Obesity in the news

A study released by the National Center for Health Statistics found that 31% of Americans are medically obese - a percentage that has more than doubled since 1980. Untreated, obesity poses significant, even life-threatening health risks.

(I-Newswire) December 7, 2009 - A study released by the National Center for Health Statistics found that 31% of Americans are medically obese - a percentage that has more than doubled since 1980. Untreated, obesity poses significant, even life-threatening health risks.

Meal-replacement plans work

Individuals who followed a meal-replacement plan for 10 years weighed approximately 33 pounds less than people who didn't use a meal-replacement plan, a recent study revealed. Conducted by the Center for the Study of Nutrition & Medicine, the 130 participants who used a meal replacement to lose weight maintained an average weight loss of six pounds after 10 years. The 154-person control group that didn't use a meal replacement gained an average of 27 pounds within the same time period.

High risks, high costs

A RAND Corporation research project reported that extreme obesity–defined as being at least 100 pounds overweight–has quadrupled in the last generation and now affects approximately four million people. The RAND project also discovered that extremely obese individuals have an unusually large share of health problems, including heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, and extensive health-care costs. At one time, extreme obesity was viewed as a rare condition possibly related to hormonal imbalance. Contemporary thinking now suggests that the condition results from a combination of addressable lifestyle and genetic factors, including diet and exercise.

Mid-life diet change shown to extend life

A study conducted at University College London found that implementing a sensible caloriecontrolled eating plan in middle age can not only improve health, but actually extend life. Researchers compared the effects of calorierestricted versus calorie-rich diets and discovered that subjects on restricted programs had a longer lifespan. The study further reported that the subjects that followed a high-calorie diet in their youth, but switched to a leaner diet in mid-life, also enjoyed increased longevity. Researchers concluded that it’s never too late to improve health by switching to sensible eating habits.

Heart health threatened by minor weight gain

According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, a weight gain of as little as four pounds can pose significant health dangers. Cardiologists have known for years that obesity can increase the potential of heart failure, but now it has been shown that carrying even a little extra weight is a substantial risk to cardiovascular health. The study showed that being overweight is in itself a risk factor for heart failure and gaining weight puts you in a higher risk group. The risk of heart failure is one-third higher in those who are overweight and double for those who are obese. Of the nearly 6,000 people who participated in the 15-year study, 11% of men and 14% of women suffered from heart failure due to excess weight. Researchers concluded that addressing even subtle weight gain can dramatically reduce the risk for cardiovascular health issues and result in greater longevity and overall wellness.

Obesity rates highest among U.S. teens

A study conducted by the National Institute of Public Health in Denmark confirms teenagers in the United States have significantly higher obesity rates than those of youths in 14 other industrialized nations, including France and Germany. The study, which appeared in the January 2004 issue of the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, profiled nearly 30,000 youths ages 13 and 15. It reports that among 15- year-old American youths, 15% of the girls and nearly 14% of boys were obese; findings further indicated that 31% of girls and 28% of boys were modestly overweight. Other nations also confronting obesity problems among its young people include Greece, Israel and Ireland. Researchers feel that US teens are more likely to eat larger quantities of fast foods, snacks and sugary sodas and, overall, lead less active lifestyles than teens in other nations.

Fatty diets detrimental to ocular health

Researchers at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary report that a diet high in fatty processed baked foods may hasten the progression of macular degeneration, an irreversible loss of vision that affects up to 25% of individuals age 75 or older and is considered the leading cause of agerelated blindness. The five-year study, which was published in The Archives of Ophthalmology, did not focus on whether diet was a cause of degeneration, but rather whether fatty diets made the existing condition worse. Of the 261 participants, it was determined that disease progression more than doubled among those with the diets highest in fatty processed baked foods. Participants whose diets contained greater quantities of fish and nuts greatly reduced their risk of the disease progressing.

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