General

Obesity

Vegetarian Diet Helps Lower Blood Pressure and Lose Weight - [10/17/08]

Summary: A new book titled The Flexitarian Diet - The Mostly Vegetarian Way To Lose Weight, Lower Blood Pressure, Be Healthier & Add Years To Your Life encourages semi-vegetarian eating to help lower your blood pressure, glucose, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels and reduce the likelihood of diseases and cancers. Being a "flexitarian eater" means lowering your intake of meat, and eating more fruits and vegetables, plant-foods and whole grains. "Being a flexitarian is a more flexible, more realistic way to be a vegetarian" says Dawn Jackson Blatner, the creator of The Flexitarian Diet.

Comment: Vegetarians have been found to weigh fifteen percent less than non-vegetarians, and have lower blood pressure. Because being a full vegetarian is not always possible, this alternative way of eating may benefit your health the same amount, if not more. By abiding by these health guidelines, you can improve your health and the seriousness of your condition.

Read article - Medical News TODAY October 17, 2008

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Patients Misunderstand Written Screening Tests - [10/14/08]

Summary: The majority of physicians require patients to answer written questions while in the waiting room to visit the doctor. However, a new survey has revealed the gap between doctors and patients in the process of answering the written questions. Because of the difference in literacy between patients and physicians, most patients are confused, or don't understand most of the questions. According to Dr. Master, one of the authors of this survey, the predominant reason for this is illiteracy.

Comment: Illiteracy is becoming more common in American which is causing great problems to physicians. Not only is there a problem with illiteracy but also with patients who are innumerate. By answering the surveys to the best of your abilities, you will receive better diagnosis or treatment of obesity.

Read article - Medical News TODAY October 14, 2008

Internet Consulted More Often Than Doctors - [10/12/08]

Summary: New market research shows that over the past year more adults went to the internet to get health information than consulted a doctor. This trend may likely be the product of an increasing consumer comfort in using the web to find reliable medical information. In addition, rising costs of healthcare coverage and visits to the doctor may be adding to the preference for first looking for information online.

Comment: The impacts of this trend, as well as others, will be discussed in an online seminar entitled "Is TV Dead? How the New New Media Changes Pharmaceutical DTC Advertising". The event is scheduled for October 14th at 11am EST and October 16th at 3pm EST.

Read article - Medical News Today. October 12, 2008.
Read article - Register for the Seminar

Vitamin D Linked to Overall Health - [10/10/08]

Summary: Vitamin D has been linked to improved overall health. This vitamin affects 36 organ tissues in the body including bone marrow, breast, colon, intestine, kidney, lung, prostate, retina, skin, stomach and uterus tissues. It has also been linked to improving immune systems, insulin secretion, heart health, blood pressure, muscle, brain activity, and decreased risk of cancer. For most adults 200-600 IU of daily vitamin D is recommended, but some experts recommend up to 2000 IU daily.

Comment: Vitamin D has previously been thought to improve bone health, but this study shows that it can affect all areas of health. By increased intake of vitamin D people with obesity can experience improved health.

Read article - Medical News TODAY October 10, 2008

Fatty Foods Reduce Feelings of Hunger - [10/07/08]

Summary: Foods that have high levels of unsaturated fats; such as nuts, olives, and avocados, send signals to your brain that tell you to stop eating. These fats trigger the small intestine to release a compound that curbs hunger pangs.

Comment: This research better explains the reasons that fats cause us to feel full. Researchers believe that the compound that triggers the full feelings could be put into a pill, which could in turn help provide better treatment and prevention for obesity. While the foods containing unsaturated fats aren't always considered healthy they do have some benefits, such as the production of such compounds.

Read article - Science Daily October 7, 2008

Immune Cells in Fat can Affect Insulin Resistance - [10/07/08]

Summary: Scientists have reduced insulin resistance levels in obese mice by killing "angry" immune cells in fat and muscle tissues. The treatment used killed the immune cells in hours, and the insulin resistance was reversed. This treatment also reduced signs on inflammation throughout the body.

Comment: This research can help researchers to find similar immune cell subsets in humans that could help reverse insulin resistance in obese people. This treatment could help prevent the development of type 2 diabetes and improve the overall health of the patients.

Read article - Science Daily October 7, 2008

Buffet Eating Styles Different for Obese People - [10/06/08]

Summary: People who are obese and people with normal weight have different eating styles when at a Chinese buffet. People who are obese sit on average 16 feet closer to the food. 42% of obese diners sat facing the food, compared with 27% of normal weight diners. 71% of normal weight diners browsed through the buffet before getting food, compared with 33% of obese diners.

Comment: The research also found that the obese diners are unaware of these subtle differences in eating, and that they contributed to heavier weights. The seating differences make the food more convenient to the diners. Since many obese people are unaware of these small choices they can gain more weight at buffets than other people. By sitting further away from the food and making healthy choices obese people can better control their weight.

Read article - Science Daily October 6, 2008

Concord Grape Juice Does not Affect Weight - [10/06/08]

Summary: Pure 100 percent concord grape juice has been found to not increase weight, but to actually decrease waist circumference. "In this study, people who drank Concord grape juice daily compensated for the energy in the grape juice, by ingesting less energy from other foods and drinks" says Dr. Richard Mattes, Director of the Ingestive Behavior Research Center and Professor in the Department of Foods and Nutrition at Purdue University.

Comment: Before this study, grape juice and other high-caloric containing drinks were thought to be bad to consume daily. This research concludes that a 16 ounce intake of grape juice per day can be beneficial to your daily health and weight. Because of this discovered information, patients with the condition of obesity don't have to be as strict with the intake of juices.

Read article - Medical News TODAY, October

Obesity in Children Decreased by Reading - [10/06/08]

Summary: Researchers at Duke Children's Hospital discovered that reading the right kinds of books may be beneficial to weight loss in obese children. Six months into the study, it was found that those who read have a very much reduced BMI (body mass index) score. "This is the first prospective interventional study that found literature can have a positive impact on healthy lifestyle changes in young girls" says Sarah Armstrong, MD, director of Duke's Healthy Lifestyles Program.

Comment: Obesity is becoming more common in children. 16 percent of children ages 6 to 19 are overweight or obese, causing more health problems than ever. Reading is an easy way to keep children healthy and it doesn't involve surgical procedures like some other possible options.

Read article - Medical News TODAY October 6, 2008

Patients Find Benefits in One Session of Exercise - [10/06/08]

Summary: Patients that are insulin sensitive and overweight can experience metabolic benefits from one session of exercise. It was found that the bodies fat-burning oxidization rates were lowered after just one session of overeating, but that just one session of exercise increased the oxidization rate. The exercise reduced fat by-products in muscle, which affects insulin sensitivity.

Comment: About one-third of Americans are obese, the extra fat stored can create many other medical problems, such as insulin sensitivity. This research shows that exercising just once has positive effects on the body, and that overeating just once can harm the body. By not over eating and exercising people who are obese can increase their oxidization rates and lose weight.

Read article - Science Daily October 6, 2008