to rats genetically bred for obesity, resulted in a 19 percent loss of total body weight after two months of treatment. Amy DeMarco, and senior scientist Stephen Dewey, suggest that the drug made the animals feel full. The Brokhaven team has researched vigabatrin for over 20 years and, after finding a strong link between obesity and addiction, believes examining the effectiveness of the drug as a potential obesity treatment is particularly relevant given today's obesity rates. Dewey said that the fact the results occurred in the genetically obese animals offers hope that this drug could potentially treat severe obesity. He adds, "This would appear to be true even if the obesity results from binge eating, as this disorder is characterized by eating patterns that are similar to drug- taking patterns in those with cocaine dependency"SOURCE: Synapse Poor Coordination may lead to obesityThu. Aug 14, 2008 
Clumsy people may have more to worry about than just breaking things. Poor physical control and coordination may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity later in life say Swedish researchers. From a sample of over 11 thousand participants in the British National Child Development Study, researchers tested children at ages 7 and 11 for hand control, coordination and clumsiness. At age 33, body mass index (BMI) was recorded for adults who had participated in the study as children. A BMI of 30 was considered obese. Poorly coordinated children were more likely to become obese adults according to the results of the study. Authors of the study, Walter Osika and Scott Montgomery from Orebro University Hospital in Sweden said, "Some early life exposures [such as maternal smoking during pregnancy] or personal characteristics may impair the development of physical control and coordination, as well as increasing the risk of obesity in later life." The researchers go on to say, "Rather than being explained by a single factor, an accumulation throughout life of many associated cultural, personal, and economic exposures is likely to underlie the risks for obesity and some elements of associated neurological function." SOURCE: BMJ Weight Loss after diagnosis of type 2 diabetes improves controlThu. Aug 14, 2008 
Losing weight soon after a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes provides better control of blood pressure and blood sugar say doctors at Kaiser Permanente. What's more, control appeared to persist even if the lost weight was regained. Observing 2500 type 2 diabetics for four years, the researchers found that those participants who lost weight soon after diagnosis were twice as likely to achieve and maintain control of blood pressure and blood sugar than those who did not lose weight. "Our study shows that early weight loss can reduce the risk factors that so often lead to diabetes complications and death," says Dr. Adrianne Feldstein, MD, MS, the lead investigator of the study. "We've known for a long time that weight loss is an important component in diabetes treatment and prevention. Now it appears there may be a critical window of opportunity following diagnosis in which some lasting gains can be achieved if people are willing to take immediate steps toward lifestyle changes." Why timing matters is not completely clear. The researchers suggest that weight loss may increase sensitivity to insulin or simply the change in lifestyle to achieve weight loss may be responsible. Whatever the case, reducing the long term type 2 diabetes complications of heart disease, blindness, nerve and kidney damage, amputations, and death make weight loss a critical first step for anyone with this diagnosis. SOURCE: Diabetes Care Sleep apnea may be a fatal diseaseTue. Aug 05, 2008 
Sleep apnea, a medical condition where breathing decreases or stops during sleep, has been linked to a 3 fold increase in death risk. The risk is even higher if people suffering from sleep apnea remain unaware of it or don't seek treatment. In an 18 year study tracking 1522 randomly selected people, researchers found that 24 percent of the subjects had varying degrees of sleep apnea and many were unaware that they had it. Principal investigator Terry Young, PhD, professor of epidemiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison said, "We found that both men and women with sleep apnea in the general population - not patients - mostly undiagnosed and untreated, had poorer survival compared with persons without sleep apnea, given equal BMI, age and sex." Using State and national death records, researchers found that the risk of death increased with the severity of the sleep apnea. They also found that the most common form of treatment for sleep apnea, CPAP, provided some protection against death from cardiovascular disease or stroke. "I was surprised by how much the risks increased when we excluded people who reported treatment with CPAP," Young said. "Our findings suggest - but cannot prove - that people diagnosed with sleep apnea should be treated, and if CPAP is the prescribed treatment, regular use may prevent premature death." The study showed that high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes may play a role in the association between sleep apnea and mortality, but the specific mechanisms by which sleep apnea contributes to mortality remain unclear. A smaller community based study conducted in Australia showed similar results after fourteen years. Nathaniel Marshall, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research in Sydney, Australia said, "The size of the increased mortality risk was surprisingly large. In our particular study a six-fold increase means that having significant sleep apnea at age 40 gives you about the same mortality risk as somebody aged 57 who doesn't have sleep apnea." He goes on to say, "Our findings, along with those from the Wisconsin Cohort, remove any reasonable doubt that sleep apnea is a fatal disease. People who have, or suspect that they have, sleep apnea should consult their physicians about diagnosis and treatment options." SOURCE: Sleep Reaching goals of Healthy People 2010 unlikelyWed. Jul 30, 2008 
Healthy People 2010, the government initiative designed to increase the proportion of adults with a healthy weight and reduce the proportion of obese adults, is unlikely to succeed if current weight trends continue. Researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine say that by 2030, 86 percent of Americans will be overweight or obese resulting in related healthcare spending reaching $956.9 billion. "National survey data show that the prevalence of overweight and obese adults in the U.S. has increased steadily over the past three decades," said Youfa Wang, MD, PhD, lead author of the study and associate professor with the Bloomberg School's Center for Human Nutrition. "If these trends continue, more than 86 percent of adults will be overweight or obese by 2030 with approximately 96 percent of non-Hispanic black women and 91 percent of Mexican-American men affected. This would result in 1 of every 6 health care dollars spent in total direct health care costs paying for overweight and obesity-related costs." The authors note that due to limitations of data and some assumptions made during the analysis, it is likely that their results underestimate the future financial impact of obesity. SOURCE: Obesity Negative attitudes about obese workers unfoundedMon. Jul 21, 2008 
The negative stereotypes about obese workers commonly held by employers and their subsequent discriminatory practices are not based in fact say researchers from Michigan State University. The belief that overweight workers are lazier, more emotionally unstable, and harder to get along with than their "normal weight" colleagues is not supported by research looking at the relationship between weight and personality traits in nearly 3,500 adults. "Previous research has demonstrated that many employers hold negative stereotypes about obese workers, and those beliefs contribute to discrimination against overweight workers at virtually every stage of the employment process, from hiring to promotion to firing," says Mark Roehling, associate professor of human resource management. "This study goes a step further by examining whether there is empirical support for these commonly held negative stereotypes. Are they based on fact or fiction? Our results suggest that the answer is fiction." The researchers suggest that employers should take steps to prevent weight related bias influencing manager's hiring, promoting or firing decisions. SOURCE: Group & Organization Management Obesity Rates Still RisingFri. Jul 18, 2008 
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that obesity rates are still rising in the US and none of the 50 states have attained the Healthy People 2010 goal of 15 percent or less obesity rate. Compared to 2005 data, the latest survey indicates an increase in self reported obesity of almost 2 percent. Southern states show the highest rates of obesity with Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee reaching more than 30 percent. Colorado continues to have the lowest rate of obesity in the country with slightly less than 19 percent of adults reporting they are obese. Thirty states had an obesity prevalence of 25 percent or more. The CDC used self reporting data from telephone surveys of over 350,000 US adults collected annually as part of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. "The epidemic of adult obesity continues to rise in the United States indicating that we need to step up our efforts at the national, state and local levels," says Dr William Dietz, the director of CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. "We need to encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables, engage in more physical activity and reduce the consumption of high calorie foods and sugar sweetened beverages in order to maintain a healthy weight." Key results:
SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Many overweight people not recognizing they have a problemMon. Jul 14, 2008 
The increasing prevalence of overweight people in society and the perception of what weight is considered normal may affect people's perception of whether or not they are overweight. Comparing information gathered in two surveys conducted in 1999 and 2007, researchers from the Health Behavior Research Centre at University College London found that while obesity rates had nearly doubled in the time between the surveys, fewer people considered themselves overweight. When asked to categorize themselves as either 'very underweight', 'underweight', 'about right', 'overweight' or 'very overweight', one third of the population did not consider themselves overweight despite having a body mass index in the overweight or obese range. The researchers suggest that the change in actual and perceived weight may be due to the increasing numbers of people that are overweight and a shift in the perception of what weight is considered normal. They also point out that media attention tends to focus on morbidly obese people creating the impression that intervention is only required for obesity and not simply overweight. As a result, people who should be taking notice of messages regarding healthy eating and exercise do not recognize that the messages are aimed at them. SOURCE: BMJ High intensity employer-based weight loss programs making a differenceSat. Jul 05, 2008 
With most employed adults spending at least half of their waking hours in the workplace, weight loss intervention sponsored by employers may be an effective method to intervene against the current obesity epidemic. After reviewing a series of studies on workplace weight loss programs, Michael Benedict, MD., from the University of Cincinnati concludes, "Worksite-based programs do tend to result in weight loss for the people that participate in them." The programs reviewed involved education and counseling designed to improve diet and increase physical activity and lasted anywhere from two to 18 months. Benedict says that intensity may be an important factor when it comes to workplace weight loss. Participants in higher intensity programs lost an average of 2.2 pounds to almost 14 pounds, while non-participants ranged from a loss of 1.5 pounds to a gain of 1.1 pounds. He adds that programs incorporating face-to-face contact with subjects more than once a month appear to be more effective than other programs. SOURCE: American Journal of Health Promotion Losing weight by eating at McDonalds may be riskyMon. Jun 30, 2008 
Making the headlines in June with claims that he lost 80 pounds in six months, Chris Coleson of Virginia is finding his story has attracted comment from health experts at the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR). Eating lunch and dinner at McDonalds every day for 6 months, Coleson chose salads and wraps as an alternative to burgers and fries to accomplish his weight loss. American Institute for Cancer Research nutritionist Sarah Wally, RD, comments, "We applaud Mr. Coleson's resolve, and his recognition that it was time to take action. Being overweight increases risk for heart disease, stroke, hypertension and Type 2 diabetes, and a recent AICR Expert Report concluded that excess body fat is a major cause of many cancers as well." Wally goes on to say, "Mr. Coleson's weight loss was the result of extreme calorie deprivation. His reported daily intake - between 1200 and 1400 calories - was far below his body's needs. Rapid weight loss like Mr. Colson experienced is inevitable when calorie intake is cut so drastically, regardless of what - or where - you are eating. But it doesn't lead to sustainable, long-term weight loss and it can be dangerous." The AICR spokesperson says that while some of the food offered at McDonalds may be considered part of a healthy diet, crash diets like this are not the kind of behavior change that results in safe, permanent weight loss. SOURCE: American Institute for Cancer Research |
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