Water Way To Go: Grandad Sheds 10 Stone (UK)

A grandfather who was told he had to diet or die by doctors has lost more than 10 stone in six months - by drinking water. Idris Lewis, 69, was told in January that if he did not lose 11 stone by the end of July, he could not have an operation on his heart and could die within a year. Mr Lewis, a retired civil servant from Nailsea, near Bristol, suffers from a chronic lung condition and a scan 18 months ago revealed he also has an abnormal heart valve. His doctor gave him a stark choice, he either lost the weight so he could have an operation to widen the valve, or he had a year to live. Mr Lewis cannot eat anything - his strict diet consists of mineral water and a vitamin supplement powder.

Obesity 'link to same-sex parent' (UK)

"There is a strong link in obesity between mothers and daughters and fathers and sons, but not across the gender divide, research suggests. A study of 226 families by Plymouth's Peninsula Medical School, UK, found obese mothers were 10 times more likely to have obese daughters. For fathers and sons, there was a six-fold rise. But in both cases children of the opposite sex were not affected. The researchers believe the link is behavioural rather than genetic. They say the findings mean policy on obesity should be re-though" - BBC

Obesity health risk cause 'found'

Scientists believe they may have uncovered a key reason why obese people have a raised risk of health complications such as type 2 diabetes. They blame a specific protein - pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) - which is secreted by fat cells. The Australian and US research on mice suggests blocking some of PEDF's action may reverse some complications - raising hopes of new drug treatments. The study appears in the journal Cell Metabolism - BBC

Women live longer, not better, largely because of obesity and arthritis

"Obesity and arthritis that take root during early and middle age significantly contribute to women's decreased quality of life during their senior years, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center. In a study that included 5,888 people over 65, women suffered up to two and a half times more disabilities than men of the same age. Higher rates of obesity and arthritis among these women explained up to 48 percent of the gender gap in disability - above all other common chronic health conditions"

Drinking water could curb obesity (USA)

"It's not just American adults who are faced with an epidemic of obesity. Children and adolescents are becoming overweight at an alarming rate. In fact, Centers for Disease Control statistics show the prevalence of obesity among children between the ages of 6 to 11 has more than doubled in the past 20 years. But now a study just published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine concludes there's a simple and effective way to reduce the excess intake of calories causing childhood overweight and obesity, as well as contributing to cavities and other health problems. The solution isn't a new drug - it is simply drinking more water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages." - Natural News Network

Study: Morbidly obese sedentary for more than 99 percent of day

"A new study appearing in Clinical Cardiology examines the average fitness level of the morbidly obese (body mass indexes between 40.0 and 49.9). The findings show that the tested population was sedentary for more than 99 percent of the day and, on average, walked less than 2,500 steps per day – far below healthy living guidelines of 10,000 steps per day. The results provide important links between obesity, poor fitness and cardiovascular disease. The study used a precise body sensor to continually measure physical activity, caloric expenditure and movement minute-by-minute over a 72-hour period within their home environments. Following collection of the data, structured cardiorespiratory fitness testing was performed on each subject" - EurekAlert

Longer bouts of exercise deter childhood obesity (Canada)

Children who exercise in bouts of activity lasting five minutes or longer are less likely to become obese than those whose activity levels are more sporadic and typically last less than five minutes each, Queen's University researchers have discovered. Led by Kinesiology and Health Studies professor Ian Janssen, the new study supports Canada's Physical Activity Guidelines for Children and Youth, which call for children to accumulate at least 90 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity over the course of the day, in bouts of at least five to 10 minutes' duration. Until now there has been no scientific evidence to support the recommendation of sustained, rather than sporadic exercise. 'Even in 60-minute physical education classes or team practices, children are inactive for a large portion of the time and this would not necessarily count as sustained exercise,' says Dr. Janssen. 'When children engage in longer periods of sustained physical activity, there is a smaller likelihood that they will be overweight or obese.' The findings appear in the May issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. - redOrbit

Britons 'in denial' over heart risk from obesity and smoking

Britons at high risk of heart attack are 'in denial' and ignoring doctors' advice to change their lifestyle, says a new survey. More than three-quarters are obese or overweight - with dangerously big stomachs - and most smokers have refused to give up. More than half have out-of-control blood pressure and 40 per cent have high cholesterol levels. Two out of three refuse to accept they are more at risk than other people their age - despite being given warnings by their GP and lots of prescription drugs. The findings from a major European survey are published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation. Around one in three middle-aged Britons is at high risk of heart disease because of factors such as obesity, diabetes, family history, high cholesterol and blood pressure levels. Mail

Fat people cost GBP75 more to bury (UK)

Fat people will cost more to bury than those who are thinner, it has emerged after a British council said it would charge an extra GBP75 to bury the obese because they take up more space in a cemetery. Relatives of those with bigger bodies will have to pay GBP194 instead of the usual GBP129 fee in Houghton Regis, Beds, the Mirror reported. Chairman of the council's burial committee Cllr Linda Walmsley described the charge as "unfortunate". She told the Mirror: "There was a request from the funeral directors who asked what the charge would be for a larger person. I think it is unfortunate. I couldn't say everybody would be willing to pay." It is the first area in the country to vary burial fees according to the dead person's weight. - Telegraph

Canada's first stomach corset procedure to help obesity, weight loss

"Five years ago, Morgan Ward went about as far as you can go to lose weight: bariatric surgery, essentially a procedure to reduce the volume of her stomach. It didn't take. Her stomach, stapled and banded to reduce its size, slowly began to stretch back to its old dimensions, and she began to re-gain some of the weight she lost. On Wednesday, Ward, 29, goes back into surgery to undergo a non-invasive procedure that's new to Canada: the endoluminal pouch reduction, essentially an interior corset. She'll become one of the first Canadians to undergo the procedure as part of a clinical trial to see if the new surgery can help obese patients who have regained their weight after traditional stomach-reducing surgery." - Star Phoenix

Obesity on the job (Canada)

"Obesity in the workplace is a growing phenomenon, with repercussions for both workers and their employers. International studies have found that the combination of a sedentary job and poor eating habits often leads to obesity, which can put the heart at risk and pave the way for a litany of other diseases. Obesity is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, gall bladder disease, and some cancers. As well, obese workers have a substantially higher prevalence of metabolic, circulatory, musculoskeletal, and respiratory disorders" - Statistics Canada

ECO 2009 - The 17th European Congress on obesity

The 17th European Congress on Obesity (ECO) will take place at the RAI Exhibition and Congress Centre in Amsterdam, the Netherlands from Wednesday 6 May to Saturday 9 May 2009. Excess body weight is a major risk factor for several chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer, making obesity one of the leading preventable causes of death worldwide. With global rates in adults and children on the rise, the condition is considered one of the most significant public health challenges of the 21st century. ECO 2009 provides a unique European forum for presentations of exciting new research from scientists, clinicians, epidemiologists and public health specialists. About 2,500 scientists, doctors, nurses and public health policy experts are expected to attend. The European Association for the Study of Obesity welcomes the interest of the media in obesity issues and is happy to provide full assistance to journalists attending ECO 2009. A media centre with computing, fax, photocopying and free international phone and Internet connections will be available. English-speaking press officers will be on hand to assist you. NB: the official language of ECO 2009 is English and all press materials will be in English

Obese mothers 'risk spina bifida'

"Mothers-to-be who are obese increase their odds of having a baby with abnormalities including spina bifida, researchers say. Their analysis of data from 39 studies found obese women were more than twice as likely to have a baby with spina bifida or another neural tube defect. The risk of heart defects and cleft lip was also raised, the Journal of the American Medical Association says. Up to a fifth of pregnant mothers in the UK are classed as obese" - BBC

Why do some people never seem to get fat?

"The UK is a country obsessed by the threat of obesity. As the average person's weight has grown, so has coverage of the subject. The chief medical officer for England, Sir Liam Donaldson, has said we are facing an "obesity timebomb". Culinary celebrities like Jamie Oliver have launched campaigns, in homes and school kitchens, to fight the fat war. Yet the science of weight gain is less straightforward than the headlines sometimes suggest. Why, for example, do some people seem to eat what they like and not put on weight, while others limit their diet yet struggle to shed their bulk?" - BBC

Chemists to provide obesity pill

The obesity pill, orlistat, has been licensed to be sold over-the-counter at chemists in the EU. The pill, which works by blocking the absorption of fat in the body, will be available at a lower dose than doctors generally prescribe. It is aimed at adults with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 28 or more. One expert said it may help some people with weight loss but they would have to take a conscious decision to eat less fatty foods - BBC

National Obesity Surgery Centre (UK)

National Obesity Surgery Centre (UK) - Performs weight loss surgery, including stomach balloons and gastric bands