Weight
A new study may have found the reason why the sugar substitute aspartame does not help with weight loss, and may even cause weight gain.
By Lisa Rapaport (Reuters Health) – A new calculator can help couples see their odds of success with in vitro fertilization (IVF) before they start treatment, a recent study suggests. Doctors have traditionally been reluctant to estimate couples’ chances of having a baby before they complete at least one cycle of IVF, allowing clinicians to assess the quality of the eggs, sperm and embryos in addition to individual characteristics such as age, weight and medical conditions. With the new pre-treatment calculator, however, women can get an estimate of their chances before that first cycle of IVF and it can be adjusted based on what doctors discover after that cycle is completed, said lead study author Dr. David McLernon of the University of Aberdeen in the U.K. “I don’t think women would want to undergo their first cycle of IVF just to determine their chances in future cycles – I think their aim would be to have a baby in that first attempt,” McLernon said by email.
On the whole, the diet of U.S. children improved markedly between 1999 and 2012 but it remains poor, said the authors of a new study that examined diet quality data from more than 38,000 kids.
By Kate Kelland LONDON, Nov 24 (Reuters) – – Scientists studying yo-yo dieting in mice say the tendency for people to regain excess weight rapidly after successfully slimming may well be due to their microbiome – the trillions of microorganisms in the gut. The researchers found that changes in the gut microbiome that occur when an obese mouse loses weight can persist for many months, and that this contributes to accelerated weight regain later if the diet lapses If, as the researchers believe, a similar thing happens in obese people, they said, it could help explain why so many of them fail to keep their lost weight off, and often put on more than they lost in the first place. In a telephone briefing about their work, professors Eran Segal and Eran Elinav of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, said that while there has been good progress in studying obesity and its causes, relapsing obesity is poorly understood.
By Lisa Rapaport (Reuters Health) – – Even though doctors often tell parents that newborns will regain weight lost after birth within a week or two, many infants take much longer to achieve this milestone, a U.S. study suggests. Nearly all newborns lose weight during the first days after birth, regardless of whether they are breastfed or formula fed. Many doctors expect babies to regain those lost ounces and surpass their birth weight within 10 to 14 days.
By Rod Nickel WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) – Ranchers in western Canada whose herds are under quarantine due to the spread of bovine tuberculosis told federal legislators on Tuesday that they desperately need to sell cattle or collect compensation to avoid financial disaster. Ranchers who raise calves typically sell them in autumn to feedlots, where they are fattened to slaughter weight. The federal Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed six cases of Alberta cattle with bovine TB, dating back to the September discovery of an infected cow at a U.S. slaughter plant.
By Lisa Rapaport (Reuters Health) – Some families gathering for Thanksgiving this week may have something to argue about besides politics: what to do when teens at the table follow a different diet than everyone else. One in six U.S. parents say their teen has tried a diet that is vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan or paleo at some point in the last two years, according to a poll released today by the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. It may be tempting to argue about food or push children to join the clean plate club, but parents should try to understand why their teen wants to skip family favorites like turkey, sweet potato and marshmallow casserole or apple pie, said Sarah Clark, co-director of the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.
By Lisa Rapaport (Reuters Health) – – People who rely on food pantries for their meals may not receive enough dairy, fruits or vegetables to get all the nutrients they need for a healthy diet, two recent studies suggest. Part of the problem is that many volunteer-supported food pantries set up to provide occasional assistance to families during temporary setbacks have instead become the main source of food for long periods of time, noted a lead author on the studies, Anja Simmet. “In general, they can’t be stored for long-time.” Traditional food pantries supply people with bags of non-prepared food items, usually donated by retailers, manufacturers, industries, producers, religious groups and community organizations.
But at least one nutrition expert says it’s too soon to draw conclusions
By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) – The number of people with high blood pressure has almost doubled in 40 years to over 1.1 billion worldwide, scientists said on Wednesday, with the burden of the condition shifting from the rich to the poor. In the largest study of its kind analyzing blood pressure in every nation between 1975 and 2015, the scientists said that it has dropped sharply in wealthy countries – possibly due to healthier diets and lifestyles – but risen in poorer ones. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, puts extra strain on the blood vessels and major organs such as the heart, brain and kidneys.