http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. According to a research abstract that will be presented at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, adolescent obesity is associated with having less sleep. Reduction in sleep could be related to a higher caffeine intake, more hours of technology use and increased symptoms of sleep disorders (such as snoring). http://phys.org/news163736822.html Medicine & Health Tue, 09 Jun 2009 03:27:29 EST news163736822 Being overweight is a health concern, and using only body mass index (BMI) to determine weight classification may not give an accurate picture of a person's health, according to an advisory published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. http://phys.org/news163697869.html Medicine & Health Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:38:27 EST news163697869 According to a research abstract that will be presented at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, both long and short sleepers are at greater risk for diabetes. Individuals sleeping for more than eight hours per night may be particularly vulnerable. http://phys.org/news163646046.html Medicine & Health Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:14:25 EST news163646046 Race significantly influences the risk of obesity conferred by short sleep duration, with blacks having a greater risk than whites. http://phys.org/news163645437.html Medicine & Health Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:05:09 EST news163645437 According to new research, days with increased activity were followed by nights with lower total sleep time (TST), while nights with lower TST were followed by increased activities during the next day. http://phys.org/news163645212.html Medicine & Health Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:02:54 EST news163645212 Both blood pressure and serum lipid levels have improved in Swedish middle-aged women during the past 30 years. Levels of perceived mental stress, however, have increased significantly. These are the of a thesis presented at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. http://phys.org/news163397193.html Medicine & Health Fri, 05 Jun 2009 05:07:14 EST news163397193 Being overweight or obese does not make asthma worse in patients with mild and moderate forms of the disease, according to a study by National Jewish Health researchers, although it may reduce the response to medications. http://phys.org/news163270621.html Medicine & Health Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:57:50 EST news163270621 Two scientists at the Institute for Aging Research of Hebrew SeniorLife are part of an international team of investigators that has identified genes that influence the start of menstruation, a milestone of female reproductive health that has lifelong influences on overall health. The breakthrough was published online in Nature Genetics, one of the world's leading scientific journals. http://phys.org/news162885042.html Medicine & Health Sat, 30 May 2009 06:51:15 EST news162885042 (AP) -- Eating for two? New guidelines are setting how much weight women should gain during pregnancy - surprisingly little if they're already overweight or obese when they conceive. http://phys.org/news162736483.html Medicine & Health Thu, 28 May 2009 13:35:04 EST news162736483 The cardiovascular fitness level of cancer survivors is not affected by many standard cancer therapies, say researchers from Georgetown University Medical Cancer. That is the finding of a new observational study to be presented today at the American College of Sports Medicine in Seattle. http://phys.org/news162730404.html Medicine & Health Thu, 28 May 2009 11:54:01 EST news162730404 Despite the well-known benefits of having a lifestyle that includes physical activity, eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables, maintaining a healthy weight, moderate alcohol use and not smoking, only a small proportion of adults follow this healthy lifestyle pattern, and in fact, the numbers are declining, according to an article published in the June 2009 issue of The American Journal of Medicine. Lifestyle choices are associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease as well as diabetes. http://phys.org/news162626294.html Medicine & Health Wed, 27 May 2009 06:58:36 EST news162626294 Despite being larger in size and heavier in weight, an analysis of the cardiovascular disease risk factors of about 500 National Football League players finds that overall, they have a similar cardiovascular risk profile compared to the general population. The NFL population was found to have a lower incidence of impaired fasting glucose and similar prevalence of abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels as compared to a sample of healthy young-adult men, but have an increased prevalence of high blood pressure, according to a study in the May 27 issue of JAMA. http://phys.org/news162573126.html Medicine & Health Tue, 26 May 2009 16:12:28 EST news162573126 A new study published online in the journal Obesity provides further evidence that strict maternal control over eating habits - such as determining how much a child should eat and coaxing them to eat certain foods - during early childhood may not lead to significant future weight gain in boys or girls. Instead, this behavior may be a response to concerns over a child's increasing weight. http://phys.org/news162566711.html Medicine & Health Tue, 26 May 2009 14:28:05 EST news162566711 The eyes may be the window into the soul, but they may also contain important medical information. According to new research to be presented at the American Thoracic Society's 105th International Conference in San Diego on May 19, patients with diabetes who have retinopathy should also be screened for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). http://phys.org/news161974934.html Medicine & Health Tue, 19 May 2009 18:02:40 EST news161974934 Multiple social factors, including discrimination and harassment, may contribute to an increased risk of suicidal feelings among adolescents who feel that they are overweight, a Georgia State University researcher says. http://phys.org/news161965513.html Medicine & Health Tue, 19 May 2009 15:26:05 EST news161965513 Babies born to obese mothers may have an increased risk of asthma, according to data from a new study to be presented on May 19 at the 105th International Conference of the American Thoracic Society in San Diego. http://phys.org/news161954494.html Medicine & Health Tue, 19 May 2009 12:21:58 EST news161954494 A new study shows that older people who are thinner or are losing weight quickly are at a higher risk of developing dementia, especially if they started out overweight or obese. The research is published in the May 19, 2009, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. http://phys.org/news161883192.html Medicine & Health Mon, 18 May 2009 16:35:36 EST news161883192 Researchers from the Peninsula Medical School, along with collaborators from research institutions across Europe and the United States, have for the first time identified two genes that are involved in determining when girls begin menstruation. The work will be published in Nature Genetics this weekend. http://phys.org/news161786861.html Medicine & Health Sun, 17 May 2009 13:48:15 EST news161786861 Tall people earn higher wages than their vertically-challenged counterparts while being obese does not mean a slimmed-down pay packet, according to a new study in Australia. http://phys.org/news161749568.html Other Sciences Sun, 17 May 2009 03:26:55 EST news161749568 Stress may indeed be a direct contributor to childhood obesity. That's according to a new Iowa State University study finding that increased levels of stress in adolescents are associated with a greater likelihood of them being overweight or obese. http://phys.org/news161520563.html Medicine & Health Thu, 14 May 2009 11:49:58 EST news161520563 Older adults with low scores on tests of cognitive function, including thinking, learning and memory appear more likely to have the early stages of the eye disease age-related macular degeneration, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of Ophthalmology. http://phys.org/news161278669.html Medicine & Health Mon, 11 May 2009 16:38:12 EST news161278669 As the childhood obesity epidemic in the United States continues, researchers are examining whether early parent and child behaviors contribute to the problem. A study from the Department of Nutritional Sciences, Rutgers University, published in the May/June 2009 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior reports that mothers who miss signs of satiety in their infants tend to overfeed them, leading to excess weight gains during the 6 month to 1 year period. http://phys.org/news161229069.html Medicine & Health Mon, 11 May 2009 02:52:11 EST news161229069 (PhysOrg.com) -- For many women, body image is a constant struggle; a poor self-image can lead to a host of both mental and physical health problems. But a new study out of Temple University finds that an extremely good body image can also take its toll on a woman's health. http://phys.org/news160926854.html Medicine & Health Thu, 07 May 2009 14:54:48 EST news160926854 Men who were grossly overweight at the age of 18 had nearly 50 percent less chance of being married by their 30s and 40s, an international conference on obesity heard in Amsterdam on Thursday. http://phys.org/news160924620.html Medicine & Health Thu, 07 May 2009 14:17:25 EST news160924620 Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA) are not markedly decreased in heart failure (HF) patients managed with beta-blockers and spironolactone, reports a study in the March issue of Journal of Cardiac Failure , published by Elsevier. http://phys.org/news160806571.html Medicine & Health Wed, 06 May 2009 05:30:00 EST news160806571 Children who have high blood pressure are more likely to have learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than children who are not hypertensive. They are also more likely to have a higher body mass index (BMI), an indicator of body fat. http://phys.org/news160673994.html Medicine & Health Mon, 04 May 2009 16:40:27 EST news160673994 France has by far the highest proportion of clinically underweight women in Europe, but only half of them think they are too thin, according to a new study. http://phys.org/news159694775.html Medicine & Health Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:40:11 EST news159694775 Women with psoriasis appear to have an increased risk for developing diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure), according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Dermatology. http://phys.org/news159473529.html Medicine & Health Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:12:38 EST news159473529 (PhysOrg.com) -- Chronic stress from growing up in poverty can physiologically impact children's brains, impairing their working memory and diminishing their ability to develop language, reading and problem-solving skills, reports a new Cornell study. http://phys.org/news158594009.html Medicine & Health Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:53:55 EST news158594009 (PhysOrg.com) -- Adding to the growing evidence that a person’s waist size is an important indicator of heart health, a study led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has found that larger waist circumference is associated with increased risk of heart failure in middle-aged and older populations of men and women. http://phys.org/news158423763.html Medicine & Health Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:36:37 EST news158423763