Impact of maternal obesity on the NHS

A new study reveals the true costs of the increase in maternal obesity and how it is impinging on service delivery in the NHS. It was carried out by The Centre for Food, Physical Activity and Obesity Research at the University of Teesside with 33 healthcare professionals based in the North East of England recruited for the study. The results are published in this months BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Previous studies have concentrated on the effects of obesity on pregnant women and the subsequent public health risks. The findings of this study uncover five recurrent themes relating to maternal obesity: booking appointments, equipment, care requirements, complications and restrictions and current and future management of care. The main points are summarised below.
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Obesity Causes Breakdown In System Which Regulates Appetite And Weight

New research led by scientists at the Oregon National Primate Research Center demonstrates how obesity causes the breakdown of a brain system that regulates appetite. The research provides a clear picture of some factors involved in obesity. More than 60 percent of American adults are overweight and more than 30 percent are obese The study results may have also identified possible targets for new drug therapies aimed at assisting individuals in weight loss. The research is published in the March issue of Cell Metabolism. The research provides new understanding of leptin resistance. Leptin is a hormone secreted by fat cells. It can suppress food intake by affecting brain cells that control appetite. However, high levels of leptin which can be found in severely overweight individuals, can lead to leptin resistance.

Trucking Magazine Helps Drivers Battle Obesity

Stress, time constraints and the ready availability of unhealthy food leave many Americans frustrated in their desire to lead fit, healthy lives. Nowhere is that frustration more prevalent than among over-the-road truck drivers, who can work up to 14 hours per day, drive more than 100,000 miles per year and face limited food choices combined with little opportunity for exercise. Recognizing the challenges its trucker readers face, Truckers News magazine launched Fit for the Road, a year-long program designed to help them take steps to lead healthier lives. More than 350 applicants completed a health form and wrote an essay about why they wanted to lose weight and adopt a healthier lifestyle. The essays highlighted long years of struggling with diet and exercise and the fear of losing their commercial driver's licenses because of high blood pressure or insulin-requiring diabetes.

Obesity Surgery Triples Among U.S. Teens

The number of U.S. children having obesity surgery has tripled in recent years, surging at a pace that could mean more than 1,000 such operations this year, new research suggests. While the procedure is still far more common in adults, it appears to be slightly less risky in teens, according to an analysis of data on 12- to 19-year-olds who had obesity surgery from 1996 through 2003.During that time, an estimated 2,744 youngsters nationwide had the operations. The pace tripled between 2000 and 2003, reaching 771 surgeries that year, the study found.Youngsters had slightly shorter hospital stays than adults and none died in the hospital during the study period. By contrast, there were 212 in-hospital deaths out of an estimated 104,702 adults who underwent obesity surgery in 2003, or a rate of 0.2 percent, the study found.Researchers at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, N.J., and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center analyzed a database of U.S.

French government wants food warnings

Less fat, less sugar, less salt: Even the mostly svelte French are cracking down. Beginning Thursday, the government ordered food ads to carry cautions telling the French to stop snacking, exercise and eat more fruits and vegetables.
With processed snacks and fast food encroaching on France's tables and culinary traditions, health officials fear the nation's youth face a growing risk of obesity.
This from a nation where just slightly more than 9 percent of the 63.4 million citizens are obese and fewer than a third are overweight, according to government figures. In the United States, by comparison, one-third of adults are obese, about two-thirds are overweight. Several Mediterranean and Eastern European countries have similar statistics.
The ad restrictions fly in the face of the image of the trim and cuisine-conscious French, perpetuated by books like Mireille Guiliano's best seller "French Women Don't Get Fat." The book argues that the French can eat croissants and foie gras without ballooning because they take time to savor flavors and eat judiciously.