Content about Metabolic disorders

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new weight-loss drug made by Vivus, the agency said.

The FDA announced the approval of Qsymia (phentermine and topiramate) extended-release, designed for use by overweight and obese adults alongside a reduced-calorie diet and exercise for chronic weight management. The drug's original brand name was Qnexa.

NEW YORK — Being overweight and obesity during adolescence are associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease risk factors, especially prediabetes and diabetes, according to researchers.

WASHINGTON — Researchers from the Duke University Medical Center on Monday released a public health study finding that even maintaining the current prevalence of obesity in the United States would realize savings of almost $550 billion over the next two decades.

ITHACA, N.Y. — Obesity now accounts for almost 21% of U.S. healthcare costs — more than twice the previous estimates — according to a new Cornell University study released Monday.

The research, one of the first to show a causal effect of obesity on medical care costs, utilized new methods and makes a stronger case for government intervention to prevent obesity, the authors wrote in the January issue of the Journal of Health Economics.

ATLANTA — Mortality rates from all cancers combined continued to drop between 2004 and 2008 among men, women and children, according to the annual "Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975-2008."

PHILADELPHIA — People who suffer from sleep disturbances are at major risk for obesity, diabetes and coronary artery disease, according to new research released Thursday from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

BOSTON — Women who work a rotating schedule that includes three or more night shifts per month, in addition to day and evening working hours in that month, may have an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes when compared with women who only work days or evenings, according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard's School of Public Health that was released Tuesday.

In addition, the researchers found that extended years of rotating night shift work was associated with weight gain, which may contribute to the increased risk of Type 2 diabetes.

ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday launched a new effort to address childhood obesity using successful elements of both primary care and public health. As much as $25 million in funding made available through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will support a four-year Childhood Obesity Demonstration Project. The project will build on existing community efforts and will work to identify effective healthcare and community strategies to support children’s healthy eating and active living, and help combat childhood obesity.

NEW YORK — Half of U.S. adults will be obese by 2030, according to a new study published in The Lancet.

The research, part of a four-part series published in the journal this week, projected that the number of obese adults in the country would jump from 99 million in 2008 to 164 million by 2030, a 65.6% increase. What's more, the U.S. obesity rate will rise from 32% to about 50% for men, and from 35% to a range between 45% and 52% for women.

WASHINGTON — The rate of obesity among adults has increased across 16 states, with no states seeing a drop, according to a new report released by the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The report also found that 12 states now have obesity rates above 30%, versus four years ago when just one state had a 30% obesity rate, TFAH and RWJF said.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — With more than two-thirds of Americans either overweight or obese, weight management undoubtedly is a critical health issue facing the nation. And the news that RediClinic now is offering a weight-management program speaks to a larger trend with the convenient care industry: expanding service offerings beyond acute care, which includes, for some operators, tools to tackle obesity.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — In an effort to encourage healthy lifestyles among consumers, CVS/pharmacy and Weight Watchers have developed a mutually beneficial rewards program.

Members of CVS' ExtraCare loyalty program will be given the opportunity to save money on CVS/pharmacy purchases when they join Weight Watchers meetings. Conversely, Weight Watchers members will receive CVS/pharmacy ExtraBucks offers on such health-related items as blood-pressure monitors, blood-glucose testing equipment, healthy snacks and more.