How does being overweight affect fertility?

The Conversation: The proportion of Australians who are overweight or obese is at an all-time high. We know excess weight is linked to many adverse health consequences, but there is now growing understanding that it also affects fertility. A fine hormonal balance regulates the menstrual cycle. Overweight and obese women have higher levels of a hormone called leptin, which is produced in fatty tissue. This can disrupt the hormone balance and lead to reduced fertility.

Victims of childhood bullying more likely to be overweight as young adults

London: Children who are bullied in primary and secondary school are nearly twice as likely to be overweight at the age of 18 than non-bullied children, according to a new study by researchers from King’s College London. Previous research by the team at King’s has shown that children who experienced bullying while growing up in the 1960s were more likely to be obese at the age of 45, yet it was unclear whether these long-term effects were present earlier in life.

Obese grandmothers increase risk for children

Queensland: The grandchildren of obese women face a heightened risk of being born and raised to a life of obesity. Researcher Pr Abdullah Mamun said he was investigating how grandparents’ and parental health, lifestyle and socio-economic status may create a family legacy of obesity and its associated health problems.

New Gene Influences Apple or Pear Shape, Risk of Future Disease

Duke: Scientists have known for some time that people who carry a lot of weight around their bellies are more likely to develop diabetes and heart disease than those who have bigger hips and thighs. But what hasn’t been clear is why fat accumulates in different places to produce these classic “apple” and “pear” shapes. Now, researchers have discovered that a gene  called Plexin D1 appears to control both where fat is stored and how fat cells are shaped, known factors in health and the risk of future disease.

Weight discrimination has major impact on quality of life

UCL: Weight discrimination is linked to significantly lower quality of life, and accounts for approximately 40% of the negative psychological effects associated with obesity, finds new UCL research funded by Cancer Research UK. The study, which analysed data from 5,056 UK adults, found that those who felt discriminated against on the basis of their weight had a 70% increase in symptoms of depression, a 14% drop in quality of life and 12% lower life satisfaction relative to those who did not perceive weight discrimination.

10% weight loss provides long-term cardiac benefit

Adelaide: Obese patients suffering from atrial fibrillation who lose at least 10% of their body weight greatly increase their chances of achieving long-term freedom from this common heart rhythm disorder, according to new research from the University of Adelaide. The results of the study, from the University's Centre for Heart Rhythm Disorders, also show that patients receive the best results from a dedicated, in-clinic weight loss program.

Irregular sleeping pattern may affect how teens eat

AHA: A sleep study of teenagers found that greater variability in day-to-day sleep habits was associated with higher calories consumed throughout the day. Teens with higher sleep variability also tended to eat more snacks at night.

Shifting Out of High-Calorie Habits

USDA: A new study suggests that it is possible to change the cycle of craving unhealthy foods by retraining the brain to stop activating its reward centers on exposure to a steady stream of high-calorie foods and visual triggers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-funded study addresses concerns among weight-loss experts that when people get used to eating instant-gratification foods, such habits may be nearly impossible to stop or reverse.

First step in a female-only diet pill

Scimex: A small molecule that binds to a receptor found on muscle cells speeds up energy metabolism—but only in female mice. In an article published online on March 5 in Chemistry & Biology, researchers show that female mice treated with a molecule found in tree leaves could indulge in high-fat foods without gaining weight or accumulating fat. Males did not enjoy similar benefits, highlighting the need to study both sexes while developing drugs for obesity and other conditions.

Researchers Show Brain Activity Can Predict Increased Fat Intake Following Sleep Deprivatio

Pennsylvania University. US: Experts have warned for years that insufficient sleep can lead to weight gain. A new Penn Medicine study found that not only do we consume more food following a night of total sleep deprivation, but we also we consume more fat and less carbohydrates and a region of the brain known as the salience network is what may lead us to eat more fat. The new findings are published in Scientific Reports.

Primary Care-Based Program Helps Overweight, Middle-Aged Women Increase Physical Activity

Pittsburgh University. US: Getting help from the family doctor may be a better way for overweight, middle-aged women to increase their physical activity, rather than trying to go it alone, according to a trial led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Obesity and physical inactivity are significant risk factors for cardiovascular disease in middle-aged women.

Overweight children may be at higher risk of oesophageal cancer as adults

Copenhagen University. Denmark: Overweight children may be at higher risk of oesophageal (gullet) cancer when they grow up than their slimmer friends, according to research published this week in the British Journal of Cancer.

A third of children in England are overweight/obese

King's College. UK: A third of children in England are overweight/obese, finds a 20-year King's College London study of electronic health records, published online in Archives of Disease in Childhood. But the rapid rise in prevalence may be starting to level off—at least in younger children—the findings indicate, although there are no grounds for complacency, warn the researchers.

Hunger Hormone in Infancy May Link to Lifelong Obesity Risk

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. US: Our subconscious motivation to eat is powerfully and dynamically regulated by hormone signals.  The gut-derived hormone ghrelin is one such key regulator, promoting appetite through its effects on neurons in a small region of the brain called the hypothalamus. Researchers at The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles now reveal an unexpected role for ghrelin in early brain development and show its long-term impact on appetite regulation. Their study will be published online January 20 by The Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Multisectoral action to promote physical activity in Switzerland

WHO Europe: Although most people know that being physically active improves health dramatically, levels of physical activity are far too low. This leads to an increased risk of a range of conditions and diseases, such as overweight and obesity, ischaemic heart disease, strokes, diabetes and some types of cancer, notably breast and colon cancer.

The obese can teach us how to lose weight

University of Copenhagen. Denmark: Why can obese people not just make the extra effort, change their diet and lose weight? New research from University of Copenhagen shows that patients who have been through gastric bypass surgery can teach us important lessons about weight loss: if we are to change our eating habits, we need to take into consideration the experiences we have had with our favourite foods – so that eating remains linked with quality of life.

Becoming healthier may motivate your partner to join in

NHS. UK: “Fitness 'rubs off on your partner’,'' BBC News reports. This headline is based on a study of more than 3,000 married couples aged 50 and over in the UK, where at least one of the partners smoked, was inactive, or was overweight or obese at the start of the study. It followed them up and looked at their and their partner’s behaviours over time.

Walking groups come out trumps for boosting overall health without side effects

British Medical Journal. UK: Joining a walking group is one of the best and easiest ways to boost overall health, with virtually no side effects, suggests an analysis of the available evidence, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Benefits include reductions in blood pressure, body fat, total cholesterol and depression risk.

How decision making and personality may be related to weight

Monash University (Australia) researchers are investigating how people’s decision making ability and personality may be related to how much they weigh. Associate Professor Antonio Verdejo-Garcia, School of Psychological Sciences, said previous research had shown there might be a connection between weight - specifically the fat around the organs in the body - and cognitive processes, such as decision making.

Pizza adds significant fat, calories, sodium to youth diet

Illinois University. US: On days they eat pizza, children and adolescents take in significantly more calories, fat and sodium than on days they don’t, a new study has shown. In fact, pizza is the second-highest source of energy in the diet of American youths. Because it is eaten so frequently – about 20 percent of youths eat pizza on any given day – its nutrient content should be improved, say the researchers, whose report is published in the journal Pediatrics.