Many Strategies to Increase Physical Activity for Kids Lack Injury Prevention Measures

A new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) documents a need for increased injury prevention efforts in many of the most popular activities for kids (walking,...

Exposure to Chemical Found in Personal Care Products May Contribute to Childhood Obesity

Researchers from the Children’s Environmental Health Center at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York have found an association between exposure to the chemical group known as phthalates and obesity in young children – including increased...

Study Suggests Junk Food in Schools Doesn’t Cause Weight Gain Among Children

While the percentage of obese children in the United States tripled between the early 1970s and the late 2000s, a new study suggests that—at least for middle school students—weight gain has nothing to do with the candy, soda, chips, and other junk...

Would You Stop Eating Out to Lose Weight?

Going out to eat has become a major part of our culture. Frequently eating out and consuming high-calorie foods in large portions at restaurants can contribute to excess calorie intake and weight gain. However, a study in the January/February 2012 issue...

Study Finds Another Potential Risk Factor for Developing Dementia And Alzheimer’s Disease in Women

A hormone derived from visceral fat called adiponectin may play a role as a risk factor for development of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer disease (AD) in women, according to a study published Online First by the Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives...

Study Links Quality of Mother-toddler Relationship to Teen Obesity

The quality of the emotional relationship between a mother and her young child could affect the potential for that child to be obese during adolescence, a new study suggests. Researchers analyzed national data detailing relationship characteristics between...

Food Served in Children’s Hospitals Rated Largely Unhealthy

Given the obesity epidemic among the nation’s young, one would hope that children’s hospitals would serve as a role model for healthy eating. But hospitals in California fall short, with only 7 percent of entrees classified as “healthy”...

Metabolic Defects in Mice Corrected with Transplanted Embryonic Neurons

A new study has revealed that immature neurons taken from healthy mouse embryos can repair damaged brain circuitry and partially normalize metabolism when transplanted into adult mice that have grown morbidly obese due to a genetic deficiency. This proof-of-principle...

Researchers Surprised to Find Fatty Liver Disease Poses No Excess Risk for Death

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common condition associated with obesity and heart disease long thought to undermine health and longevity. But a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests the condition does not affect survival. A report...