Protein Vs. Obesity

Swedish scientists have discovered a protein that stimulates the formation of fat cells, a development that could potentially lead to treatment for obesity. The protein, according to Karolinska Institute, is called TRAP (tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase), and "stimulates the formation of new fat cells and can thus precipitate the development of obesity."

Obesity & Cancer Risk

Obesity increases the risk of half a dozen types of cancer, according to a study done by the University of Manchester.

Obesity and Depression

Women with clinical depression were more than twice as likely to be obese, according to a study conducted by Group Health Cooperative in Seattle.

High-Fat, High Carb Diet and Oxidative Stress

Eating a high-fat, high-carb fast food meal produces damaging cellular changes that are does more damage to obese people, according to a study done by researchers of Kaleida Health in New York.

They found out that obese people have higher levels of oxidative stress, and that a high-fat, high-card diet also increases oxidative stress.

Obesity Weakens Immune Response

Yet another reason to keep your weight to its normal levels: obesity can weaken the immune response, according to a study conducted by Boston University researchers.

Obesity, Diabetes and Cancer

Obesity and diabetes can affect the incidence and severity of cancers, according to studies done by researchers.

Obesity is now a Global Problem

According to a study, 40 percent of men and 30 percent of women are now overweight, and 24 percent of men and 27 percent of women are obese.

Junk Food + TV = Obesity

A series of studies published at the American Journal of Preventive Medicine has pointed out the obvious: too much TV and junk food, coupled with inactivity result to obesity in children.

Obesity and Fertility

Australian researchers have discovered that a fatty diet has the ability to damage eggs in the ovary and prevent them from becoming healthy embryos - giving light to the observation that obese women are often infertile.

According to the researchers from the University of Adelaide, the fat-induced infertility is caused by a protein known as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, and control of this protein can be achieved by losing and controlling weight.

Viruses and Obesity

A new research has found that viruses may cause obesity too. Scientists from the Louisisana State Universith found that adenovirus-36,which causes respiratory and eye infections, may also cause stem cells to develop into fat cells. The scientists found out that 30% of obese individuals carry the virus.

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Your Buddies and Your Weight

Obesity is contagious, according to new research published in the New Englad Journal of Medicine. In an analysis involving 12 thousand people, the study found out that when a person gains weight, his close friends also tend to pack more lard around the waist - people are more likyly to become obese by 57% when a friend becomes one.

This does not mean that people should start avoiding fat friends, as the same holds true for weight loss too, and, as the lead researcher had emphasized, having friends are good for one's well being too.

Sodas & Health Risks

Researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine have found out that sodas - sugar-sweetened and the diet variety - are also risk factors for heart disease and diabetes.

According to the study, adults who drink one or more sodas per day have a 50% higher risk of metabolic syndrome - risk factors that include excessive fat around the waist, high blood pressure and low levels of good cholesterol. They also have a 31% higher risk of becoming obese.

In the News: US Obesity Rates Up

US obesity rate is at 32% in 2004, up from 13% in 1960s, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Human Nutrition.