Mexico has a tax on snacks that are high in calories but not very nutritious. This tax was introduced in 2014, and it targets foods with more than 275 calories per 100 grams. The aim was to encourage healthier eating habits and combat obesity, especially among children. The tax is currently set at 8%, and it has shown some positive results. People are buying fewer of...
Obesity and cognitive function in older adults is a complex issue. It's not as simple as saying, "If you're obese, your brain will suffer. " The problem is that there are many ways to measure obesity, and these methods can give different results. For example, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) all measure obesity, but they d...
Smoking and obesity are two major health issues that can really mess with your blood pressure. When these two problems team up, they can cause some serious trouble. They can make your blood pressure super hard to control and put you at a much higher risk for heart problems. This is because smoking and obesity mess with your body in some pretty nasty ways. First, the...
Bariatric surgery can be a game-changer for those living with obesity, but it's not all sunshine and roses. One significant issue that can arise post-surgery is bone health. People who undergo these procedures often experience weight loss, which can lead to bone loss and osteoporosis. This is a big deal because osteoporosis can cause bones to become weak and brittle,...
Spain is grappling with two major health issues: cancer and obesity. These conditions are not only affecting individuals but also straining the healthcare system. Exercise has emerged as a powerful tool in managing and preventing these diseases. This is where sport and exercise science (SES) graduates come in. They are often the ones designing exercise programs for t...
In places where doctors are few and far between, a unique effort called Mobile Integrated Care for Childhood Obesity took off. It was all about helping families in rural areas who had a tough time keeping their kids healthy. This program wasn't just a one size fits all approach. Working closely with local communities, parents, and healthcare experts, the program offe...
Don't think that obesity and type 2 diabetes are just about food intake. The way fat is stored in the body matters too. This is backed by lots of research over the recent years, showing how fat distribution and other bodily processes influence metabolic and non-metabolic issues. In the midst of all this is GLP-1-RAs, a type of medications that act on incretins. These...
Imagine this: You're an adult living in a military community. Where you live matters. Not the scenery or the weather, but something else: the health of your neighbors. Researchers did a study. They looked at military families. These families get moved to different places. It's like a big, natural experiment. People tend to gain weight and ge...
The FTO protein has been the subject of intense research since its discovery. FTO plays important roles in the body besides managing metabolism. It is responsible for removing methyl groups. This process happens within the RNA molecules. This process is a big deal and it can have a drastic effect on RNA stability. This process is complicated. It starts wit...
Think of rats. You might not consider them when thinking of a complicated diet. But did you know that these little creatures can help us learn a lot about how our bodies change when we eat poorly? By eating a high-fat diet, rats can become obese. This is not that surprising, since it is known they gain weight when they eat this food. But what is surprising...