Add BrightSurf on Google Email

Military personnel would rather smoke than gain weight

A recent study published in American Journal of Health Promotion reveals that military personnel struggle more with weight gain than tobacco use, hindering successful smoking cessation rates. Active-duty participants were four times more likely to relapse if they anticipated gaining 5-10 pounds after quitting smoking.

SourceCenter for Advancing Health·JournalAmerican Journal of Health Promotion·DateNov 2, 2001

Therapy to help women reduce their concerns about gaining weight found to be effective in helping them to stop smoking

A new therapy has been found to be effective in helping women overcome their concerns about gaining weight when quitting smoking. The study, published in Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, found that 21% of women who received therapy had completely quit smoking with no relapses.

SourceNIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse·JournalJournal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology·DateAug 1, 2001

The West is in the grip of an obesity 'epidemic'

A recent study in the Netherlands found that children's obesity rates have almost doubled between 1980 and 1997. The researchers attribute this increase to factors such as poor diet, lack of physical activity, and early maturation. Children from large cities with poorly educated parents are at greatest risk of obesity.

SourceBMJ Specialty Journals·JournalArchives of Disease in Childhood·DateJan 24, 2000

Physical activity and a low-fat, reduced-calorie diet prevent weight gain in menopausal women, find University of Pittsburgh researchers

Researchers found that middle-aged women can avoid weight gain through increased physical activity and a low-fat, reduced-calorie dietary pattern. The five-year study showed significant reductions in weight gain and waist circumference among those who participated in the lifestyle intervention program.

Landmark obesity study

Researchers at Denver's Eleanor Roosevelt Institute have identified a gene linked to obesity in mice, which also plays a role in humans. The study suggests that targeting this gene could lead to effective weight control and potentially even help with diseases like Down syndrome and epilepsy.

SourceEleanor Roosevelt Institute·JournalNature Medicine·DateAug 30, 1999