Weight Loss Research: High rate of symptoms, hospitalization following gastric bypass surgery ♦ Overweight young people can avoid diabetes risk if they lose weight early enough

Midnight munchies mangle memory Modern schedules can lead us to eat around the clock so it is important to understand how this could dull some of the functions of the brain. New research in mice shows that clocks in different regions of the brain start working out of step, altering the brain's physiology.

Overweight young people can avoid diabetes risk if they lose weight early enough,Obese young people can still turn their chances of developing life threatening illness around if they change before middle age, says new research. The study looked at the body mass index of people when they were young and compared it to when they were middle aged to see whether it affected their risk of heart attack, stroke or diabetes

New details linking stress, fat metabolism revealed If you're under constant stress and can't lose weight, there might be a protein to blame. Researchers have discovered that chronic stress stimulates production of betatrophin, a protein that then goes on to inhibit an enzyme involved in fat metabolism.

High rate of symptoms, hospitalization following gastric bypass surgery for obesity Although the vast majority of patients reported improved well-being after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery, the prevalence of symptoms such as abdominal pain and fatigue were high and nearly one-third of patients were hospitalized

Children's Health: Gastric bypass for teens: Weight loss and lipid improvements sustained ♦ Obese kids young as age eight show signs of heart disease

Prenatal alcohol exposure: Services insufficient in supporting those affected There is an urgent need to do more to recognize prenatal alcohol exposure at an early stage and to integrate better pathways for diagnosis, assessment and support. The importance of raising awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders is the focus of new research, as there are unclear protocols and guidelines in place to adequately support those directly affected.

Study shows why four-year-olds don't thrive in head start classes Most Head Start classrooms serve children of mixed ages and that hurts the academic growth of older children, a new national study suggests.

Gastric bypass for teens: Weight loss and lipid improvements sustained 8 years after surgery Eight years after having gastric bypass surgery as teenagers, patients continue to have significant weight loss and improvement in their lipid profiles

Obese kids young as age eight show signs of heart disease Imaging tests of obese children's hearts showed signs of heart disease, including kids as young as 8 years old. Obese children had 27 percent more muscle mass in the left ventricle of their hearts and 12 percent thicker heart muscles -- both signs of heart disease -- compared to normal weight children. Forty percent of the obese children were considered 'high-risk' because of problems with thickened muscle in the heart as well as impaired pumping ability.

Women's Health: Abusive men put female partners at greater sexual risk ♦ highly refined carbohydrates increases risk of depression ♦ Gastric bypass surgery lowers women's alcohol tolerance

Gastric bypass surgery lowers women's alcohol tolerance Women who have gastric bypass surgery to lose weight should keep a close eye on their alcohol consumption, according to a study. The researchers found that changes in how alcohol is metabolized after surgery can speed its delivery into the bloodstream, resulting in earlier and higher peaks in blood-alcohol levels.

Consuming highly refined carbohydrates increases risk of depression A diet high in refined carbohydrates may lead to an increased risk for new-onset depression in postmenopausal women, according to a study. The study looked at the dietary glycemic index, glycemic load, types of carbohydrates consumed, and depression in data from more than 70,000 postmenopausal women who participated in the National Institutes of Health's Women's Health Initiative Observational Study between 1994 and 1998.

Combined impact of smoking, early menopause on mortality Women may now have yet another reason to quit smoking given the results of a new study. The Swedish study involving 25,474 women is the first to quantify the combined effects of smoking and age at menopause on overall mortality in terms of survival time by investigating the role of smoking as a possible effect modifier.

Abusive men put female partners at greater sexual risk Men who were physically and sexually abusive to women were more likely than non-abusive men to engage in behaviors that exposed them and their partners to sexually transmitted infections.

Childrens Health: Most adolescents feel better after gastric bypass ♦ Climbing a tree can improve cognitive skills ♦ Adolescents with sleep problems more likely to self-harm

Early prosocial behavior good predictor of kids' future Kindergartners' social-emotional skills are a significant predictor of their future education, employment and criminal activity, among other outcomes.

Climbing a tree can improve cognitive skills Climbing a tree and balancing on a beam can dramatically improve cognitive skills. The findings suggest working memory improvements can be made in just a couple of hours of these types of physical exercises.

Adolescents with sleep problems more likely to self-harm There is a strong relationship between sleep problems such as insomnia, and self-harm, according to findings in a new Norwegian study. The researchers say that depressive symptoms accounted for some, but not all, of the association to self-harming. However, the latter association remained significant even in the fully adjusted analyses.

Positive reinforcement plays key role in cognitive task performance in ADHD kids A little recognition for a job well done means a lot to children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder -- more so than it would for typically developing kids.

Most adolescents feel better after gastric bypass Teenagers suffering from severe obesity generally feel worse than their peers, but after undergoing gastric bypass nearly all experience improved mental health. One in five, however, still suffers from symptoms of depression -- some quite seriously.