|
The Weight-Loss Miracle ResearchPatients lose bone density after weight loss surgery, and the more weight they lose, the greater the drop, new research shows. While the effect of bone density loss on future fracture risk is not yet clear, "for the present, a high degree of vigilance for nutritional deficiencies and bone loss in patients both before and after bariatric surgery is critical," the researchers write. (Source: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, published online July 22, 2008) Fad diets, tend to be low in calories, low in protein, and can lead to nutrient deficiencies that interfere with health and beauty if followed for a prolonged period of time. They also cause rapid weight loss, which is difficult to sustain, and many people on them quickly regain any weight that they lost. Also, many fad diets are based on a single food. Often, we hear the benefits of a specific food (red wine comes to mind) and, next thing you know, there's a new diet out, highlighting that specific food. Typically, these diets are low in calories, and the food is just one of their components. (Source: CBS News. Crazy Diets, And Why To Avoid Them, published online October 1, 2008) (Source: CBS News. Crazy Diets, And Why To Avoid Them, published online October 1, 2008) Individuals who are obese are at increased risk of many diseases, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease. As 75%-95% of previously obese individuals regain their lost weight. Leptin levels fall as obese individuals lose weight. So, the authors set out to see whether changes in leptin levels altered activity in the regions of the brain known to have a role in regulating food intake. They observed that activity in these regions of the brain in response to visual food-related cues changed after an obese individual successfully lost weight. However, these changes in brain activity were not observed if the obese individual who had successfully lost weight was treated with leptin. These data are consistent with the idea that the decrease in leptin levels that occurs when an individual loses weight serves to protect the body against the loss of body fat. (Source: ScienceDaily. Battle Of The Bulge: Low Leptin Levels Undermine Successful Weight Loss, June 24, 2008) There have been recent claims that dairy products can help people lose weight, and the dairy industry has hyped the assertion by investing millions of dollars in commercial advertising. However, a new review of the evidence reveals that neither dairy nor calcium intake promotes weight loss. An association between calcium or dairy intake and weight loss seen in some observational studies may be attributable to other factors, such as exercise, decreased soda intake, lifestyle habits, or increased fiber, fruit, and vegetable intake. “Our findings demonstrate that increasing dairy product intake does not consistently result in weight or fat loss and may actually have the opposite effect,” the authors conclude. (Source: ScienceDaily. Advertisements Saying Dairy Products Help You Lose Weight Are Misleading, Study Shows, May 2, 2008) Two large studies of post-menopausal women found that those who lost weight after menopause reduced their risk of breast cancer substantially. That's important since a recent report estimated that overweight and obesity in the U.S. account for 14 percent of cancer deaths among men and 20 percent among women. (Source: Daily Herald. Weight and cancer risk, October 1, 2008) When overweight people lose weight, they may not be able to undo cancer-causing damage that's already done, but shedding excess fat can reduce elevated levels of insulin, insulin-related growth factors and certain hormones like estrogen. As these compounds are all associated with the process of cancer development, we expect that their cancer-promoting effects also decrease with weight loss. Each loss or gain of excess body fat seems to change cancer risk. (Source: Daily Herald. Weight and cancer risk, October 1, 2008) Women who ate more water-rich food tended to have a slightly smaller waist size and lower body mass index, meaning they were healthier weights for their heights. The study showed that drinking water alone had no effect on the women's weights, the science journal Nutrition reported. "These studies suggest that when water is consumed as an integral component of a food, it promotes satiety and decreases subsequent dietary intake, thus possibly working to prevent obesity," researchers from the University of Tokyo said. (Source: Telegraph.co.uk. Drinking water alone does not aid in weight loss, September 17, 2008)
(Source: WWWLTV. Studies target patients with diabetes, September 30, 2008) Researchers at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina found that for overweight or obese adults with osteoarthritis of the knee, losing a single pound could result in a 4 lb reduction in pressure placed on the knee joint. "Our results indicate that each pound of weight lost will result in a 4-fold reduction in the load exerted on the knee per step during daily activities," wrote lead researcher Dr. Stephen P. Messier and colleagues. "Accumulated over thousands of steps per day, a reduction of this magnitude would appear to be clinically meaningful." (Source: Canada.com. Study: Weight loss can have a big impact on knees) Popping pills to lose weight is not a new practice. But the newest pill of choice, Adderall, is a prescription drug, that when abused, has effects similar to cocaine. Adderall speeds up the metabolism and releases more dopamine to the brain, creating a sense of euphoria and decreasing appetite. Doctors use Adderall to treat hyperactivity and narcolepsy. If abused, it can raise blood pressure and heart rate-which can be fatal. (Source: 13 WHAM. Drug Abused for Weight Loss; Deadly Similarity to Cocaine) Want to intensify your weight loss regimen? Well, just maintain a food diary, suggests a new study, which found that by keeping food records, people can double their chances of losing that extra flab.[A] large percentage of African Americans was recruited as study participants (44 percent). African Americans have a higher risk of conditions that are aggravated by being overweight, including diabetes and heart disease. In this study, the majority of African American participants lost at least nine pounds of weight, which is higher than in previous studies. (Source: Newspostonline.com. Maintaining a food diary can help double your diet weight loss, September 22, 2008) Overweight children and teenagers may be at elevated risk of developing chronic headaches, a new study suggests. The good news, researchers found, is that weight loss may, in turn, cut headache frequency. (Source: Reuters Health. Heavy children may have more headaches, September 22, 2008) Obesity is associated with an increased risk of colorectal adenomas -- growths or polyps that can become cancerous -- but weight loss might reduce the risk, a study hints. "Colorectal cancer is known to be associated with obesity," Dr. Yutaka Yamaji from University of Tokyo, Japan told Reuters Health. "Our data, together with previous reports, shows pre-cancerous lesions are also associated with obesity." (Source: Reuters Health. Weight loss may cut risk of colorectal growths, August 29, 2008) The therapeutic benefits achieved by losing weight soon after type 2 diabetes is diagnosed are sustained, even if patients eventually regain the weight, according to the results of research conducted at Kaiser Permanente Northwest in Portland, Oregon. "The main significance is that on average, patients who lose weight following diagnosis have better glycemic and blood pressure control than patients who don't, even if they subsequently regain the lost weight," study co-author Dr. Gregory A. Nichols told Reuters Health. "This is encouraging, because people who lose weight often have trouble keeping the weight off. We're saying that's OK, it's still worthwhile to lose it." (Source: Reuters Health. Benefits of weight loss maintained in diabetes, August 12, 2008) Walking a bit more each day can help people control their Type 2 diabetes but obese people trying to keep weight off may need to exercise harder than they had thought, according to a studies published on Monday. Simply walking 45 minutes more each day helped people with diabetes use blood sugar better, Michael Trenell of Britain's Newcastle University and colleagues wrote in the journal Diabetes Care. (Source: Rueters London. Studies show exercise boon for obesity, diabetes, July 28, 2008) Diabetes affects an estimated 246 million adults worldwide and accounts for 6 percent of all global deaths. Type 2 diabetes accounts for about 90 percent of all diabetes cases and is closely linked to obesity and physical inactivity. (Source: Rueters London. Studies show exercise boon for obesity, diabetes, July 28, 2008) In a new and disturbing twist on the obesity epidemic, some overweight teenagers have severe liver damage caused by too much body fat, and a handful have needed liver transplants. Many more may need a new liver by their 30s or 40s, say experts warning that pediatricians need to be more vigilant. The condition, which can lead to cirrhosis and liver failure or liver cancer, is being seen in kids in the United States, Europe, Australia and even some developing countries, according to a surge of recent medical studies and doctors interviewed by The Associated Press. The American Liver Foundation and other experts estimate 2 percent to 5 percent of American children over age 5, nearly all of them obese or overweight, have the condition, called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. (Source: abc news. AP IMPACT: Liver Disease Plagues Obese Adolescents, September 7, 2008) Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease often has no early symptoms in children or adults, but a fat belly is one signal. And diabetes, high cholesterol, high triglycerides or heart problems often accompany the disease. (Source: msnbc. Warning signs of Fatty Liver Disease, September 7, 2008) People who sleep fewer than six hours a night — or more than nine — are more likely to be obese, according to a new government study that is one of the largest to show a link between irregular sleep and big bellies. Source Article Link |
|
