May 21, 2020

Keto Diet Might Change Your Gut in More Ways Than One

WEDNESDAY, May 20, 2020 -- The now-trendy keto diet is said to turn fat into fuel. But a new, small study says it may also change the vast array of microbes residing in your gut (the microbiome).

That could be a good thing, as those changes may ultimately strengthen the immune system by tamping down inflammation, researchers say.

May 15, 2020

Weight-Loss Surgery May Lower Colon Cancer Risk

THURSDAY, March 12, 2020 -- Obesity increases the risk for colon cancer, but weight-loss surgery may bring the risk back to normal, French researchers report.

People who are obese have a 34% higher risk of colon cancer than the general population, but any type of bariatric (weight-loss) surgery can bring their risk back in line, according to the authors of a new study.

May 15, 2020

Obesity Ups Odds for Severe COVID-19 in Younger Patients

WEDNESDAY, April 15, 2020 -- It's clear that age and chronic disease make bouts of the pandemic coronavirus more severe -- and even deadly -- but obesity might also put even younger people at higher risk, a pair of new studies suggest.

The researchers suspect that inflammation throughout the body linked to obesity could be a powerful factor in the severity of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

April 3, 2020

Fitness Key to Long-Term Weight Loss Success

TUESDAY, March 31, 2020 -- The more fit you are when you start a weight-loss program, the more weight you could lose, a new study says.

"This research could help us improve the design of our weight-loss programs and suggests that adults with very poor fitness may benefit from additional exercise support during a weight-loss program to achieve higher levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and improve long-term weight loss," said lead researcher Dr. Adnin Zaman. She's an instructor/fellow at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora.

April 3, 2020

Which Diets Help You Keep the Weight From Coming Back?

THURSDAY, April 2, 2020 -- While you're hunkered down waiting for the coronavirus to abate, you might get inspired to lose weight. But which diet is best?

The short answer is that all diets seem to work. The long answer is you'll probably regain the weight within a year.

March 30, 2020

Weight-Loss Surgery May Cut Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke

MONDAY, March 23, 2020 -- Weight-loss surgery is associated with a significantly lower risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure and death, a new study reveals.

The study included more than 7,400 severely obese people, average age 36, in Denmark who had not suffered a heart attack or stroke. Half of the participants had weight-loss ("bariatric") surgery and half did not (the "control" group).