Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

New study finds UK mums-to-be miss out on key nutrients

A new British Nutrition Foundation review finds that most UK women of reproductive age fall short of key nutrients before and during pregnancy, with teens and low-income groups most affected. The paper urges targeted, consistent guidance and greater support for healthy weight, supplementation, and plant-based diets.

7 Jul 2025

Tirzepatide tops the charts for blood sugar and weight loss in type 2 diabetes

A large network meta-analysis ranked eight GLP-1 receptor agonists for glycemic, weight, and safety outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes. Tirzepatide demonstrated the greatest efficacy for glucose control and weight loss, while liraglutide offered the lowest hypoglycemia risk.

7 Jul 2025

Astrocytes influence metabolism and cognitive function in obesity

Fatty diets and obesity affect the structure and function of astrocytes, the star-shaped brain cells located in the striatum, a brain region involved in the perception of pleasure generated by food consumption.

7 Jul 2025

Cysteine plays key role in weight loss and fat metabolism

Consuming fewer calories is largely accepted as a way to improve health and lose weight, but a recently published study in Nature Metabolism points to a specific sulfur-containing amino acid cysteine as a key component in weight loss.

7 Jul 2025

Bayesian neural networks advance understanding of gut microbe metabolism

Gut bacteria are known to be a key factor in many health-related concerns. However, the number and variety of them is vast, as are the ways in which they interact with the body's chemistry and each other.

7 Jul 2025

Are you at risk? Waist size, not weight, could affect fertility in women

Researchers found that higher relative fat mass (RFM), a measure of visceral body fat, is significantly associated with increased infertility risk in U.S. women aged 20–44. The study suggests RFM may be a more sensitive screening tool for infertility risk than traditional BMI, especially in women with normal weight but high visceral fat.

3 Jul 2025

Poor lifestyle habits nearly double your chance of developing AFib

A large Framingham Heart Study analysis found that adults with poor cardiovascular health scores on the Life’s Essential 8 were nearly twice as likely to develop atrial fibrillation as those with ideal scores. Maintaining healthy lifestyle habits, especially optimal BMI, blood pressure, and glucose, may help reduce AF risk.

2 Jul 2025

Mediterranean diet wins on weight but misses on memory in diverse aging population

A 14-month randomized trial in older African American adults with obesity found that adopting a Mediterranean diet, with or without calorie-restricted weight loss, significantly improved diet quality and reduced body weight and visceral fat. However, no cognitive benefits were observed compared to usual diet.

2 Jul 2025

‘MAHA Report’ calls for fighting chronic disease, but Trump and Kennedy have yanked funding

‘MAHA report’ calls for fighting chronic disease, but Trump and Kennedy have yanked funding

2 Jul 2025

Plant-based fitness supplements for reversing metabolic syndrome

Research indicates that specific plant-based supplements, combined with exercise, can improve cardiometabolic markers in those at risk for metabolic syndrome.

2 Jul 2025

Why exercise is key for keeping slim after you quit smoking

Quitting smoking is linked to greater long-term waist circumference gain, but this effect may be due to shared genetics rather than quitting itself. Increased physical activity consistently helped limit waist expansion across all genetic backgrounds.

1 Jul 2025

Gut microbiota signatures predict gestational diabetes in first trimester

A new study has identified early-pregnancy gut microbiota signatures associated with the development of gestational diabetes mellitus, a metabolic disorder that carries substantial risks to both maternal and fetal health.

1 Jul 2025

Uterine cancer deaths expected to rise sharply in the United States by 2050

Uterine cancer incidence and mortality rates are projected to increase significantly over the next three decades in the United States, with incidence-based mortality expected to be nearly three times higher in Black women compared with white women by 2050.

1 Jul 2025

Staying active reduces waist gain after you quit smoking

Investigating smoking cessation and waist circumference, this study highlights the role of leisure-time physical activity in managing abdominal obesity.

1 Jul 2025

HHS eliminates CDC staff who made sure birth control is safe for women at risk

For Brianna Henderson, birth control isn’t just about preventing pregnancy.

1 Jul 2025

Economic downturns increase childhood malnutrition risks

Even small drops in national income can significantly increase the risk of various forms of childhood malnutrition- not only undernutrition but also overweight and obesity, shows a study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), an institution supported by "la Caixa" Foundation.

30 Jun 2025

Are sweeteners really making our children’s diets healthier?

Higher consumption of low-calorie sweetened (LCS) products among UK children was not consistently linked to reduced free sugar intake, and may reflect less healthy overall dietary patterns. Over 11 years, improvements in dietary quality were slowest among those consuming the most LCS products.

29 Jun 2025

Insilico Medicine begins clinical trial for AI-designed cancer drug ISM3412

Insilico Medicine, a clinical-stage biotechnology company driven by generative artificial intelligence (AI), today announces that the first patient has been dosed in a global multicenter clinical trial (NCT06414460) to evaluate ISM3412, a potentially best-in-class, AI-empowered MAT2A inhibitor with novel structure, in patients with locally advanced and metastatic solid tumors.

27 Jun 2025

Do spicy foods help or hurt your gut health?

Capsaicin, the spicy compound in chili peppers, not only influences inflammation, metabolism, and cancer risk but also shapes the gut microbiome in complex, context-dependent ways. This comprehensive review highlights both the therapeutic promise and potential risks of capsaicin, calling for deeper research into its microbiome-mediated effects.

26 Jun 2025

Can your athletic past raise your risk for atrial fibrillation?

Elite retired rowers face a nearly threefold increased risk of atrial fibrillation compared to the general population, driven by a combination of long-term cardiac remodelling and underlying polygenic genetic susceptibility.

26 Jun 2025