Medical Library8 Ways Exercise Keeps You Young and HealthyExercise may not halt the aging process, but mounting evidence suggests people who stay active can slow its effects. The latest issue of Mayo Clinic Women's Healthsource offers 8 benefits to regular exercise. It Provides Energy: Feeling tired and lethargic is largely a result of being inactive. Endurance exercises like walking, swimming, jogging, biking, and rowing improves stamina and energy. Even after a few weeks in a walking program, people have more energy for activities. It Improves Mental Health: There's considerable evidence that regular physical activity can help reduce stress, manage mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety, improve sleep quality, boost mood, and enhance the overall feeling of well-being. (Read more)
Adding Dietary Calcium Helps Lose WeightIncreasing the supply of calcium in one's diet facilitates weight loss - but only in people who fail to ingest enough calcium, a recent study showed.The study was published in the British Journal of Nutrition, and was performed by Angelo Tremblay and his team at Université Laval's Faculty of Medicine, in Quebec City, Canada.
American Children Are Not Consuming Enough MilkA recent study from Penn State has found that American children are drinking insufficient amounts of milk and the dairy they are choosing to consume are very high in fat. The study examined a children's daily dairy intake and compared it with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid dairy recommendations. The findings revealed that only 2 to 3 year olds met the MyPyramid dairy recommendations. It was also observed that most children choose to eat more of the highest fat varieties of cheese, yogurt, ice cream, and dairy based toppings. (Read more)
Another Five Predictors of Long LifeBeing conscious of fat and sugar in your diet, and working out at the gym, may seem like the keys to a long and healthy life. But you may easily tire of calorie counting and workouts. It seems the real signs of whether you will be blessed with considerable longevity is if you've adopted certain lifelong healthy lifestyles and attitudes - some of which you can still start. Here are five of them. (Read more)
Bariatric Surgery Patients Lead Comparatively Unhealthy LifestylePatients who have undergone weight-loss surgery, even though they may have lost 100 pounds or more, engaged in poorer eating and exercise habits compared with obese people who lost the same amount of weight through diet and exercise, a recent study has found.
Best Hospitals Have Lowest Chance of Bariatric Surgery ComplicationsA study released by HealthGrades identified 88 hospitals as the nations "best" performers (five-star rated), with mortality rates, complication rates and patient lengths of stay that are dramatically lower than other poorly rated hospitals. The independent healthcare ratings organization rated the quality of bariatric surgery in hospitals across 19 states.
Depression Produces Abdominal ObesityOlder people who are depressed are twice as likely to gain large amounts of fat around the midriff, a recent study shows. And abnormal weight gain leading to obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
Diet Soda: Doorway to Weight GainDiet soda isn't the silver bullet to weight loss its often made out to be. Nor does it prevent weight gain. In fact, drinking diet soda is strongly correlated with overweight and obesity.
Diets ComparedIt’s a topic that keeps on churning out studies…which is the best diet to help you lose weight, and lower your blood pressure and cholesterol. Atkins? Zone? Ornish? The good old food pyramid? The results of the latest government funded study is surprising to many. Many people thought this issue was a dead one--low carb being no better than a low fat diet, with the key being reduced calories across the board. But this latest study says, hold on--low carb may be the best for many reasons. (Read more)
Enviga | Nutrition and DietThere is a new soft drink hitting the market that does what no other soft drink has ever claimed to do: you drink it, and you’ll burn calories. Is it truly possible? Please say it’s so. You know, there’s a lot to be said for a brownie and a diet coke; i mean, why add insult to injury. At least the diet coke isn'’t pouring on more calories. But what if--just if--there was something that could go one better, and negate the effects of that brownie? From the folks who bring you nestle crunch bars and coca cola…. Comes… Drum roll please….. Enviga! This puppy is being called the the calorie burner! Don’t' believe it? (Read more)
Exercise Improves Outcome of Bariatric SurgeryPatients who incorporated regular physical activity into their lives after bariatric surgery lost more weight and had better general health and vitality and less depression and anxiety than those who were inactive, a recent study shows.
Fast Eating Increases FatnessWolfing your food and at the same time eating until you feel full cause a near tripling of the risk of being overweight, according to a recent study from Japan's Osaka University.
Fatty-Liver Disease Retreats With Weight LossIf patients lose 9 percent of their body weight, a dangerous condition of the liver can be reversed, a recent study has shown.
For Obese, Losing a Little Helps a LotIf obese people lose even a moderate amount of weight, their risk of developing serious health problems, especially heart disease, is dramatically lowered, according to a recent study.
Growth Hormone Aids Healthier Obesity Weight LossAdministering growth hormone to obese women as they diet and exercise after undergoing bariatric surgery helps them lose more fat-tissue weight and retain more lean-muscle-mass weight, a recent report showed.
Heart Disease Risk Increases Among Overweight PreschoolersIn a worrisome development in light of America’s epidemic of childhood obesity, a recent study revealed that cardiovascular risk factors increase in children as young as three who are overweight or obese.
High Carbs and HeartOk, let’s get this straight once and for all, shall we? Should we be eating a low carb diet, or a high carb diet? And do the types of carbs make a difference in terms of losing weight? This latest research says a high carb diet--but with the right carbs--can be the best diet in terms of shedding fat and cardiovascular risk. But good luck at trying to figure out exactly what it is you’re supposed to eat. The latest study just in from the archives of internal medicine shows that a diet high in carbohydrates but low on what’s called the glycemic index, which measures the impact of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels, may help promote weight loss, decrease body fat and reduce cardiovascular disease risk. (Read more)
Intestinal Chemical May Suppress Appetite and Fight ObesityA biochemical produced by the small intestine every time we eat a fatty meal and which signals the brain to suppress appetite may be the answer to the obesity epidemic, a recent study suggests.
Knowledge of Fat-Making Complex Could Fight ObesityIn an advance that has implications for new anti-obesity and anti-cancer drugs, a “movie” has been made of how a molecular complex in the human cell performs a “dance” in which it dramatically changes shape to promote all of the stages of fat synthesis.
Lifestyle Changes Effective Against Child ObesityObese children and teenagers can lose significant weight through lifestyle changes that are occasionally paired with medication, a Dutch team has found in reviewing 64 randomized, controlled studies from five continents.
Liver Chemical Crucial in Keeping Blood Fats LowDramatic underproduction of a particular liver biochemical seems to be the cause of the pathologically high blood-fat levels associated with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome in obese mice, a recent study found. Metabolic syndrome is a disorder that places its sufferers at greatly increased risk for cardiovascular disease, and is marked by the intersection of several symptoms, including belly obesity, high blood pressure and high blood fats.
Morbidly Obese Seen as Huge Future Hospital BurdenMorbidly obese Americans, whose numbers are rising rapidly today and whose average hospital expenses far outstrip other people’s, are likely to become a terrible drain on hospital resources in the near future, a recent study showed.
New GERD ProcedureFor Julie Bayley there’s nothing better than cooking up an exotic home cooked meal and pairing it with the perfect bottle of wine. But, Julie says that for years her epicurean indulgences left her paying the price…unrelenting vicious heartburn. “It is like a river of lava coming up into your throat and just burning relentlessly and at the same time that is happening there is this pressure on your chest, it is just unbelievable pain,” says Julie. Julie suffers from GERD…gastroesophageal reflux disease. This chronic reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus is often due to a weakening of tissues that make up the valve-like barrier between the esophagus and stomach. Most GERD patients have abnormal functioning of this valve allowing stomach contents to flow freely into the esophagus causing severe heartburn. (Read more)
Obese Don't Lose Weight Even After Health BreakdownsSmoking and obesity are two of the biggest risk factors for chronic and deadly diseases. So it would seem that if a smoker or an obese person suffered a heart attack or stroke, or was diagnosed with lung disease, cancer or diabetes, he would quit smoking or lose a lot of weight – fast.
Obese Don't Lose Weight Even After Health BreakdownsSmoking and obesity are two of the biggest risk factors for chronic and deadly diseases. So it would seem that if a smoker or an obese person suffered a heart attack or stroke, or was diagnosed with lung disease, cancer or diabetes, he would quit smoking or lose a lot of weight – fast.
Obesity Gene Also Codes for Polycystic Ovary SyndromeThe gene that codes for susceptibility to obesity also predisposes a woman to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common cause of infertility, a recent study discovered.
Obesity Rates Expected to Soar in the USObesity is still on the rise. A new study released by the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health finds that by 2015, 75% of adults will be overweight, 41% will be obese. The study was a meta-analysis (comprehensive overview) of 20 different journal papers, reports, online data sets, and 4 different national surveys from 1960-2004. The study found that the obesity rate between those years had risen from 13% to 32%. The lead author of the study, Youfa Wang MD, PhD called obesity a public health crisis, and said, "The obesity rate in the United States has increased at an alarming rate over the past three decades. We set out to estimate the average annual increase in prevalence as well as the variation between population groups to predict the future situation regarding obesity and overweight among U.S. adults and children." (Read more)
Obesity Rates Expected to Soar in the USObesity is still on the rise. A new study released by the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health finds that by 2015, 75% of adults will be overweight, 41% will be obese. The study was a meta-analysis (comprehensive overview) of 20 different journal papers, reports, online data sets, and 4 different national surveys from 1960-2004. The study found that the obesity rate between those years had risen from 13% to 32%. The lead author of the study, Youfa Wang MD, PhD called obesity a public health crisis, and said, "The obesity rate in the United States has increased at an alarming rate over the past three decades. We set out to estimate the average annual increase in prevalence as well as the variation between population groups to predict the future situation regarding obesity and overweight among U.S. adults and children." (Read more)
Obesity Rates May Be Leveling OffHere is some remarkable news. We, meaning Americans in general, have finally begun to stop getting fatter. Not that we are any thinner, but at least our national weight expansion has leveled off. This semi-encouraging news comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Read more)
Obesity Rates May Be Leveling OffHere is some remarkable news. We, meaning Americans in general, have finally begun to stop getting fatter. Not that we are any thinner, but at least our national weight expansion has leveled off. This semi-encouraging news comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Read more)
Obesity Seems to Degrade Men's Sex LivesObese men undergo significant hormonal changes and experience markedly worse sex lives – but stomach-stapling surgery can correct those troubles, a recent small study showed.
Obesity and Cancer RiskThe American Cancer Society has released the latest edition of it’s Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention. The publish it every five years, and the emphasis now is on--you guessed it--obesity. Yes, being overweight or obese is a significant cancer risk. This contributes to as much as 20 percent of all cancer related mortality. The list of the cancers to which it’s clearly linked is long: breast, colon, uterine, esophagus, and kidney. It is highly suggestive it is linked to these as well: pancreatic, gallbladder, thyroid, ovarian, cervical, prostate cancer, Hodgkin’s disease, and multiple myeloma. Overall, one third of the more than 500.000 cancer deaths in the U.S. each year can be attributed to diet and excess weight. (Read more)
Obesity and Depression Strongly LinkedThe link between common mental illness and obesity should be given more attention because the two health problems are closely connected, according to researchers at the University of Adelaide. An editorial in the British Medical Journal add support to claims of a two-way risk between obesity and common mental disorders.
Obesity and Weight Loss SurgerySevere obesity is a chronic condition that is difficult to treat through diet and exercise alone. Bariatric surgery is one of the best options for people who are severely obese and cannot lose weight by traditional means or who suffer from serious obesity-related health problems. The surgery promotes weight loss by restricting food intake and, in some operations, interrupting the digestive process. As in other treatments for obesity, the best results are achieved with healthy eating behaviors and regular physical activity. (Read more)
Precursor Fat Cells May Shed Light on DiseasesTo understand more about the mystery of obesity, it's important to understand how fat cells are born, nurtured and matured. And the enlightenment that will flow from understanding obesity may sweep away mysteries relating to the generation of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, which seem to be so much more prevalent among people who are obese. So it was with delight that scientists greeted a recent study identifying precursor cells that develop into full-blown fat tissue. The research, performed on "skinny" mice genetically modified to have no fat deposits, showed that injecting one particular type of cell into the mice caused them to form fat. (Read more)
Quicker Dementia Linked to Obesity and Heart DiseaseObesity, along with the diabetes and heart disease that often accompany it, can quicken the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, according to a series of four recent studies, which also point to the importance of adopting practices aimed at early prevention of brain ills.
Reducing Stress Lowers Risk of Cardiovascular ProblemsA Review in The Lancet reveals the importance of healthy lifestyle choices to reduce stressors related to cardiovascular risk factors. Researchers from John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore examined records between 1990 to 2006. They observed how stress affects the sympathetic nervous system, impacts physiology, and the effect it has on the cardiovascular system. Lead author, Daniel Brotman, claims "Acute physical stressors such as sugery, trauma, and intense physical exertion are well known triggers of cardiovascular events. Emotional stressors are increasingly recognized as precipitants of such events." (Read more)
Remedy or Rip Off LipozeneThere is a heavily advertised product on the market--you might have seen it while watching popular shows like the daily show--which claims to allow you to burn fat with no effort--no exercise, no diet. The Federal Trade Commission will tell you there is no magic in a bottle. (Read more)
Remedy or Rip Off: RelacorNo doubt, a lot of us are stressed out, and a lot of us have unwanted belly fat. But are the two linked? And can an over the counter supplement called relacore help battle both problems at the same time? The thinking is this: that stress causes a stress hormone called cortisol to be released, which in turn causes one to accumulate unwanted belly fat. So, if you reduce the stress, you reduce the belly fat. The question is, where’s the proof relacore can do any of that? The relacore ad says, “Relacore, the feel good pill that helps reduce belly fat. Relacore, its easy.” Sure, a pill is easy. (Read more)
Signs of a Good Bariatric Surgery CandidateIf you're obese and have tried every diet imaginable, sticking to it faithfully, and still can't lose the excess poundage, you might be a candidate for weight-loss surgery. But bariatric surgeons don't choose just anyone. To qualify, a prospective patient must satisfy certain criteria. First, a person's body mass index, or BMI, must be at least 40 - or he or she must weigh at least 100 pounds more than his or her ideal weight. (Read more)
Super Obesity SurgeryA less popular form of weight loss surgery appears to be better than the standard type currently done in most centers. For so-called “super obese” patients, it could mean a better result. It’s called the biliopancreatic diverserion with duodenal switch. Like the older surgery, called the roux-en-y bypass (roo-en-y) gastric bypass surgery, it cuts the stomach and diverts the intestine. But this does it differently, resulting in a greater amount of excess body weight that is lost. You wouldn’t know it now, but Emilio Vingna piano, at 5 foot 8 inches tall, used to weigh 380 pounds. “Very difficult sleeping, very difficult time breathing, very difficult time functioning on every and any level just because you are carting around excess weight. I didn’t think I would reach 50 years old uh because of uh the amount of strain on your heart and respiratory system as a whole,” says Emilio. But he’s lost 200 pounds, thanks to this lesser known surgery more commonly called the duodenal switch—a procedure intended for super obese patients. Obesity is 30 and over. (Read more)
The Risks of Being Overweight During PregnancyMany pregnant women are unaware of being overweight or obese, and lack knowledge of the risks it poses to their possible pregnancy, according to findings published in the Medical Journal of Australia. Associate Professor Leonie Callaway and her colleagues surveyed 412 women in early pregnancy that attended a public antenatal clinic or were patients of a private obstetrician.
Weight Gain in Postmenopausal Woman and the Risk of Breast CancerWell, if you need a reason to lose weight and get into shape, here is a new motivation in the form of a health warning for women: being overweight increases one’s risk of developing breast cancer. The latest study, in the journal of the American medical association, shows that women who gain weight, especially after the menopause, are at a higher risk of breast cancer. Women who gained about 55 pounds or more since age 18 were at a 45 percent increased risk of breast cancer, compared with those who maintained their weight. Women who gained about 22 pounds or more since menopause were at an 18 percent increased risk of breast cancer. But weight loss after menopause lowers circulating estrogen hormones in women, and because estrogen is directly related to breast cancer, weight loss is thought to decrease risk of the disease. (Read more)
Weight Loss Surgery for Older AmericansA new study published in the Archives of Surgery found no difference between outcomes of patients younger or older than 60 years who underwent gastric by-pass surgery. This study at the Western Reserve University Medical Center, followed 900 patients after having gastric by-pass surgery. The researchers found, "no differences in outcomes between older vs younger nor for Medicare vs non-Medicare patients for any postoperative complication or mortality." There were no mortalities among 46 patients 60 years and older a year after surgery. (Read more)
Weight WatchersEmily Loewenstein is one energetic weight watchers instructor. She has reason to be: she lost 70 pounds on the program. Tom Pimpinelli has also had tremendous success losing weight. “I did very well. Two pounds a week. I dropped from 268, my lowest was 214 or 212,” says Tom. Tom and Emily are great stories. But according to studies in respected medical journals like the Journal of the American Medical Association, Weight Watchers, on average, provides a loss of between six and thirteen pounds after one year. That’s roughly a half pound to a pound a month, or less. In this study, after the second year, the average person ended up only six pounds down; They had, in fact, gained some of the weight they lost back. One expert told us, after five years, most people will have gained back most or all of the weight they lost. “The people who seek help are the people who feel that they can’t do it on your own. Many of them have tried it before by one program or another and they have failed, and they try another program and they fail,” says Dr. Xavier Pi-Sunier, an obesity expert at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center. (Read more)
Weight-Loss Surgery Cures Teen DiabetesWhen stomach-stapling surgery is performed on obese adolescents, they usually experience immediate and complete relief from health-imperiling type 2 diabetes, a recent study has showed.
Weight-Loss Surgery May Eliminate Liver DiseaseA dangerous liver disease that's a side effect of obesity appears to be completely overcome in a majority of patients as a result of the weight loss following bariatric surgery, according to a recently published report. Obesity, which has become epidemic in the United States, has grown from afflicting 15 percent of the population in 1980 to 32.9 percent in 2004. It leads to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in around 70 percent of the obese and in 85 percent to 95 percent of those who are morbidly obese. Obesity is defined using body mass index (BMI), which relates an individual's weight to his or her height. A person with a BMI of 30 or above is considered obese. People who are morbidly obese have a BMI of 40 or more. (Read more)
Weight-Loss Surgery With One Small IncisionStomach banding is an important weapon in the war chest of the bariatric surgeon - but it typically requires five incisions and a considerable recovery time. But a new technique just coming into use needs just a single incision to accomplish the task of gastric banding, that is, tying off the top portion of the stomach so that food flow is restricted and slowed down. When the small, top part of the stomach is full, it signals the brain, which tells the body it's no longer hungry. This can lead to large reductions in weight for the morbidly obese, who are the only category of patients allowed to undergo the surgery. (Read more)
Women Can Quit Smoking While Controlling for Weight GainThere are many women who hesitate to quit smoking because they fear gaining weight. Nicotine is known to suppress appetite and boost a smoker's metabolism. A new meta-analysis published in the journal, Addiction, shows that women who quit smoking while receiving treatment for weight control are better able to control their weight gain and are more successful at quitting cigarettes. (Read more)
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