Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Anyone struggling to lose weight is invited to attend a weight management class for adults offered by Penn State Hershey. (more)
Friday, February 03, 2012
A preference for fatty foods has a genetic basis, according to researchers, who discovered that people with certain forms of the CD36 gene may like high-fat foods more than those who have other forms of this gene. The results help explain why some people struggle when placed on a low-fat diet and may one day assist people in selecting diets that are easier for them to follow. The results also may help food developers create new low-fat foods that taste better. (more)
Thursday, October 13, 2011
A unique and innovative analysis of how social media can affect the spread of a disease has been designed and implemented by a scientist at Penn State studying attitudes toward the H1N1 vaccine. Marcel Salathe, an assistant professor of biology, studied how users of Twitter -- a popular microblogging and social-networking service -- expressed their sentiments about a new vaccine. He then tracked how the users' attitudes correlated with vaccination rates and how microbloggers with the same negative or positive feelings seemed to influence others in their social circles. The research is considered the first case study in how social media sites affect and reflect disease networks, and the method is expected to be repeated in the study of other diseases. The results will be published in the journal PLoS Computational Biology. (more)
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Do you ever stop to wonder why it's so easy to put on a little extra weight now that you're no longer a teenager? Well, wonder no more - the answer is simple: food tastes good! As the obesity epidemic rages, multiple theories have emerged about its possible causes. (more)
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
The USDA's 2010 dietary guidelines report calls the obesity epidemic "the single greatest threat to public health in this century." Says Robert Gabbay, director of The Penn State Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, "As a society, we are just now starting to absorb the extent of this problem. The predictions for children are finally ringing the alarm bells. If we don't do something, our kids won't even have the life expectancy we have -- and the years they have may not be healthy ones. Our researchers are tackling things from the molecular level all the way to public health initiatives, with a shared goal of eradicating obesity and diabetes and helping those with these conditions live better." (more)
Thursday, October 21, 2010
"This is the first generation that, if our predictions hold true, will have a lower life expectancy than the previous generation because they are developing diabetes and obesity at a young age."
-- Robert Gabbay, professor of medicine in the College of Medicine and director of the Penn State Institute for Diabetes and Obesity and Penn State Hershey Diabetes and Obesity Institute. (more)
Friday, October 15, 2010
The Penn State Institute for Diabetes and Obesity is taking on the many-headed hydra of diabetes, obesity and its serious complications. (more)
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
With the launch of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign this past February, now more than ever schools are being placed at the forefront of addressing the childhood obesity epidemic. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three children is considered obese or overweight. And, the percentage of children who are overweight has tripled in the past 30 years. (more)
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Help fight obesity, one of the nation's fastest growing epidemics, by participating in the Walk from Obesity on Saturday, Sept. 25 at the track on the campus of Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. This family event is open to walkers of all ages. Registration starts at 9 a.m. in the tent behind the University Fitness Center. The walk begins at 10 a.m. Early registration is $25 (T-shirt included), and registration on the day of the walk is $30. Children 12 and under are free. Money raised through the walk will support research into the causes, prevention and treatment of obesity. (more)
Friday, July 02, 2010
In fall 2010, Penn State undergraduate students can gain a better understanding of the nation's diabetes and obesity epidemics. In Strategies for Addressing the Obesity & Diabetes Epidemics, students will learn what role they can play in minimizing the effects of these diseases. The course is being offered through the Department of Biobehavioral Health in the College of Health and Human Development in collaboration with the Penn State Institute for Diabetes and Obesity (PSIDO). (more)
