Science Weekly - 150718

Scientists were busy publishing results on fitness, nutrition, and weight loss so here's this week's selection of research. There's something for you all, including gadgets, aging and obesity.

Teenagers can thank their parents' positive attitude for avoiding obesity

Teenagers are less likely to be overweight if their mum or dad had a positive attitude during pregnancy, a new study finds.

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-018-0141-y

How a Mediterranean diet could reduce bone loss in osteoporosis

Eating a Mediterranean-type diet could reduce bone loss in people with osteoporosis -- according to new research. New findings show that sticking to a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, nuts, unrefined cereals, olive oil, and fish can reduce hip bone loss within just 12 months.

Source: http://www.uea.ac.uk/…/how-a-mediterranean-diet-could-reduc…

​Obesity alone does not increase risk of death

Researchers have found that patients who have metabolic healthy obesity, but no other metabolic risk factors, do not have an increased rate of mortality. The results of this study could impact how we think about obesity and health.

Source: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/cob.12263

Turn exercise into a game and see encouraging results

A team of researchers built a web-based app called MapTrek. When synced with a Fitbit, MapTrek allows users to go on virtual walking tours of locations such as the Grand Canyon or Appalachian trail while competing against other users. A study showed MapTrek and Fitbit users averaged 2,200 more steps per day than a control group that used only Fitbits.

Source: https://now.uiowa.edu/…/ui-researchers-turn-exercise-game-a…

​Gene controls bone-to-fat ratio in bone marrow

In an unexpected discovery, researchers have found that a gene previously known to control human metabolism also controls the equilibrium of bone and fat in bone marrow as well as how an adult stem cell expresses its final cell type.

The findings could lead to a better understanding of the disruption of bone-to-fat ratio in bone marrow as well as its health consequences, and also point to the gene as a promising therapeutic target in the treatment of osteoporosis and skeletal aging.

Source: http://newsroom.ucla.edu/…/ucla-researchers-discover-gene-t…