Could a DNA test predict obesity risk in children?
Conclusion
This small cohort showed an association between chemical modification (methylation) of four sites in a gene (PCGIα) that codes for a protein involved in energy metabolism in young children, and increased body fat between the ages of nine and 14.
This study has found an association, but it cannot prove that methylation was directly responsible for increased body fat. For example, while the association was still there despite accounting for sex, age, estimated physical activity levels and puberty, other factors such as diet were not assessed.
A further limitation is that physical activity levels were measured f...
Source: NHS News Feed - March 27, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Genetics/stem cells Obesity Pregnancy/child Source Type: news
The race against the female athlete triad
Laura on the track
It’s a common belief among female runners: The lighter you are, the faster you are. It’s also believed that menstrual irregularities, or loss of periods, are a healthy part of competitive training. Neither is true.
That’s precisely what Laura Duff, a senior at Colby College and an avid runner, wishes she knew when she was in high school.
It was during the summer before Laura’s senior year of high school that she became more aware of how she looked. “I don’t know what switched,” she says, “I just became very aware, and started to restrict my eating and be more controlling.”
“I wi...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - May 13, 2013 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Andrea Mooney Tags: All posts Our patients’ stories Sports & exercise Female Athlete Program female athlete triad Kathryn Ackerman Running sports injuries Source Type: news
Have you got what it takes to be an Olympic athlete?
High tech fitness tests in a lab can work out which sports you are most suited to - and where your weaknesses might lie. Kate Carter is put through her paces to discover her potentialIn a gleaming white lab kitted out with props straight out of science fiction, I'm pounding a treadmill in a mask seemingly designed to protect against a nuclear disaster. A man in a white coat stares at a bank of screens, shouting at me to keep up the effort as I pant into the tubes.Not so long ago, identifying a potential sports star was a matter of how far you could sprint around a track, or kick a football. Now, sports scientists are routi...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - January 28, 2013 Category: Science Authors: Kate Carter Tags: The Guardian Fitness Health & wellbeing Features Life and style Science Source Type: news
