Health News

Strong Support for Laws Against Weight Discrimination, Bullying

Dr Rebecca M. Puhl Although there are currently no national laws anywhere against weight-based discrimination or bullying, a survey of people engaged in weight management in six Western countries has found strong support for such laws and policies. Researchers surveyed adults enrolled in WW International (formerly Weight Watchers) in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, UK, and […]

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Using Biochemistry to Fight Obesity

Obesity is the excessive accumulation of triacylglycerols in fatty tissue. This results from excessive calorie intake compared with expenditure. Obesity can rarely be attributed purely to genetic predisposition, though genes do play a polygenetic role in the propensity for an individual to store fat, grow muscle, engage in physical activity, and other metabolic processes. Image […]

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Obesity Leads to Depression via Social and Metabolic Factors

New research provides further evidence that a high body mass index (BMI) leads to depressed mood and poor well-being via social and physical factors. Obesity and depression are “major global health challenges; our findings suggest that reducing obesity will lower depression and improve well-being,” co–lead author Jessica O’Loughlin, PhD student, University of Exeter Medical School, […]

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Obesity a big risk factor for severe COVID-19, study confirms

(HealthDay)—Yet another study confirms what doctors have long known: Being obese greatly raises the odds that if you contract COVID-19, your case could be a severe one. The study, from researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, supports calls for obese Americans to move to the head of the line for protective […]

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3D microscopy sheds light on the body’s immune response to obesity

Researchers who focus on fat know that some adipose tissue is more prone to inflammation-related comorbidities than others, but the reasons why are not well understood. Thanks to a new analytical technique, scientists are getting a clearer view of the microenvironments found within adipose tissue associated with obesity. This advance may illuminate why some adipose […]