Roundup: Obesity Can Sharply Raise Risk of Serious Infections; and More News

Obesity Linked to Much Higher Risk of Serious Infections, Global Study Finds

People living with obesity face a greater risk of becoming seriously ill or dying from common infections, according to a new study published in the medical journal, The Lancet. Researchers found that obesity may be linked to about one in ten infectious disease deaths worldwide.

The study analyzed health data from more than 540,000 adults in Finland and the United Kingdom who were followed for over a decade. It found that people with obesity were 70 percent more likely to be hospitalized or die from an infectious disease compared with people at a healthy weight. Those with the most severe obesity faced three times the risk.

Common Infections Carry Greater Danger

Obesity is defined using body mass index (BMI), a measure of body fat based on height and weight. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered healthy, 30 or higher is classified as obesity, and 40 or higher is considered severe obesity.

Researchers looked closely at several common infections, including influenza (flu), COVID-19, pneumonia, stomach infections (gastroenteritis), urinary tract infections, and lower respiratory infections. For most of these illnesses, people with obesity were significantly more likely to develop severe disease that required hospitalization or resulted in death.

Obesity did not appear to increase the risk of severe illness from HIV or tuberculosis, which suggests the effect may differ depending on the type of infection.

Small Individual Risk, Large Global Impact

In the UK Biobank group, adults with a healthy BMI had about a 1.1 percent chance per year of developing a severe infection. That risk increased to 1.8 percent per year for those with obesity. While these numbers may seem modest, they add up across large populations.

When researchers applied these risk estimates to global data, they estimated obesity may have contributed to about 600,000 of the 5.4 million infection-related deaths worldwide in 2023, or roughly 10.8 percent. The share varied by country, with obesity potentially linked to one in six infection deaths in the UK and one in four in the United States. The authors caution that these global estimates should be interpreted carefully.

Why the Risk Is Expected to Grow

Lead study author, Dr. Solja Nyberg of the University of Helsinki, said the findings show obesity affects more than chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. As obesity rates continue to rise globally, the number of severe infections linked to obesity is also expected to increase.

Researchers stress the need for policies that support healthier lifestyles, such as access to affordable nutritious foods and opportunities for physical activity. They also emphasize that people with obesity should keep recommended vaccinations up to date, as vaccines can significantly reduce the risk of severe infection.

‘Speed Training’ for Your Brain: A Few Weeks of Effort Could Delay Dementia

A new study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests that a specific type of brain exercise, done for just a few weeks, might help delay the onset of dementia by years. The research, which followed adults over the age of 65 for two decades, found that "speed training" reduced the rate of dementia diagnosis by 25 percent compared to other methods.

This finding offers a promising look at how non-medical interventions—simple, practical tools—can help maintain brain health as we age.

What Was the Study?

Researchers looked at data from over 2,000 participants who took part in a clinical trial starting in 1999. These adults were split into groups to receive different types of cognitive training:

• Memory training: Exercises to improve recall.
• Reasoning training: Tasks involving problem-solving.
• Visual speed of processing: Exercises designed to help the brain identify objects quickly.

Participants attended 60- to 75-minute sessions twice a week for about six weeks. Some received "booster" training sessions 11 and 35 months later. The researchers then analyzed Medicare records up to 2019 to see who was eventually diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias.

The Winner: Speed Training

While all participants engaged in brain exercises, only one group saw a significant long-term benefit: those who did the visual speed of processing training. Specifically, the group that received the initial speed training plus the later booster sessions had a noticeably lower risk of dementia diagnosis.

So, what is speed training? It isn't about memorizing lists. Instead, it involves a computer task where you must quickly identify an object in the center of the screen while simultaneously spotting another object in your peripheral vision (the side of your vision). As you get better at it, the objects appear for shorter amounts of time, forcing your brain to process visual information faster.

Why Did It Work?

The study authors believe a few factors made this training unique. First, the difficulty adapted to the user. As a participant improved, the task got harder, constantly challenging the brain.

Second, this type of training engages "automatic" or unconscious thinking. Unlike reasoning or memory tasks, which require slow, deliberate thought, speed training pushes the brain to react instantly. Researchers suspect this might strengthen neural pathways in a way that typical puzzles do not.

What This Means for You

"This study shows that simple brain training, done for just weeks, may help people stay mentally healthy for years longer," said NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, M.D., Ph.D.

While scientists still need to understand exactly how this mechanism works, the message is hopeful. It suggests that keeping your brain sharp doesn't always require medication. Engaging in activities that challenge your processing speed—reacting quickly to visual cues—could be a vital part of healthy aging.

New Research: Strength Training Is Key to ‘High-Quality’ Weight Loss

New research, published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Endocrinology, indicates that how you lose the weight matters just as much as how much you lose.

The study, led by Professor Yftach Gepner at the Sylvan Adams Sports Science Institute, Tel Aviv University, found that strength training — also known as resistance training — is the most effective tool for achieving "high-quality" weight loss. High-quality weight loss means losing body fat while keeping or even building muscle.

Not All Weight Loss Is Created Equal

Researchers analyzed data from hundreds of men and women aged 20 to 75. All participants followed a low-calorie diet but were split into three groups based on their activity: no exercise, aerobic exercise (like running or cycling), or strength training (like lifting weights).

While all three groups lost a similar amount of total weight, the composition of that weight loss was vastly different.

Participants who did not exercise or only did aerobic workouts lost a significant amount of muscle mass along with fat. In contrast, those who performed strength training lost more fat than the other groups and were the only ones to maintain or increase their muscle mass.

Why Muscle Matters

Losing muscle is a common side effect of dieting, but it can be detrimental to your long-term health. Muscle makes up about 40 percent of your body weight and burns a lot of energy, even when you are resting. When you lose muscle, your metabolism (the rate at which your body burns calories) slows down. This makes it harder to keep weight off and easier to gain it back once the diet ends.

The researchers explained that weight loss without strength training is often less sustainable. Strength training ensures that the weight you lose comes primarily from fat stores, not the muscle tissue you need for strength, stability, and daily functioning.

Health Benefits Beyond the Scale

The study also highlighted that strength training was superior for reducing waist circumference. A smaller waist size is a key indicator of reduced abdominal obesity, which is strongly linked to a lower risk of heart disease and metabolic issues.

Moreover, preserving muscle is critical for preventing sarcopenia, a condition where muscles degenerate with age. This condition can lead to frailty and increased risk of falls, but it can also affect younger people who diet aggressively without exercising.

By combining a healthy diet with resistance training, anyone—not just athletes—can achieve a healthier body composition. "Weight loss achieved through strength training is not just a decrease on the scale, but a healthier, more stable, and more effective long-term process," the research team concluded.