Previous studies have indicated that weight loss through dieting can lead to bone problems. Researchers from McMaster University in Ontario conducted a study that investigated the combined effects of dairy, calcium, exercise and protein on the bones of 90 pre-menopausal women who had weight problems.

The experimental regimen included modest caloric restriction and daily aerobic and resistance exercises. Additionally, subjects were put on diets that varied by the amount of protein and dairy food.

After 16 weeks, results showed that subjects who ate higher protein food with an emphasis on dairy had healthier bones as well as more optimal levels of calcium and vitamin D, two nutrients that are essential to bone strength, as published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

"Our data provide a good rationale to recommend consumption of dairy foods to aid in high quality weight loss, which we define as loss of fat as opposed to muscle, and the promotion of bone health in young women who are at the age when achieving and maintaining peak bone mass is of great importance," said researcher Stuart Phillips, Ph.D.

Researchers from the University of Rhode Island conducted two studies that investigated different rates and speeds of food consumption. In the first study, subjects reported themselves as fast, medium-speed or slow eaters, which ultimately averaged out to people eating 3.1, 2.5 or 2 ounces of food per minute, respectively. Results showed that men tended to eat faster than women. However, men who said they ate slowly consumed food at a speed similar to women who described themselves as fast eaters.

In a second study, the team discovered that people who have higher body mass indices tended to eat faster than individuals with lower scores. Furthermore, whole grains, which are more fibrous, required subjects to chew their food more slowly.

The researchers believe that, taken together, these studies suggest that eating slowly can reduce calorie consumption.

"It takes time for your body to process fullness signals, so slower eating may allow time for fullness to register in the brain before you've eaten too much," said researcher Kathleen Melanson.

Further studies will be needed to thoroughly characterize the relationship between eating speed and body mass index, according to the researchers.

A researcher from Baylor College of Medicine Sleep Center in Houston collaborated with a high school sophomore from Pearland, Texas to survey 255 teenagers on their sleeping habits as well as their height and weight. Results showed that individuals who got more than seven hours of sleep per night had lower body mass indices (BMI) than those who did not, as reported at CHEST 2011, the 77th annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians. The researchers believe that this may be due to the influence of two hormones: leptin and ghrelin.

"When you don't get enough sleep, it drives leptin levels down, which means you don't feel as satisfied after you eat," said co-author Radha Rao, M.D. "Lack of sleep also causes ghrelin levels to rise, which means your appetite is stimulated, so you want more food."

The authors recommend parents educate their children on good sleeping habits, such as turning off electronic devices at a certain hour and avoiding caffeine. These lifestyle choices, as well as negative ones, can carry on through adulthood.

Most kinds of green tea contain epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the compound of interest to researchers at Penn State. In order to test the effects of EGCG on weight gain, the team experimented on two groups of mice. Both groups ate a high-fat diet, but only one of them was supplemented with EGCG. Results showed that these mice gained weight 45 percent more slowly. Other tests revealed that subjects receiving EGCG did not absorb as much fat from the food they ate, either.

"There seems to be two prongs to this," said Joshua Lambert, assistant professor of food science in agricultural sciences. "First, EGCG reduces the ability to absorb fat and, second, it enhances the ability to use fat."

However, EGCG did not appear to have an effect on the subjects' appetites.

A person would have to drink about 10 cups of green tea on a daily basis to equal the amount of EGCG fed to the mice in this experiment, Lambert said, adding that even a few cups a day may still be beneficial.

Researchers in Australia examined the sleeping patterns of about 2,200 children aged 9 to 16 years old. Those who went to bed earlier in the evening and woke up earlier in the morning tended to get more physical activity and have healthier body mass indexes, as reported Oct. 1 in the journal Sleep.

However, between those who slept and rose at earlier hours, and those who were more nocturnally inclined, the amount of sleep was pretty much equal.

"Scientists have realized in recent years that children who get less sleep tend to do worse on a variety of health outcomes…Our study suggests that the timing of sleep is even more important," said co-author Carol Maher, Ph.D.

This data is important considering the growing body of research suggesting that the tendency younger people have to sleep during later hours is a natural one.

While children can be more physically active in the morning, the evening provides more opportunities for them to entertain themselves with more sedentary activities, such as television, video games and computer usage, the researchers said.

The team also refutes the previously held belief that eating 3,500 fewer calories or burning 3,500 calories through exercise results in one pound of weight loss. Researchers used the online simulator to show how changes in metabolism vary from person to person and affect weight loss.

"This research helps us understand why one person may lose weight faster or slower than another, even when they eat the same diet and do the same exercise," said Kevin Hall, Ph.D., one of the report's authors and an obesity researcher at the National Institute of Health's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. "Our computer simulations can then be used to help design personalized weight management programs to address individual needs and goals."

The study authors added that the model was created to help researchers design trials, and it is not meant to aid the general public in losing weight.

In the Penn State study, researchers cooked two meals on separate days for six men between 30 and 65 years of age, all of whom were relatively healthy in all aspects except their weight. The food was the same on both occasions – a dinner of chicken curry, Italian bread and a cinnamon biscuit – but the spices that the scientists were testing were only included once.

They discovered that antioxidant activity in the blood increased by 13 percent after the men had eaten the spice-heavy meal. Triglyceride levels, thought to be detrimental to heart health in excess, decreased by approximately 30 percent.

Sheila West, associate professor of biobehavioral health at Penn State and lead author of the study, expressed optimism about the outcome.

"Antioxidants, like spices, may be important in reducing oxidative stress and thus reducing the risk of chronic disease," West said.

Maintaining a healthy weight can be made possible through proper diet and engaging in at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Brian Wansink, Ph.D., identified widely-accepted beliefs and little-known facts pertinent to weight and dieting. Among the myths was the concept that people innately know when they are full and stop eating at that point.

Wansink and his Cornell University colleagues debunked the myth of people knowing when they were full by inviting 60 people for a free lunch. Half were given 22 ounce bowls, while the rest received identically-sized bowls that were subtly refilled by being pressure-fed from under the table. A total of 73 percent of participants from the latter group ate more than those with standard bowls without realizing how much they had eaten.

Wansink stated that people with larger glasses or dishes were more likely to serve themselves more than those with smaller dishes. To combat these tendencies and promote a healthy weight, he and his colleagues recommended eating on smaller plates, placing healthy foods ahead of unhealthy items in the refrigerator or pantry and consuming meals in the kitchen or dining room.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends avoiding oversized portions and choosing foods with less sodium as practices beneficial to maintaining a healthy diet and an optimal weight. 

The investigators found that aside from the high fiber content of apples, the fruits’ pectin and polyphenols enhance fat metabolism and slow down the production of molecules that may contribute to inflammation in the body.
Over the course of one year, two groups of postmenopausal women ate either one serving of apples or prunes daily.

After six months of this regimen, the study’s findings showed that the participants who consumed apples had 23 percent better balanced levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Women in this group also showed decreased amounts of C-reactive protein, which has been associated with inflammation in the body.

"I never expected apple consumption to [balance] cholesterol to this extent, while [promoting positive effects on] HDL cholesterol, by about 4 percent," said lead researcher Bahram Arjmandi, Ph.D.

The scientists also noted that women who ate the delicious fruits lost an average of more than 3 pounds (lbs).

Researchers fed all mice a high-fat diet, but gave some mice food comprised of 2 or 4 percent molasses extract over a period of 12 weeks.

The study's results showed that mice on the 4-percent molasses diet had a healthier weight and body fat composition, as well as more evenly balanced levels of leptin, which is a hormone secreted by fat cells.

The scientists said they plan to test the effectiveness of molasses extract for promoting a healthy body weight in humans.

"Due to the increasing worldwide prevalence of obesity and associated health problems, supplementing food with molasses extract might be a way to address the escalating rates of overweight and obesity," said lead researcher Richard Weisinger.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 60 percent of Americans are overweight or obese.