Obesity rates are higher among lower-income groups in the United States, but in developing nations, wealthier citizens are the ones with excess weight. Read the full story

Watch this week’s WLS News to hear an encouraging report about 50 obese teenagers who underwent Lap-Band surgery–and how their lives have changed. We’ll also tell you how probiotics can affect weight loss, share details about a possible link between teenage obesity and multiple sclerosis, and explain what a new coalition is doing to persuade Congress to provide affordable health care to the morbidly obese. All that and more on this week’s WLS News. Read the full story

Obesity Linked to Gum Disease

Research is showing that adults who are obese are at a higher risk for gum disease than people who weigh a few extra pounds. Students from the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Puerto Rico analyzed data collected from more than 35,000 men. These subjects had been followed for up to 16 years. In the beginning, the men were free of any periodontal disease.

But for those who developed problems later, statistics were drawn to those men who had gained significant amounts of weight.

The study showed that obesity is associated with a 29 percent increased risk of gum disease over the course of time. Men who are merely overweight only face a slight increase in risk.

David Cochran, president of the American Academy of Periodontology, said that inflammation of the gums can often be linked to inflammation in other parts of the body – a common problem among the obese.

It’s also been long confirmed that dietary choices that lead to becoming obese, such as eating foods loaded with sugar, can lead to gum disease.

The findings from this new study were recently presented to the International Association for Dental Research.

Obesity May Cause Neurological Disorder

New research has confirmed that as many as 10 percent of Americans suffer from a neurological disorder that may be brought on by obesity.

Several studies by Harvard School of Public Health in Boston have confirmed that being obese at least highly raises the risk of developing Restless Legs Syndrome, also known as RLS.

The disorder causes an irresistible urge to move the legs. It’s characterized by unusual, sometimes painful or tingling sensations in the legs.

These sensations may disappear during physical activity, but they often return while at rest. The sensations also often set in most heavily during sleep – making RLS a sleep disorder.

The Harvard researchers examined more than 85,000 men and women and found that obese people with a body mass index of 30 or more were 42 percent more likely to have RLS than people of a more normal weight. The direct correlation between obesity and this disorder has not been confirmed, but some research suggests that a shortage of the brain chemical dopamine may be part of the cause.

And those who are obese tend to have lower dopamine levels. Past treatments of RLS have included drugs that raise this level. The study also found that those who gain weight from early adulthood into middle age had a high tendency to develop RLS later in life.

The disorder can begin at any age, but a consensus panel of the National Institutes of Health notes that symptoms typically begin around age 40.

In the March 13, 2009, edition of WLS News, we’ll investigate a promising new partnership in the fight against childhood obesity, and take a ride with a company that’s making bikes built for bigger riders. We’ll also get an update on clinical trials for gastric bypass revision surgery, find out why women store fat differently than men, and investigate whether those fad diets have any lasting impact when it comes to long-term weight loss. And, naturally, WLS Journeys host Yvonne McCarthy will be on hand to enlighten viewers about an outstanding new website for weight loss surgery support. It’s all online in this week’s newscast — check it out!

Organizations mentioned in this week’s news:

• U.S. Centers for Disease Control
• The Cartoon Network
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• EatingWell Media Group
• Association of Junior Leagues International
• “Kids in the Kitchen” Program
• Super Sized Cycles
• Endogastric Solutions (Makers of the StomaphyX device)
• Dr. David Provost (Bariatric Surgeon)
• My Daily Detour (Laura Preston’s WLS support website)
• Bariatric Girl (Yvonne McCarthy’s WLS support site)
• Bariatric Advantage (nutritional supplements)
• University of New South Wales
• New England Journal of Medicine
• Harvard School of Public Health