Diet & Weight
Tuberculosis (TB) Drug Doses Too Low for Today’s Obese Populations, Says Study
The typical dose of a medication considered pivotal in treating tuberculosis effectively is much too low to account for modern-day physiques, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers said. The finding, reported online and in the August edition of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, is particularly important for those living in societies plagued by obesity, said Dr. Tawanda... »
Blacks Have Highest Obesity Rate, Says CDC
Blacks had 51 percent higher prevalence of obesity, and Hispanics had 21 percent higher obesity prevalence compared with whites, according to researchers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Greater prevalences of obesity for blacks and whites were found in the South and Midwest than in the West and Northeast. Hispanics in the Northeast... »
Scientists Finding Anti-Obesity Drugs With Fewer Side Effects
Fen-phen was once regarded as a miracle weight-loss drug, but when it induced heart valve lesions and mother life-threatening side effects, it was taken off the market. UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists are exploring Fen-phen's behavior in the brain so that safer anti-obesity drugs with less side effects can be developed. In a recent study,... »
Americans Consume Twice Daily Recommendations of Salt
Most Americans consume more than double the amount of their daily recommended level of sodium. A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that more than 2 out of 3 adults are in population groups that should consume no more than 1,500 milligrams (mg) per day of sodium. ... »
The Importance of Nutrition for Your Health
We as patients often assume that a prescription for health involves taking medicines. The drugs that FDA approves are essential for treating disease, but perhaps the most important prescription to prevent many diseases is the food we eat. »
BMP-7 Protein Produces “Good” Fat that Helps Fight Obesity
Researchers have found that a bone growth protein, known as BMP-7, also aids the growth of brown (or "good") fat that helps fight obesity. "Obesity is occurring at epidemic rates in the U.S. and worldwide and that impacts the risk and prognosis of many diseases," said Yu-Hua Tseng, Ph.D. an Assistant Investigator... »
Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate
Flavonoids in dark chocolate are a naturally occurring antioxidant similar to those found in teas, red wine, and some fruits and vegetables. These flavonoids are thought to have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, and one recent study showed that 6 grams of dark chocolate a day (about one square) lowered systolic... »
Health of Obese Teens Better After Laparoscopic Surgery
The results of a new study show that the overall health of obese teenagers improved after they underwent laparoscopic gastric banding surgery. »
Study Shows Obesity Is a Major Risk for Heart Failure
The results of the Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) identifies "the biological effects of obesity on the heart" as a serious reason for 72 million overweight Americans to worry about their health. »
Not Enough Doctors to Treat Increasing Number of Obese and Diabetic Children
The number of diabetic and obese children is growing so rapidly that there aren't enough doctors to treat the kids. According to a recent study by University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Hospital, there is only one board-certified pediatric endocrinologist per 290 children with diabetes. The ratio of obese children to board-certified endocrinologists... »