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Surgery helps or resolves fatty liver

Obese people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease who get weight-loss surgery can see a reduction or complete elimination of that health problem as they lose weight, researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston report. They looked at 15 studies showing the effects of bariatric surgery on the liver, and found that more than 81 percent of patients had improvement or resolution of fatty liver disease after having the surgery. It’s thought that about 70 percent of obese people and 85 to 95 percent of morbidly obese people have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Ball games keep teens’ bones healthy for decades

If you needed another reason to encourage your kids to get off the couch and play a sport, research from Japan in the British Journal of Sports Medicine says that playing weight-bearing games as a teenager keeps bones healthy for more than 40 years. Researchers studied post-menopausal women and found that those who participated in weight-bearing exercise as teens (such as tennis, volleyball, basketball or sprinting) had higher bone mineral content than those who performed non-weight-bearing exercise or didn’t exercise at all. By the time of the study none of them were still exercising, leading researchers to suggest the bone-building effects of exercise last for a long time.

Teachers say school lockdown may violate rights

Eight schools in Glasgow are expected to take part in a trial next year to see if keeping kids in school during lunch will help them make healthier food choices, but a group of teachers says the plan may violate the kids’ rights. The Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association says parents should be able to say whether they want their kids to participate, and that schools should be mindful of human rights arguments before the plan goes into effect next August.

Chinese dairy companies to compensate victims

The Chinese dairies that produced milk products and powdered formula that was tainted with melamine have agreed to compensate the families of the nearly 300,000 children who were sickened or died from drinking the formula. Twenty-two producers will make the payments for an undisclosed sum, according to Chinese media reports. The companies hope the payments will get them understanding and forgiveness. Six children died after drinking the formula, and so far six people have been put on trial for their parts in the scandal.

Overweight? The British army wants you

Facing ever-declining rates of enlistment, the British army is hoping to encourage more people to join up in these tough economic times by lowering their standards to include people with visible tattoos, some with criminal records and people who are technically obese. The army also plans to spend £20 million on advertising and staff. The military will accept recruits with a body mass index up to 32, which classifies them as obese. Officials insist that heavy recruits will still have to shape up in training.

Montreal arenas try healthier fare

Finally, some hockey arenas and government-owned buildings in Montreal are cutting junk food starting January 1 as an expansion of the ban on junk food in schools. Some snack bars are already featuring salads, vegetarian pizza and healthy soups rather than the more traditional hot dogs and poutine, and officials say it’s important to show young athletes that building a healthy body doesn’t end on the ice. Still, many parents and fans say the rink is meant to be a place of indulgence.

(By Sarah E. White for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News)

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This entry was posted on Monday, December 29th, 2008 and is filed under Bariatric surgery, Exercise and fitness, Food miscellaneous, Food safety, Foreign stories (non-U.S.), Kids and families, Nibbles: diet news shorts, Obesity research and studies, Public policy, School lunches and junk food, Weight control in the military. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed. Permalink.