STOP Obesity Alliance E-Newsletter

Obesity May Increase Risk of Preterm Birth: Study Highlights Risks of Overweight or Obesity During Pregnancy

July 20, 2010
WebMD
Salynn Boyles

In an effort to better understand the relationship between maternal weight and early deliveries or low-birth-weight deliveries, researchers in Canada pooled data from 84 studies that included more than 1 million women. The analysis confirmed that overweight and obese women have a higher risk of delivering prior to 32 weeks of gestation and a higher risk of induced delivery before 37 weeks.

Excess Weight in Older Women Linked to Diminished Memory

July 14, 2010
HealthDay
Madonna Behen

In a study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, researchers found that for every one point increase in a woman's body mass index, her score on a standard memory test, though still normal, dropped by one point. The negative impact on memory was also more pronounced in "pear-shaped" women who carry excess weight around their hips, and less of a factor in "apple-shaped" women who carry it around their waists, the study authors noted.

Should Obese Children Be Put in Foster Care?
July 15, 2010
The Los Angeles Times
Karen Kaplan

A group of child health specialists from England and Ireland published a paper in the British Medical Journal suggesting that parents of obese children should be accused of parental neglect, saying the parents are guilty of "failing to provide a healthy diet and sufficient activity." The experts say that pediatricians and other professionals should think about whether obese kids would be better off in the custody of child protective services and researchers should gather hard data on whether children gain or lose weight during time spent in foster care. In the meantime, they added, guidelines should be drafted to help professionals decide when to intervene on behalf of obese kids.

Obama Administration Unveils Regulations Requiring New Health Plans to Provide Free Preventive Care

July 14, 2010
The Hill
Julian Pecquet

The Obama administration unveiled regulations on July 14 that will require new health plans to provide preventive care without charging co-pays, as called for in the health care reform law. "Getting access to early care and screenings will go a long way in preventing chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease and high-blood pressure," Michelle Obama said in remarks. "And good preventative care will also help tackle an issue that is particularly important to me as First Lady and as a mother - and that is the epidemic of childhood obesity in America today."

Supportive Community Programs Can Prevent Women From Gaining Weight
July 13, 2010
Science Daily

According to an Australian study published in the British Medical Journal, women who take part in ongoing, supportive community programs about healthy eating are less likely to gain weight and be more physically active than women who only attend one information session on dietary guidelines.

Eating to Live or Living to Eat?
July 13, 2010
The Wall Street Journal
Melinda Beck

Recent conferences on obesity are examining aspects of how the appetite works in the brain and why some people ignore their built-in fullness signals. In a study presented at the International Conference on Obesity in Sweden, researchers from Columbia University showed pictures of high-calorie foods to 10 obese women and 10 non-obese women and monitored their brain reactions. In the obese women, the images triggered a strong response in the ventral tegmental area of the brain, a tiny spot in the brain where dopamine is released. The images also activated the ventral pallidum, a part of the brain involved in "planning to do something rewarding. " Scientists hope that these breakthroughs will lead to ways to retrain people's thinking about food or weight-loss drugs that can target certain brain areas.

Fewer Excess Pounds May Mean Fewer Hot Flashes

July 12, 2010
HealthDay
Ellin Holohan

According to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, weight loss might help middle-aged women who are overweight or obese reduce hot flashes that accompany menopause. "We've known for some time that obesity affects hot flashes, but we didn't know if losing weight would have any effect," said Dr. Alison Huang, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, San Francisco and the study's author. Huang said the findings could provide women with another reason to take control of their weight.

Study: Living Near Restaurants Makes You Fat

July 8, 2010
The Wall Street Journal
Aaron Rutkoff

According to a study by three professors at the University of Buffalo who looked at 172 women living in upstate Erie County, N.Y., the more restaurants there are within a five minute walk of your home, the more likely you are to have a higher body mass index. The study is published in the Journal of Planning Education and Research.

Many Americans Clueless of How Many Calories They Do or Should Eat

July 7, 2010
USA Today
Nanci Hellmich

In a nationally representative online survey of more than 1,000 people, most respondents reported they don't know how many calories they should consume in a day to maintain their current weight. In fact, 63 percent of respondents could not accurately estimate the number and 25 percent would not venture a guess. Registered dietitian Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak of the International Food Information Council Foundation, an education group who paid for the survey, said it is important for people to know how many calories they should consume in a day. "Having some frame of reference could be an important first step in tackling your weight," she says.