Overweight and obesity linked to high compensation costs
A study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine has found that obese and overweight workers in the USA are more likely to incur higher compensation costs for major injuries. The study looked at data from 2,300 injured workers from Louisiana and it was shown that for major injuries high BMI was closely related to high compensation rates. On average the overweight individual was claiming almost double that of a normal weight person, whilst an obese individual was claiming almost 3 times.
Previous studies have linked obesity to a higher rate of workplace injuries and more time spent off work, however until now the effects on costs have been less clear. The team that carried out the study are keen to determine whether the costs are due to medical expenditure or are for indemnity costs for lost work time.
Read MoreNew type of treatment achieves sustained weight loss
Acceptance-Based Behavioural Treatment (ABT) has helped more people lose weight and keep it off than Standard Behavioural Treatment (SBT) – which involves reduced caloric intake and increased physical activity. ABT attaches a higher personal value to weight loss that helps people adhere to diets and physical activity and a recent study, published in Obesity, has found it to be more effective that standard treatments. The study found that those who received ABT lost 13.3% of their initial weight after one year, compared to 9.8% of SBT participants.
Further to this the likelihood of maintaining a 10% weight loss at 12 months was one-third greater for ABT than SBT. ABT itself emphasises the principles of choosing goals from personal values, such as living a longer and healthier life, also the recognition that weight control behaviours will inevitably be uncomfortable. It also aims to increase awareness of how cues impact activity related decision making – including eating. 190 people took part in this study over a 1-year period and the results have been extremely promising so far, with many issues surrounding current treatments being related to the poor long-term sustainability of weight loss. However, as with all new findings, the results will need to be repeated in more studies in order for the treatment to be validated for use.
Read MoreStress can erase the benefits of choosing ‘good fat’ Researchers
Researchers from Ohio State University have found that a stressful event before eating can erase any benefits of a healthy fat choice, these results were published in Molecular Psychiatry. The researchers knew that diet and stress were related in some way however they were aiming to learn more about the interplay between stress, diet and inflammatory markers. In this study a group of women were given a breakfast with mostly saturated fats, and another group were given a similar meal but made with monounsaturated oil, which is known to be healthier. The women were then asked about the previous day’s experiences, and answers were assessed using the Daily Inventory of Stressful Events Questionnaire to determine whether they were under any stress. Blood tests were taken to assess inflammatory markers, and it was found that these were all raised in the women who had consumed the unhealthy diet. However this difference disappeared in the women who had had ‘stressful days’; the markers were high in both groups. The study has left questions regarding the specific relationship between stress and fat and the researchers are hoping to delve deeper into this field.
Read MoreLasting Wearable technology not as effective as previously thought
A recent study has concluded that wearable devices that monitor physical activity are not effective for sustaining weight loss. The study followed 470 participants over a 2 year period and found that those who did not use wearable devices showed nearly twice the weight loss benefits at follow-up. All participants were placed on low-calorie diets, given physical activity advice and received group counselling on nutrition, after 6 months half continued the sessions, whilst the others received the devices.
The researchers concluded that wearable devices do not confer an advantage to those looking to lose weight, over those using standard interventions. They further concluded that whilst these devices provided feedback and encouragement, they did not enhance adherence to healthy lifestyles, which is one of the most important aspects of committing to weight loss. The study’s lead researcher, John Jakicic said that ‘these devices should not be relied upon as tools for weight management in place of effective behavioural counselling for physical activity and diet’. Effective long-term treatments are needed for obesity, and rigorous assessment of current management plans must continue, as is the case with this study.
Read MoreLocation of fat important in predicting heart disease
A recent study has found that increased abdominal fat is associated with worsening heart disease risk factors. This study has added to the growing body of evidence that regional deposits of fat are harmful, in particular the study found that increased stomach fat and a lower fat density resulted in worsening heart disease risk factors. This is one of the first studies that has closely examined the density of fat, and the team are still working to understand the effect that density of fat truly has. Over 6 years the researchers analysed data from 1,106 individuals who were taking part in the Framingham Heart Study.
Increases in subcutaneous and visceral fat were measured over this period. Each additional pound of fat from baseline was associated with new high blood pressure and characteristics of metabolic syndrome. These changes were more pronounced with increased visceral fat rather than subcutaneous. There were even suggestions that higher levels of fat under the skin may actually be protective, as it serves as a ‘metabolic sink for storing excess fat particles’. An editorial accompanied the study and stated that the findings support a growing body of evidence that suggest that identifying the location and the type of fat provides important information about the risk of heart disease. The researchers want to continue their work to understand the role of fat density and how it is involved in the mechanism of obesity.
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