Study: Banning fast-food TV ads could dent obesity

news.yahoo.com — A little less "I'm Lovin' It" could put a significant dent in the problem of childhood obesity, suggests a new study that attempts to measure the effect of TV fast-food ads. A ban on such commercials would reduce the number of obese young children by 18 percent, and the number of obese older kids by 14 percent, researchers found. They also suggested that ending an advertising expense tax deduction for fast-food restaurants could mean a slight reduction in childhood obesity. Some experts say it's the first national study to show fast-food TV commercials have such a large effect on childhood obesity. A 2006 Institute of Medicine report suggested a link, but concluded proof was lacking. read more...

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Burlington, Vt., is healthiest city, CDC says

news.yahoo.com — Vermont's largest city is tops among U.S. metropolitan areas by having the largest proportion of people — 92 percent — who say they are in good or great health. It's also among the best in exercise and among the lowest in obesity, diabetes and other measures of ill health, according to a recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This New England city of 40,000, on the shores of Lake Champlain, is in some ways similar to the unhealthiest city — Huntington, W.Va. Both are out-of-the-way college towns with populations that are overwhelmingly white people of English, German or Irish ancestry. But there the similarities end: _Burlington is younger, with an average age of 37, compared to 40 in Huntington, according to the Census Bureau. read more...

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U.S. menu labeling may be gaining steam

news.yahoo.com — A nationwide system requiring fast-food chains to list calories on their menus could be gaining support in Congress as more states adopt the practice and the restaurant industry concedes change is on the way, a consumer, industry and health panel said on Friday. Laws requiring that calories and other nutritional information be posted have become increasingly popular as states and cities struggle to combat the country's growing obesity problem while promoting health and nutrition. At the same time, lawmakers in Washington have struggled to get the practice adopted nationwide. A bill introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro and Sen. Tom Harkin has stalled several times since 2003 for various reasons including opposition by Republican leadership and special interests and a lack momentum on the state level, according to DeLauro's office. read more...

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Gov't seizes more contaminated heparin

news.yahoo.com — Federal agents Thursday seized quantities of a contaminated blood thinner made in China from a small manufacturer in Cincinnati, officials said. The blood thinner heparin, given to patients undergoing heart surgery and kidney dialysis, was the focus of a major recall earlier this year after crude drug material from China was found to be contaminated. Hundreds of frail patients suffered severe allergic reactions. The government received reports of nearly 250 deaths. The FDA had inspected the Cincinnati company, Celsus Laboratories, Inc., in April and at the time found contaminated heparin in two different kinds of products, officials said. A little over 2 pounds of the blood thinner was intended for use directly with patients, and another 31 pounds was to be utilized in diagnostic test kits and medical devices. The FDA seized the heparin after informing the company that its efforts to notify customers of the contamination problem were unsatisfactory, the agency said in a statement. Drug seizures are a rare penalty for the FDA, since regulators prefer to negotiate with manufacturers to resolve disputes. A representative who answered the phone at Celsus said the company would have no comment. read more...

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Scientists try to stop hunger with retooled foods

news.yahoo.com — LONDON – Want to lose weight? Try eating. That's one of the strategies being developed by scientists experimenting with foods that trick the body into feeling full. At the Institute of Food Research in Norwich, England, food expert Peter Wilde and colleagues are developing foods that slow down the digestive system, which then triggers a signal to the brain that suppresses appetite. "That fools you into thinking you've eaten far too much when you really haven't," said Wilde. From his studies on fat digestion, he said it should be possible to make foods, from bread to yogurts, that make it easier to diet. read more...

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Weight-Loss Surgery, No Cutting Required

nytimes.com — On a recent Wednesday, Karleen Perez lay unconscious on an operating table in Upper Manhattan while her surgeons and two consultants from a medical device company peered at an overhead monitor that displayed images from inside her digestive tract. The surgeons, Dr. Marc Bessler and Dr. Daniel Davis, had just stapled her stomach to form a thumb-sized tube that would hold only a small amount of food. The operation resembled others done for weight loss, with one huge difference. In Ms. Perez’s case, there was no cutting. Instead, the surgeons had passed the stapler down her throat and stapled her stomach from the inside. read more...

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Obese People's Brains Show Less Pleasure From Eating

medicalnewstoday.com — New research from the US suggests that certain people may have a genetic predisposition to obesity because the reward centres in their brains respond sluggishly after eating, so to get more pleasure from eating they opt for foods denser in calories which makes them gain weight. read more...

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Microwaves a Menace for Young Kids

news.yahoo.com — Every year, young children suffer burns when they remove hot liquids from microwave ovens, a new study finds. Children as young as 18 months can open a microwave, remove the hot substance, and scald themselves. These burns can result in serious injuries that often required skin grafting and intensive care. "Scalds are the leading cause of burn-related emergency room visits and hospitalizations for young children under 5," said lead researcher Dr. Gina Lowell, with the department of pediatrics at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. read more...

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