Alarming Surge: Global Crisis of Childhood Overweight and Obesity

Since 1990, childhood obesity has nearly doubled globally, with the U.S. at the forefront. In Southern Europe, 10-15% of children are obese, while Asia has nearly half of all overweight kids under 5. Nearly 70% of the average U.S. child’s diet consists of ultra-processed foods, which are increasingly consumed by children under 24 months, raising obesity risks and reducing immunological protection. Addressing pediatric obesity requires a multifaceted approach from tackling the influence of social media and advertising on children’s food choices to increasing physical activity.

Cleveland Clinic Study Shows Weight Loss Surgery Cuts Risk of Heart Complications and Death in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Obesity

A Cleveland Clinic study shows that bariatric surgery performed in patients with obesity and moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea is associated with a significantly lower risk of death and major adverse cardiovascular events, compared with patients who did not have the surgery. This study was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Ali Aminian, M.D., director of Cleveland Clinic’s Bariatric & Metabolic Institute and primary investigator of the MOSAIC study, said, “The research shows that weight loss achieved with bariatric surgery is significantly associated with a 42% lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events and 37% lower risk of death in patients with obesity and moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea.”

Maintaining Stable Weight Increases Longevity Among Older Women

UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science researchers investigated the associations of weight changes later in life with exceptional longevity and found that women who maintained their body weight after age 60 were more likely to reach exceptional longevity.

Virtual fitting rooms can be a double-edged sword

Virtual fitting rooms can cut down on returns and nudge hesitant online shoppers to click the checkout button. But findings from a recently published study indicate the technology could backfire on retailers if they assume consumer interactions are uniformly positive. The authors provide several recommendations based on their research.

Body mass index affects long-term outcomes of ‘partial’ knee arthroplasty

For patients with higher body mass index (BMI) undergoing unicompartmental or “partial” knee replacement (UKR), long-term outcomes are improved when the implant is placed using a cementless rather than cemented technique, reports a study in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio in partnership with Wolters Kluwer.

Cleveland Clinic Children’s Study Shows Healthy Diets Reduce Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Overweight Children

A Cleveland Clinic-led research team found that statistically overweight children who followed a healthy eating pattern significantly improved weight and reduced a variety of cardiovascular disease risks. The study, which published today in the Journal of Clinical Pediatrics, paired parents and children together throughout the trial.

In women, higher body fat may protect against heart disease death, study shows

A new UCLA study shows that while men and women who have high muscle mass are less likely to die from heart disease, it also appears that women who have higher levels of body fat — regardless of their muscle mass — have a greater degree of protection than women with less fat.

Prevent Severe COVID Symptoms With Lifestyle Changes

Obesity is contributing to worse outcomes in people with COVID-19. Dr. Naomi Parrella, medical director of the Rush Center for Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery, explains how managing your weight can lower your risk for severe COVID symptoms and help you prevent other chronic diseases.

Exercise Habits Set Early in Life May Lead to Better Physical Fitness, BMI & Performance in Adulthood

Good exercise habits formed in adolescence correlate positively with exercise habits in adults, and adults with good exercise habits have better physical performance and appropriate body-mass index scores for their age, according to a new study presented this week at the Association of Academic Physiatrists Annual Meeting in Orlando.

American Physiological Society (APS)

Common Clinical Estimates of Kidney Function May Not Accurately Assess Indian Patients

Pilot study finds that considering body composition rather than weight could improve patient management Charlottesville, Va. (June 25, 2019)—A common metric for monitoring kidney health may not accurately represent the kidney function of Indian patients. However, tweaks to an older…