Weight Management

DietWatch     The Dreaded Weight Loss Plateau by Sharon Minai, RD When DietWatch member LaDean decided to lose weight, she wanted to make a permanent change. "I really wanted to take the weight off, and watch it come off one pound at a time," she said. LaDean began her weight loss journey in February 2000, right after the start of the new millennium. She made many changes … [Read more...]

Parents Don't Realize Kids Are Fat Reported December 24, 2007 A startling number of parents may be in denial about their youngsters' weight. A survey found that many Americans whose children are obese do not see them that way. That is worrisome because obese children run the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol problems and other ailments more commonly found … [Read more...]

A 'great little motivator' for weight lossReported November 21, 2007 While loosening your belt after Thanksgiving dinner, you may want to clip a pedometer to it. The reason: Just wearing a step counter leads to weight loss and lower blood pressure, according to research released Tuesday. The researchers found that a pedometer is an unusually good motivator to get people … [Read more...]

Obesity Swells In 31 StatesReported December 09, 2007 WASHINGTON -- Loosen the belt buckle another notch, America: Obesity rates continued their climb in 31 states last year. No state showed a decline. Mississippi became the first state to crack the 30 percent barrier for adult residents considered to be obese. West Virginia and Alabama are just slightly behind, according … [Read more...]

Phthalate exposure linked to low birth weightReported July 01, 2009 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Findings from a study of Chinese newborns suggest that pregnant women exposed to phthalates -- plasticizer chemicals used in many consumer products -- increases the risk of low birth weight. In animal studies, phthalate exposure has been linked to reduced fetal birth weight and … [Read more...]

Fasting Every Other Day Cuts Weight, Ups Crankiness Tuesday, February 1, 2005 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Shunning food every other day may be a feasible way to slash calories -- if you and those around you don't mind the crankiness that comes with it, according to researchers. Their study of 16 nonobese men and … [Read more...]

Contrasting Weight Problems Observed In Germany Reported January 30, 2008 Berlin, Germany (AHN) - A recent National Consumption Study among Germans showed contrasting weight problems between genders in the country. While two-thirds of German men were officially overweight, 10 percent of German women below 17 were underweight and … [Read more...]

In fighting fat, pedometers countReported November 21, 2007 While loosening your belt after Thanksgiving dinner, you may want to clip a pedometer to it. The reason: Wearing a step-counter leads to weight loss and lower blood pressure, according to new research Tuesday that found a pedometer is an unusually good motivator to get people to walk more. People who used a … [Read more...]

Children's obesity rates vary greatly in L.A. CountyReported November 10, 2007 Obesity rates for children in low-income communities with few parks are up to nine times higher than for children in affluent areas with abundant recreational access, according to a new report that analyzes childhood obesity in the cities and communities of Los Angeles County. The rates ranged … [Read more...]

Invasive Monitoring Advised During Obesity SurgeryTue Mar 29 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Detrimental blood flow and breathing changes are common in obese patients undergoing laparoscopic, or "keyhole," gastric bypass surgery. Therefore, invasive monitoring with a blood vessel catheter may be warranted to assure a safe operation, new … [Read more...]

Depression and anxiety linked to obesity   Reported October 07, 2009 Common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety increase a person's risk of becoming obese, a study has found. According to the findings of researchers in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) individuals with chronic or repeat episodes of common mental disorders are particularly … [Read more...]

Belly fat linked to depression Reported May 01, 2009 (foodconsumer.org) -- Depression has been linked with the accumulation of visceral fat, the kind of fat that huddles between organs around the waistline and has long been known to increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes, a recently released study has found. While medical researchers have known for years that … [Read more...]

We're living longer but are overweight Reported February 07, 2008 People are living longer, but are more likely to be overweight and suffer diabetes or another chronic disease, a snapshot of Australians' health shows. Life expectancy is continuing to improve, now averaging 83.3 years for females at birth and 78.5 years for males. … [Read more...]

Young aboriginal women most likely to be overweight: report Reported January 23, 2008 OTTAWA - The poor eating habits of young aboriginal women could be a driving force behind the difference in obesity rates between Canada's aboriginal and non-aboriginal population, according to a report released Wednesday by Statistics Canada. The study found that in Ontario and the … [Read more...]

Germany to Oust ObesityReported July 04, 2008 Not to be out done, Germany has eaten, drank, and lazed its masses into matching the American people as the heavyweights of the world—both countries weighing in with the highest numbers of overweight and obese people. According to government statistics, two-thirds of all German men … [Read more...]

How sit-ups make you fat Reported November 11, 2008 Here's what I wish I'd been told after having children: Abdominal exercises can make your midline pooch look even bigger. Instead, after both pregnancies, I religiously did crunches to get my pre-baby body back. And my bulge never budged. It wasn't until I saw my physical therapist for another issue that I learned I'd … [Read more...]

Go for pre-pregnancy weight loss surgery Reported November 19, 2008 A new study has revealed that obese women who have weight loss surgery before becoming pregnant have a lower risk of pregnancy-related health problems and their children are less likely to be born with complications. In the study, researchers found that women who underwent bariatric surgery and lost … [Read more...]

Weight loss protects mom and child     BY RONI RABIN STAFF WRITER Obese women who are contemplating having a child may want to get their weight under control before they become pregnant to reduce the risks both to themselves and their babies, doctors say. Women who are obese are more likely to develop complications during pregnancy, including gestational hypertension and … [Read more...]

Obesity a major health issue in Canada Reported August 04, 2007 With 59% of Canadian adults being overweight and 23% being obese, plus the disturbing increase in childhood obesity, it is clear that obesity is a major individual and public health issue in Canada. Dr. David Lau, Chair of the Obesity Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines Steering Committee and professor of … [Read more...]

Lose weight the hard way Reported August 27, 2008 I might as well start by apologizing in advance to everyone that I am about to offend. But seriously, “Lose Weight Easily” has got to be the dumbest, most inane and contradictory statement ever. I guess the millions of people whose fat rolls bounce happily along with each step choose to be that way … [Read more...]

Sweden's 'obesity epidemic' shows signs of slowing: study   Reported November 25, 2009 After decades of progressive weight gain, Swedes’ waistlines appear to have stopped expanding, a new study shows. For the first time in 70 years, the number of obese and overweight people in Sweden hasn’t increased, according to statistics … [Read more...]

Eating with chopsticks 'helps lose weight' Reported January 14, 2009 Eating with chopsticks can help you lose weight, according to a new diet book. The Daily Telegraph's food writer Xanthe Clay takes a look at the theory. Losing weight has long been never been such a hot topic. According to Dr David Haslam of the National Obesity Forum, … [Read more...]

Weight loss improves cardiac functionReported December 13, 2009 The results of this two-year study showed that weight loss led to improvement in four key measures of heart and vascular health. They included decreased thickness of heart muscle, improved pumping and relaxation functions of the heart and decreased thickness of the carotid artery walls. Heart muscle … [Read more...]

Women risk lives taking weight-loss pills   Reported September 13, 2009 The Australian Medical Association says it is common for people to visit different doctors trying to get the "potentially deadly" pills. People are discussing online how to find a doctor who will issue a prescription, and describe alarming symptoms such as erratic heart rates, … [Read more...]

Large Waistline Linked To Stroke RiskReported August 26, 2008 An expanding waistline — already known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease — may also increase risk for stroke and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), researchers reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. A TIA is a “warning stroke” that … [Read more...]

Move your body, but not too muchReported November 20, 2007 Exercise is all about moving your body. But some body parts move more than you want them to. For many overweight exercisers, every step of a workout comes with an unintended cascade of motion -- breasts bounce, belly fat shakes and thighs rub. The added jiggle and friction of moving body fat is more than just … [Read more...]

Fighting obesity: What women need to do to lose weight Reported July 30, 2008 "You need to step it up, people,” said Jeannine Stein in the Los Angeles Times Health blog. A new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that obese women who stuck to their diets and exercised 55 minutes a day kept off a 10 percent weight loss, while those who only exercised for 30 … [Read more...]

Lose weight, enjoy a better sex life Reported June 18, 2006   VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - Obese women who start to lose weight will also see an improvement in the quality of their sex lives, according to a U.S. study released on Monday. Even a moderate weight loss reduced complaints of feeling sexually unattractive and led to improved desire, according to the … [Read more...]

Muscle Loss Can Point to Heart Failure THURSDAY, Jan. 13 THURSDAY, Jan. 13 (HealthDayNews) -- The link between weight loss caused by muscle wasting and congestive heart failure is outlined in a Tulane University Medical Center study in the current issue of the Journal of Clinical … [Read more...]

Swedish women put on weight   Reported December 17, 2007 Swedish women have becoming progressively heavier over the last few years, a new study has shown. Since 2004. some 100,000 women have joined the ranks of the obese, according to figures from the National Institute of Public Health (Folkhälsoinstitutet). Three years … [Read more...]