News by Subject Medicine & Health

Encouraging young people to do strength-based exercises -- such as squats, push ups and lunges -- could play a key role in tackling child obesity, research suggests.

Being overweight or obese is linked with an increased risk of developing urinary incontinence for young to mid-aged women, according to an Obesity Reviews analysis of all relevant published studies.

Vitamin D is already well known for its benefits in building healthy bones. A new study supports the idea that it also may reduce cancer risk as well as breast cancer mortality, especially in women with a lower body mass index. Study results are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS).

Boys who have considerable weight gain between childhood and puberty, double the risk of having asthma as an adult, and for future offspring.

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that clinicians offer or refer adults with a body mass index of 30 or higher to intensive behavioral interventions that focus on dietary changes and increased physical activity and that provide a variety of components to support weight loss and to maintain it.

Many people feel threatened when reminded of their unhealthy behavior. However, a group of 220 sedentary adults became more receptive to health advice -- and more active -- after being primed to either think about their most important values or to make well-wishes for others.

Fighting the obesity epidemic in the US will require changes at both the individual and societal level, according to a review paper published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. This paper is part of an eight-part health promotion series where each paper will focus on a different risk factor for cardiovascular disease.