Medical Weight Loss Blog

This blog gives fast and easy to read summaries of the latest news in the field of weight loss. This come from various sources, including scientific journals, which is interpreted and written so that anyone can understand it. You will also get updates on additions and changes to the web site.

Click on the orange RSS button to get started. You can also visit the News Archives to see older articles.

Jan 29, 2010, Obesity is Leveling Out in the US

In 2007-2008, 32.3% of men and 35.5% of women were considered obese. Although these numbers are slightly up, it appears that the rate of increase in the percentage of obese American is slowing down.

"The increases in the prevalence of obesity previously observed do not appear to be continuing at the same rate over the past 10 years, particularly for women and possibly for men."

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Jan 25, 2010, Several New weight Loss Studies

In today's issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, there were multiple studies that relate to exercise and weight loss. Below are the study titles and the authors' conclusions.

Effects of the DASH Diet Alone and in Combination With Exercise and Weight Loss on Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Biomarkers in Men and Women With High Blood Pressure: The ENCORE Study
"For overweight or obese persons with above-normal BP, the addition of exercise and weight loss to the DASH diet resulted in even larger BP reductions, greater improvements in vascular and autonomic function, and reduced left ventricular mass."

A Randomized Trial of a Low-Carbohydrate Diet vs Orlistat Plus a Low-Fat Diet for Weight Loss
"In a sample of medical outpatients, an LCKD led to similar improvements as O + LFD for weight, serum lipid, and glycemic parameters and was more effective for lowering blood pressure."

Nonsurgical Weight Loss for Extreme Obesity in Primary Care Settings
"Primary care practices can initiate effective medical management for extreme obesity; future efforts must target improving retention and weight loss maintenance."

Effects of Exercise Programs to Prevent Decline in Health-Related Quality of Life in Highly Deconditioned Institutionalized Elderly Persons
"Adapted exercise programs can slow down the decline in health-related quality of life among heterogeneous, institutionalized elderly persons."

Resistance Training and Executive Functions
"Twelve months of once-weekly or twice-weekly resistance training benefited the executive cognitive function of selective attention and conflict resolution among senior women."

Exercise Effects on Bone Mineral Density, Falls, Coronary Risk Factors, and Health Care Costs in Older Women
"Compared with a general wellness program, our 18-month exercise program significantly improved BMD and fall risk, but not predicted CHD risk, in elderly women. This benefit occurred at no increase in direct costs."

Physical Activity and Incident Cognitive Impairment in Elderly Persons
"Moderate or high physical activity is associated with a reduced incidence of cognitive impairment after 2 years in a large population-based cohort of elderly subjects."

Physical Activity at Midlife in Relation to Successful Survival in Women at Age 70 Years or Older
"These data provide evidence that higher levels of midlife physical activity are associated with exceptional health status among women who survive to older ages and corroborate the potential role of physical activity in improving overall health."

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Jan 10, 2010, Lorcaserin | Medical-Weight-Loss-Guide.com

Lorcaserin is a new weight loss drug by Arena Pharmaceuticals that could cause an up to 18 pound weight loss with almost no side effects. It is pending FDA approval as of January 2010.

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Dec 15, 2009, Cut TV Time in Half and Knock Off a Few Pounds

In a study done on overweight or obese people, the amount of TV watching was measured for 3 weeks. In the next three weeks, that amount was cut in half for each person by using locks on the TV power cords that were programmed to monitor the amount of "on time" for the TV. On average, cutting TV time in half resulted in a daily calorie deficit of 244 calories. This came from increased activity and less eating. These people also lost about 1.5 lbs in those 3 weeks.

This was a small study, and the scientific statistics were not quite strong enough to prove that halving TV watching time will result in the numbers mentioned above. However, the statistical trend is encouraging. I believe that if this study was repeated with enough people, then there would be enough statistical power to prove there is an association.

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Dec 3, 2009, Answer a Few Simple Questions and Predict Your Risk for Diabetes

A new study uses 6 easy questions to predict your risk of having diabetes. They ask your age, your sex, if family members have diabetes, about high blood pressure, your BMI, and physical activity. Click on the link below to find out more and calculate your score.

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Nov 25, 2009, Sibutramine (Meridia) Linked to Increased Cardiovascular Events

The SCOUT study found that the number of combined heart attacks, strokes, resuscitated cardiac arrest, and death were greater for those taking sibutramine (brand name Meridia) than those taking a placebo sugar pill. There were about 10,000 people in the study. All were overweight or obese, over 55 years old, and had both type 2 diabetes and an underlying cardiovascular disease risk factor. People with recent heart attacks, recent strokes, or uncontrolled heart failure were not included in the study.

Diabetes itself places people at risk for cardiovascular diseases, and the people in this study had to also have another risk factor. My interpretation is that for overweight or obese diabetics with additional risk of cardiovascular disease, sibutramine can increase the chance of having a heart attack or stroke or dying.

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Nov 18, 2009, Three New Weight Loss Drugs are Coming Down the Pipeline

Despite the difficulty several major drug companies have had in producing good obesity drugs, three companies have products that have been in phase III trials.

Lorcaserin by Arena Pharmaceuticals has some similarities of an older drug linked to heat-valve problems. However, it is supposed to be safer and not have the same heart-valve problems.

Orexigen Therapeutics has a drug called Contrave, and it is actually a combination of two already used drugs. One (naltrexone) is use to help with narcotic addiction and the other (bupropion) is an antidepressant.

Vivus has a product called Qnexa which is a combination of phentermine and topiramate.

For more information about weight loss drugs, including most of the ones in the combination medicines mentioned here, check out the Weight Loss Drug page.

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Nov 11, 2009, Eat Less Fat to Feel Happier

In a study that compared a low calorie, a low carb, and a low fat diet, participants lost on average about 30 lbs after one year. Several psychological assessment tools were used to evaluate the moods of the study participatnts. Initally, everyone's mood improved. However, after one year, the moods of the low carb dieters returned to baseline while the moods of the low fat dieters seemed to improve somewhat.

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Sep 28, 2009, The Bigger the Waistline, the Bigger the Wheeze

In a study of over 80,000 female schools teachers in California, researchers have found an association with the degree of obesity and a woman’s risk for asthma. The percent of women with asthma according to their BMIs is as follows: 11% (BMI 30-34.9), 13% (BMI 35-39.9), and 18% (BMI ≥ 40).

However, this study found that these women’s waist sizes correlated even better with their risk of asthma than their BMIs. Using a cutoff of 88 cm (35.2 in), more women with a larger waist size had asthma regardless of whether they had normal or higher BMIs.

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Aug 9, 2009, Acai Berry | Medical-Weight-Loss-Guide.com

Acai is a species of palm tree from South America. The tree's scientific name is Euterpe oleracea Mart. There has been a lot of promotion about its weight loss potential. However, there is absolutly no scientific evidence to support this claim.

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