Study: NYC Obesity, Diabetes Rate Rising
on April 8, 2008

New York City's obesity and diabetes rates are rising faster than in the rest of the country, a city health department study said.

First robotic arm surgery to be performed in UAE
on April 8, 2008

Going under the knife takes on new meaning for three patients in the UAE this Friday - one of the hands holding the knife will be a robot.

The UAE will see its first robotic arm-assisted surgery happen on Friday at Rashid Hospital, where foreign experts will perform bariatric surgery on three UAE patients.

Losers, we salute you!
on April 8, 2008

Adil, who started with a weight of 152.3 kg (one of the highest initial weights on the show), and was voted out in the second week, only managed to lose 11.5, or 7.55% of his body weight. I feel for this young man burdened with such a massive amount of weight. I doubt if he can lose large amounts of weight on his own, or even with the support of a team. Adil is probably a candidate for bariatric surgery and, if his health continues to deteriorate, then having an operation to restrict his food intake is probably the best option.

Sprawling neighborhoods not linked to obesity, study finds
on April 3, 2008

Using urban planning to fight the obesity epidemic will probably not work because people's weight does not change when they move to the suburbs, researchers said on Wednesday.

Obesity Didn’t Deter Him
on April 3, 2008

Hatim is a 39-year-old Saudi who has been married for 15 years but has not been able to have children because of his obesity. At 290 kilograms, he sells vegetables to make a living.

Despite attempts to improve his lot through vocational training, Hatim’s weight problem has hobbled his ability to perform many tasks.

Obesity in Pregnancy Weighs Heavily on Healthcare Services
on April 3, 2008

Pregnant women who were overweight were more likely to use all levels of healthcare services -- from prenatal testing, to Caesarean section, to phone calls -- than normal-weight women, a study found.

Among pregnant women in a large U.S. group-practice HMO, those who were overweight or obese before pregnancy had higher rates of gestational diabetes, pre-existing diabetes, and hypertensive disorders, Susan Y. Chu, Ph.D., of the CDC here, and colleagues, reported in the April 3 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Sleeping eight hours 'key to staying slim'
on April 2, 2008

Want to stay slim? Getting eight hours of shut-eye daily may be one of the simplest ways, a new study has claimed.

A team of international researchers has found that people who sleep for less than six hours a night -- or more than nine -- put on more weight than those who sleep for seven or eight hours daily, 'The Daily Telegraph' reported today.

Walkable towns curb obesity, pollution, expert says
on April 2, 2008

Designing walkable communities is a cost-effective way to address the growing epidemic of obesity in the United States and cut down on harmful car emissions and pollution, a researcher told the American College of Sports Medicine's 12th annual Health and Fitness Summit in Long Beach, California.

A history of early-onset paternal obesity increases the odds of elevated liver enzyme levels in offspring and points to the potential for a genetic link between obesity and liver disease, according to a study in Gastroenterology.

French solution to Australian obesity
on April 2, 2008

The South Australian government has turned to the French to help curb childhood obesity.

The government will introduce a program already considered a success in French schools to help children maintain a healthy weight and get fit.

It will be introduced in as many as 200 local schools over the next four years.