

School based nutrition intervention improves BMI
A California-based programme that aims to improve children’s dietary behaviours and prevent obesity has been shown to be effective. The initiative was called ‘The Shaping Healthy Choices Program’ and involved 409 students aged 9-10, split into a control group and an intervention group. The program itself took place over the course of a year and involved the use of gardens established at the...Read More

Routine and regular bedtimes may help stave off obesity
A study from the Ohio State University has concluded that regular bedtimes, mealtimes, and limited screen time is related to emotional health and obesity in preschool children. The study has been published in the International Journal of Obesity, and uses data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study. For the research itself, data from 10,955 children was included; this was then combined with...Read More

Weight management program reduces job absenteeism
Obesity does not only have direct medical costs, but it also has wider economic costs that many of us do not think about. Examples of this are, missed time from work and lost productivity. This study, from the University of Michigan, aimed to analyse the effects of a weight management program with the focus being the impact that it had at work. The program itself is billed as a two year,...Read More

Metabolic syndrome branded the new ‘silent killer’
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of three or more risk factors that increase your chances of developing heart disease, stroke and diabetes. These include, but are not limited to – increased blood pressure, abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance. Now, researchers from Florida Atlantic University, are claiming that metabolic syndrome has become a...Read More

Should weight loss be included in pain management?
A study from Leeds Beckett University has suggested that weight loss programmes should become part of pain management for obese patients. The team investigated 74 patients who were divided into groups according to their weight. They then applied pressure, cold and heat to different areas of their bodies. According to the researchers, obese patients are more susceptible to pressure pain than...Read More

Is birth weight a risk factor for fatty liver disease?
A study from the University of California has found that children with a high birth weight are more likely to develop hepatitis from fatty liver disease. This is after researchers conducted a study in 530 individuals under the age of 21 who had a confirmed diagnosis of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). They collected the birth weights of the individuals and found the link....Read More
