Obesity

Public Health Releases New Risk Factor Data

August 13, 2008 -- Many Kentuckians report they are in poor health, have been diagnosed with chronic diseases, and don’t have access to health care, according to 2007 data released today by the Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH).

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Systems, a survey, conducted by the Division of Prevention and Quality Improvement in DPH, looks at several health indicators, such as diet and physical activity, to determine the health and lifestyle habits of Kentuckians.    » read more »

July 17, 2008 -- The proportion of U.S. adults who self report they are obese increased nearly 2 percent between 2005 and 2007, according to a report in today′s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). An estimated 25.6 percent of U.S. adults reported being obese in 2007 compared to 23.9 percent in 2005, an increase of 1.7 percent. The report also finds that none of the 50 states or the District of Columbia has achieved the Healthy People 2010 goal to reduce obesity prevalence to 15 percent or less.    » read more »

June 17, 2008 -- ROCHESTER, Minn. — As Americans' collective waistline has continued to expand, so has the prevalence of obesity-related cancer. According to the June issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter, an estimated 14 percent of cancer deaths in older men and 20 percent in older women can be attributed to excess body fat.

Obese women: Photo by Malingering (CC)

It's not fully understood why excess body fat increases the risk of cancer.

Theories include:    » read more »

LIVERMORE, Calif. – The radioactive carbon-14 produced by above-ground nuclear testing in the 1950s and ’60s has helped researchers determine that the number of fat cells in a human’s body, whether lean or obese, is established during the teenage years. Changes in fat mass in adulthood can be attributed mainly to changes in fat cell volume, not an increase in the actual number of fat cells.

These results could help researchers develop new pharmaceuticals to battle obesity as well as the accompanying diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.    » read more »

Ruling Will Help Consumers Make Healthy Menu Choices

April 16, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – A federal judge today ruled that certain fast-food and chain restaurants in New York City must comply with a requirement to disclose calorie information on their menus, rejecting arguments from the state restaurant association that the groundbreaking city ordinance was preempted by federal law.

Fast food: Photo by pengrin (CC)

U.S. District Judge Richard J. Holwell also rejected claims that the labeling ordinance violated the restaurants’ First Amendment rights.    » read more »

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Obesity is more than a cosmetic concern because it increases a person's risk for developing high blood pressure, diabetes and many other serious health problems. It's well understood that consuming more calories than you expend through exercise and daily activities causes weight gain.

Belly of an obese man: Photo by Word Freak (CC)    » read more »

CHICAGO — More than half of American adults considered to have normal body weight in America have high body fat percentages — greater than 20 percent for men and 30 percent for women — as well as heart and metabolic disturbances, new Mayo Clinic research shows. The finding conflicts with the widely held belief that maintaining a normal weight automatically guards against disorders such as high levels of circulating blood fats and a tendency to develop metabolic syndrome, which often leads to type 2 diabetes.    » read more »