Healthy Lifestyle
How gut bacteria regulate weight gain: Study provides further understanding
Researchers at the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre in University College Cork have discovered how gut bacteria communicate with their host to specifically regulate weight gain and serum cholesterol levels. The research, funded by Science Foundation Ireland, has implications for the rational selection and design of probiotics for the control of obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes. The […]
Why exercise may not help obese shed much weight: Exercise can elevate stress response and make it more difficult to become slim
The obese are advised to do physical exercise. But this can increase their physiological stress responses, and thereby make it more difficult to slim, according to a new Norwegian study. This research may provide an explanation for the difficulties which many people encounter in losing weight despite energetic keep-fit efforts. “It’s often said obese people […]
Scientists discover a natural molecule to treat type 2 diabetes: Molecule mimics some effect of physical exercise
Researchers at the Université Laval Faculty of Medicine, the Quebec Heart and Lung Institute Research Center, and the Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods have discovered a natural molecule that could be used to treat insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. The molecule, a derivative of omega-3 fatty acids, mimics some of the effects of […]
Diets rich in antioxidant resveratrol fail to reduce deaths, heart disease or cancer
A study of Italians who consume a diet rich in resveratrol — the compound found in red wine, dark chocolate and berries — finds they live no longer than and are just as likely to develop cardiovascular disease or cancer as those who eat or drink smaller amounts of the antioxidant. “The story of resveratrol […]
Long-term childhood poverty contributes to young adult obesity rates
A new study from the University of Houston Department of Health and Human Performance (HHP) finds childhood poverty reaches into the lives of white, Hispanic and African-American young adult women, contributing to their propensity to be overweight and obese. “We know that having a low socioeconomic status during childhood contributes to children being overweight or […]
Fourfold increase in rate of diagnosed cases of celiac disease in the UK
Celiac UK, the national charity for celiac disease announces today, 12th May 2014, new research from the University of Nottingham that has found a fourfold increase in the rate of diagnosed cases of celiac disease in the United Kingdom over the past two decades, but, still three quarters of people with celiac disease may remain […]
New residential activity course helps recovering Armed Forces personnel
Participating in a new five day course involving adaptive sport and adventurous training significantly improved the mental wellbeing of in-service wounded, sick and injured UK Armed Forces personnel. This is the finding of Suzanne Peacock and colleagues from Leeds Metropolitan University to be presented at the British Psychological Society annual conference today, Thursday 8 May […]
Labelling teens as overweight can be counterproductive
Ensuring teenagers know exactly how overweight they are encourages them to adopt a healthier lifestyle, but in practice many fail to follow this through. These are the findings of a study by PhD psychology student Julia Fredrickson, Dr Peter Kremer and Professor Marita McCabe from Deakin University, Australia that will be presented today, Thursday 8 […]
Humans may benefit from new insights into polar bear’s adaptation to high-fat diet
A comparison of the genomes of polar bears and brown bears reveals that the polar bear is a much younger species than previously believed, having diverged from brown bears less than 500,000 years ago. The analysis also uncovered several genes that may be involved in the polar bears’ extreme adaptations to life in the high […]
Obesity drug failing patients due to lack of education about side-effects
A new study, published today in the Journal of Health Psychology, found that patients who gained weight 18 months after taking Orlistat attributed their weight-loss failure either to the side effects which have prevented them from sticking to the medication or felt that the medication simply had not worked. The team from the University of […]