Publishing in European Heart Journal, researchers looked at the ‘metabolically healthy obesity’ hypothesis in a large European prospective study. They reported that irrespective of BMI, those classed as ‘metabolically unhealthy’ had a higher risk of coronary heart disease. They also reported that those who were overweight and obese had a higher risk of coronary heart disease, irrespective of their metabolic health. read more

Publishing in International Journal of Obesity, researchers carried out a longitudinal study to examine the association between screen based media use in the bedroom and body fatness among children in the UK. read more

Presenting at the European Congress on Obesity scientists introduce study using swallowable intragastric balloon for weight loss.
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The funding and results of studies into the effects of sugar-sweetened beverages is examined in a paper published in the Annals of Internal Medicine journal with the authors reporting that industry-funded studies were more likely to find no connection between the drinks and obesity or diabetes. read more

An editorial published in the journal Open Heart has argued for the importance of balancing omega-6 (such as from cooking oils or eggs) and omega-3 (such as from oily fish) fatty acids in the prevention and management of obesity. read more

A presentation given at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes conference has examined genetic and environmental impacts on obesity. read more

The effect of Caesarean section on offspring is the subject of a paper published in JAMA Pediatrics in which the authors report an association between Caesarean section and offspring obesity. read more

Writing in the journal Cell Reports a group of scientists have reported that ‘metabolically healthy’ obese individual display similar genetic profiles to ‘metabolically unhealthy’ individuals in response to insulin suggesting that healthy obesity may be a false assertion. read more

The government has released its plan to tackle childhood obesity. read more

The contribution of genetics and obesity to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and death is evaluated in a paper published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Through their analysis of monozygotic twins with varying body mass indexes (BMI) the researchers report that higher BMI was not associated with increased risk of heart attack or death but was associated with the onset of diabetes. read more

A film titled ‘The Big Fat Fix’ has been released which focuses on the use of ‘lifestyle medicine’ to treat diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity. read more

Publishing in the journal Atherosclerosis a group of scientists have reported that reducing sugar, but not calories, in obese children can reduce markers of cardiovascular disease risk. read more

Two posters at the European Obesity Summit have presented results on bariatric surgery, with one reporting its financial and health benefits when applied to type 2 diabetes, and another reporting lower mortality for obese individuals who undergo the surgery. read more

The National Obesity Forum has produced a report on diet and dietary guidelines. read more

A study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives has examined exposure to bisphenol-A in the womb and early childhood and report an association with increased weight at age 7. read more

Publishing in the journal Cell Metabolism a group of researchers have looked at the effects of weight loss in obese people and report the health benefits of 5% weight loss, especially in terms of metabolism. read more

A paper published in the journal PNAS has reported the identification of a metabolic enzyme previously unknown to exist in mammals, which the authors suggest may be a potential target for treatment of certain metabolic disorders. read more

Cancer Research UK has published a report into the impact of obesity on cancer rates, which predicts that 72% of the UK adult population would be predicted to become overweight or obese by 2035, which would significantly impact on health and related costs.
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The possible effects of reducing sugar in soft drinks was modeled in a paper published in the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal, with the authors reporting that a reduction of 40% over five years would reduce obesity levels and cases of type 2 diabetes. read more

The UK’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies has published her annual report, this year focusing on women’s health and exploring common and taboo health issues. It emphasises the need to tackle obesity on a national scale in the hope of relieving strain on health services and improving quality of life for women. read more