research

A new study has highlighted another important reason to maintain a healthy weight while trying to conceive: babies born to overweight and obese moms are more likely to have heart defects.

The study, conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and published in October's issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, found that:

A decade-long study of 11,000 Spanish university grads has shown that a healthy Mediterranean-style diet is pricier than a less-healthy typical Western one.

Dr. Maira Bes-Rastrollo from the University of Navarra led the study, which was published in the September issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

A new study has found that most Americans with type 2 diabetes aren't getting a healthy diet.

In general, they're eating too much salt and fat, and not enough low-fat dairy, grains, fruits and veggies.

Results from a UK study show that children with low self-esteem tend to be obese as adults.

The study followed 6,500 children (from the 1970 British Birth Cohort Study), who had their height and weight measured at the age of 10, and were also asked about their emotional state.

Twenty years later, researchers have published the results in the BMC Medicine Journal.

Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) should be eating a diet rich in soluble fiber, a new study suggests.

A small Dutch study of 275 patients, aged 18-65, and published in the British Medical Journal, has highlighted questions about the effectiveness of bran as a treatment for IBS.

A new study of almost 4,400 Americans has found that staying moderately fit and active may help you live longer.

The study was of healthy adults, also taking into account other health factors such as obesity and diabetes. The researchers found that the 20% with the lowest fitness levels were twice as likely to die within the next nine years, as the 20% with the next-lowest fitness levels.

Good news if you love to eat popcorn at the movies--your favorite snack is healthier than previously thought! New research shows that popcorn and cereals contain phenol antioxidants, thought to protect against heart disease and cancer.

The study was presented to the American Chemical Society (ACS), and was led by Dr Joe Vinson, of the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania.

Recently-published data indicates a sharp rise in the number of severely obese kids over the past three decades.

One in every twenty kids is now severely obese, with weight in the 99th percentile for their age group and gender.

According to new research a mother's weight, and the amount she gains during pregnancy, may have an impact on her daughter's risk of obesity decades later.

This research has important implications for the future - if women can reach a healthy weight before they begin their family, it has the potential to impact two generations. This is exciting stuff!

With the growing obesity epidemic studies like these are particularly important.

A new study of data from 1,326 Canadians suggests that carrying a few extra pounds may actually help you to live longer.

The findings were published in the online journal Obesity, and the results tie in with previous research, including a study carried out in 2007 which drew the same conclusions.

The New York Times published a piece on various scented "weight loss" or "appetite suppressant" products this week: A Slimmer You May Be a Whiff Away. These products purport to reduce hunger, or help you feel satisfied for longer.

But, is there any science behind these claims?

A new study published in the journal Obesity Surgery, suggests that very obese individuals have a different physical repsonse to food than that of normal weight individuals.

Most of us are completely baffled as to the reasons for overeating, and so this study proves an interesting read.

Analysis of two large-scale studies has shown that Americans today are following less healthy lifestyles than two decades ago - despite an increasing number of public health campaigns.

The Medical University of South Carolina compared the studies, covering the period between 1988 to 2006, and found several indications that lifestyles were becoming less healthy in five key areas.