Scientists Pinpoint Childhood Obesity Genes - iVillage

SUNDAY, April 8 (HealthDay News) -- For the first time, scientists have isolated mutations at two gene locations that seem to predispose children to becoming obese.

"We see a clear genetic signature to childhood obesity, showing that there is more than just an environmental component to this disease," Struan Grant, senior author of the research, said at an April 5 press conference.

Although known genes have been linked to adult obesity and also to extreme forms of childhood obesity, the newly identified genes confer only a modest risk of developing common childhood obesity. But they are "very common in the population," Grant added in a telephone interview.

Grant is associate director of the Center for Applied Genomics at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute. His research was published online April 8 in Nature Genetics.

Obesity has become a public health crisis of global proportions, affecting not only adults but also, increasingly, children.

"In the U.S., the prevalence of childhood obesity has tripled in recent decades and related health care costs have quadrupled," said Dr. Karen Winer, a program officer in the endocrinology, nutrition and growth branch of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, which funded the study.

Clear environmental factors such as changing nutrition and reduced physical exercise have played a role in the childhood obesity crisis, but no genes had, until now, been identified.

The authors of this study pooled results from 14 genome-wide association studies conducted in the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe, involving a total of 5,530 children who were obese and 8,318 non-obese kids ("controls"), all of European descent.

This is the largest collection of DNA related to childhood obesity in the world, Winer said.

Obesity was defined as being above the 95th percentile in body mass index (a measurement that takes into account height and weight) while the healthy controls were all in the leaner half of the population.

When data was combined, two genes stood out: OLFM4 and HOXB5. The genes also showed signals in groups of extremely obese children.

And the genes were identifiable but weaker in adults, indicating that "these variants are conferring their risk early on in life and are really impactful in the first years of life," Grant said at the press conference.

Scientific literature to date indicates that the genes may be operating in the gut.

"We would look probably in that tissue area to see how it was conferring risk," Grant said at the press conference.

It's possible, for instance, that the genes may interact with food, he said.

Eric Schadt, chairman of the department of genetics and genomic sciences at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, said: "Absolutely, this is a disease that has genetic components and very strong environmental components and likely very strong genetic-by-environmental components. It's very, very complicated. We're only scratching the surface of genetic determinations of childhood obesity."

Once scientists learn more about the genes and how they work, they may lead to new treatments, added Schadt, who was not involved with the study.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on childhood obesity.

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Healthcare Franchise, Billing: Health Care Practice Partners Interview

FranchiseHelp interviewed Barbara Hendon, one of the co-founders of Health Care Practice Partners?(HCPP). The healthcare franchise?offers medical revenue services such as medical billing, practice management, and revenue recovery services. Both Hendon and fellow HCPP co-founder Martha Sutton previously co-founded?AirLogix, a national respiratory health management company. Hendon talks to FranchiseHelp about her past experience with her previous company, the healthcare management industry, and what lays ahead for HCPP and the changing healthcare industry.

FranchiseHelp: What skills or knowledge from your previous company, AirLogix, did you find crucial in starting up and running HCPP?

Barbara Hendon: Every experience we?ve had contributes to our ability to start and manage our business.? We opened offices and provided services in 17 states during our time with AirLogix.?? I would say the most crucial skill is our ability to replicate our business model in multiple sites with quality and precision while measuring the results.

?

FH: They are both healthcare-focused companies, but focus on different areas and functions of the industry.

BH: Yes, they are different but our philosophy is not.? As our mission statement says, we are committed to quality and affordable health care for all in need.? By managing the business aspect of our physician clients? practices, they can focus on patient care.

?

FH: How did you get the idea for the franchise? ?And what were some of the challenges in starting up the company?

BH: We first thought we would expand our services by opening additional offices and hiring staff, but decided that a franchise model would allow others to realize the American Dream by owning their own successful business.? Business ownership is an experience we wanted to share with those who have the drive and determination to work hard.

?

FH: What are the most important things a prospective franchisee or employee should know or be prepared for when entering the healthcare billing and management industry?

BH: They need to be prepared for a dynamic work environment, where policies and processes are constantly changing.? The advantage of being in a franchise system is that these policies and processes will be disseminated to them by the Franchisor.? Most medical billing professionals have a difficult time keeping up with the ever-changing components and regulations of medical insurance and governmental payers. As a Planned Practice Management company, billing is only one component of services we provide.? However, it is the most important service.

?

FH: Since regulations and coding are always changing, how do you keep franchisees, employees, and technology updated with the latest changes?

BH: Our HCPP National office has the experience and resources to monitor, test and institute changes to our internal processes, and stay current with payment policies and billing/coding/documentation regulations.? Our franchisees will be notified and instructed upon the change of processes that affect our RevenuePath?, our proprietary system of revenue cycle management. ?Our technology partner is also proficient and skilled in updating the software program that houses and drives the RevenuePath?.

?

FH: How do you keep ahead of the curve when it comes to competitors, privately-owned or in-house or similar franchises?

BH:

  • We provide Planned Practice Management, so our goal is to enhance profits for our clients, not just billing and collections.
  • We are located in the USA; we do not out-source to an overseas call center.
  • Our franchisees must have a professional office.? We do not office from the home.
  • Franchisees are supported by a network of resources that most ?mom and pop? offices are not. Who is going to do the work when ?mom and pop? go on vacation?? Who is going to do the work if the in-house person gets sick and is out for two weeks.
  • Our software is state-of-the-art and continually upgraded.? Some competitors are bogged down by an antiquated system they can?t afford to purchase upgrades or replace.
  • Our concept delivers a significant result using a proven process.? Our audits support that claims are paid correctly 98% of the time, the first time! As a result, our clients generally realize a 15% increase in revenue, a healthier cash flow, and enhanced profits.

?

FH: As a franchisor, what are some of the most important things you provide franchisees related to healthcare management?

BH: Proven processes and 60+ years of collective experience.

?

FH: Where do you see HCPP going in the next five years?

BH: We have a very conservative growth plan to produce fifty franchises by the end of 2014 which will give us the opportunity to provide outstanding support to our franchisees and their clients.? We also have other ideas of services we can implement that will complement our Medical Practice Management and Profit Enhancement Services.

?

FH: Are there any changes you foresee in your industry?

BH: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) signed into law on March 23, 2010, reforms certain aspects of the private health insurance industry and public health insurance programs including increased coverage of pre-existing conditions and expanding access to over 30 million Americans.? This means that there will likely be even greater pressure on physicians and health care providers to focus their time and energy on providing patient care, lessening their practical ability to focus on the management of their practices.? Consequently, it may make more sense for them to seek help regarding practice management, including outsourcing certain management aspects to professionals that are experienced in handling the broad spectrum of issues regarding compensation and the cash flow of their practice.? Finding the right Practice Management partner may be of paramount importance to the success of their practice. HCPP is prepared to be their outsource solution.

?

?

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Woopra?s New Dashboard Lets Publishers See Exactly Who?s Visiting Their Site

Woopra New DashboardWhen you hear the phrase "real-time analytics" you probably think of Chartbeat (at least I do), but it's not the only company in the field. In fact, a Lebanese startup called Woopra has been offering its own real-time services since 2008. And you may be hearing more about it soon ? it recently opened an office in San Francisco, and today it's launching version 5.0 of its service. Founder and CEO Elie Khoury demonstrated the new version for me about a week ago. The change should be immediately obvious to Woopra users, since the Live Dashboard has been completely redesigned. Beyond looking a bit cooler, the new layout has an additional benefit: The entire dashboard now fits in a single window. That means you can see all of the data that Woopra deems most essential without having to scroll down ? a seemingly minor change that could end up making life easier for people who leave Woopra open all the time or check the dashboard many times throughout the day.

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Ch-Ch-CHIA | Bodybuilding, Supplements, Diets, Workouts ...


Remember that song? Did you have a Chia Pet? Come on!! Those things were SO cool in the 80?s. I recently was researching other ways to ensure that my son gets adequate amounts of protein, Omega3?s and Calcium in his diet. Chia seeds are making a come back and thankfully not as a plant growing in a ceramic pot shaped as a porcupine. I?ve been tossing these precious seeds in all sorts of things I make for my family. Cream of Wheat, Berry Smoothies, Almond balls and pancakes? the list goes on. Luckily, Chia seeds are something that you can sneak into any diet, usually with out any one even noticing. Here are some other sneaky places to toss in a table spoon or two.

Sprinkle over a salad Blend into veggie, soup Mix in to dips or salsa Add to yogurt Bake with it (breads, muffins, lasagna!) Add into your protein shakes Blend in your ice cream smoothies

***Basically if you eat it or drink it you can add Chia seeds to it***

Here are some way cool quick facts about the CHIA seeds: -

Chia Seeds are a complete protein with all 9 amino-acids. This is important for babies especially that are not eating meat, or for any vegetarian for that matter. You need a complete protein in order to receive all the benefits (Legumes, grains, nuts and seeds are only partial proteins and you need to eat 2 or more together in order to create a ?Complete Protein? -

Put a table spoon in some water, and let them hang out for a few minutes. It will actually turn into a GEL. The theory there is that the gel that is formed in the stomach creates a physical barrier between carbohydrates and the digestive enzymes that break them down, thus slowing the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar. This enables you to use the carbs longer for energy, and also prevents those high/lows you feel -

CHIA is muscle and tissue builder, it is digested and absorbed easily, meaning that it transports and is used by your cells and tissue quickly -

It is one of the richest vegetables source for the essential omega-3 fatty acid (helps you to absorb the fat soluble vitamins, A, D, E, & K) -
Rich source of calcium -

Antioxidants that aid in reducing inflammation

**Athletes: This is a no-brainer! Athletes are constantly building, tearing-and-repairing their muscles and growing!

30 second comparisons that will make you go CHIA!

2x the amount of protein of any grains

3x the amount of antioxidants of blueberries

5x more calcium than milk

2x the amount of potassium in a banana

3x the iron of spinach

Still not convinced? Here are some other ?scientific facts? I pulled from other sources:

? Chia seeds have thousands of years of safe historical human consumption.

? Chia seeds are 100% cholesterol free, and trans fat free.

? Chia seeds are not genetically modified (GMO).

? Chia seeds are one of the highest overall antioxidant containing foods.

? Chia seeds are gluten free, and can be eaten by people suffering from celiac disease.

?

? Chia seeds aid in increasing nutrient absorption and utilization.

? Chia seeds are a complete, whole and natural food, not a supplement.

? Chia seeds are a perfect digestive aid, creating better assimilation of food and excess stomach acids.

? Chia seeds are a dieters dream, fat replacement, food extender and create a full satiated feeling.

? Chia seeds encourage healthy and gentle bowel elimination

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Home Painting Denver ? Submit Free Articles

Just like interior home painting, exterior home painting is quite challenging and difficult, and thus the need for every homeowner to consider getting help form a professional Home Painting Denver expert or company. You will realize that instead of giving up an entire weekend to do your own house painting, hiring a professional home painter would be more ideal and time saving. With a team of people working, they can get the job done in just a few hours if it is relatively straightforward.
Once you secure the services of a professional Home Painting Denver expert or company, you are sure of getting value for your money for the quality service that you get you save a lot of money as there is no equipment to buy or rent, no paint to purchase, no endless trips to the home improvement store because you forgot something, no old clothes to ruin, no paint splattered over precious possessions to worry about. You will only be required to pay a small, reasonable fee for the job and wait for the results which more likely will be quite professional and eye pleasing.
Well reputed professional Home Painting Denver companies have workers who are trained to work on all type of houses and some will specialize in interior painting while others are professional exterior painters. These professionals have the right safety equipment to make sure they do not get hurt when they work at such heights. If you do not have the expertise to even know that you may be in danger, you can put yourself at risk for health problems because you have been exposed to dangerous substances without adequate protection. As such, it is important to part with some little cash and let the professional Home Painting Denver experts handle this job for you.

Emerald Isle Painting Inc
2542 Birch Street, Denver, CO 80207
(303) 322-4753

Interior Painting Denver
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Understand The Nuts and Bolts of Auto Insurance | Auto Insurance ...

Insurance was invented at the initial stage of human economic relations. It is identified to be one of the most ancient monetary services. It has been developed throughout the history a lot of elements had been introduced. In the twentieth century insurance became characterized by a wonderful number of innovative services that encompassed practically all spheres of human life.

Nowadays, insurance has evolved into a big world enterprise. It is maintained by insurance businesses, both big and modest ones. As a matter of truth, a number of global businesses are united into international groups in order to establish and conduct a unitary policy as far as the insurance services are concerned. As a rule, smaller businesses operate on the internal market of a given country.

At the present time, insurance firms have developed and introduced to public a wonderful selection of coverage programs concerning many aspects of people?s relations. These are: life insurance (includes stating a beneficiary, given that it is valid right after policyholder?s death) health insurance (provides a complex of necessary services in case of negative consequences to health as a result of accident, illness, trauma etc.) organization insurance (a hedge against lowering of a market rate that slows down commercial activity) house insurance (coverage of real estate property against natural disasters or any type of criminal violation) auto insurance (comprises the entire quantity of programs needed to protect movable property) etc.

Auto insurance has won 1 of the greatest popularity in the modern world. This type of coverage has got the tendency of further development due to the high level of demand on this item. Auto insurance refers to a certain agreement signed by a customer and an insurance business. A policy signed by both parties in two samples (to be kept by each and every party) is considered to be a sufficient confirmation of an insurance agreement.

Auto insurance consists of a financial protection of a automobile in case of occurrence of definite dangers, such as: accident (a driver?s well being coverage can be signed in mixture with the auto insurance) intended criminal violation (vandalism, arson, damage, attempt of unauthorized penetration, theft etc.) damage as a result of climatic conditions (hail, thunderstorm damage) technical malfunctions and others. Auto insurance is based on normal payments (called ?premiums?) made in favor of the firm who issued a policy. A policyholder claims insurance payouts (known as ?benefits?) in case of a contingency. Discover about AXA Life Insurance. Also make certain to check out Zurich Life Cover.

It should be mentioned, that auto insurance may be a compulsory option in a number of civilized countries. It is carried out to promote the safety on roads and stay away from numerous difficulties and misunderstandings in case of a road visitors accident.

World wide web is an electronic mass media facility. It contains dependable informational resources concerning insurance programs. World wide web is known to be the most convenient way to: uncover official internet resources of insurance businesses get familiar with their programs find out the data about present terms and take advantage from plenty of other options. A prospective customer is welcomed to contact an insurance agent on the internet in order to clear out details, get assistance with documentation and obtain consultation services.

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Attorney Websites - Increase Your Business Bottom Line With Online ...

If youre in the process of creating a business, it can be very useful to consider how the use of online marketing may help you. Its very likely that you can interact daily with a phenomenal number of individuals online. Conventional marketing options do not give you this opportunity. The net allows for your advertising to be seen by individuals in countries the whole world over. No doubt you are able to see how this advertising method would surpass others you might consider.

Internet marketing isnt that costly if you compare it to the cost of billboard advertising or telemarketing. Not all methods of advertising on the web are inexpensive, but enough are so that it is still the preferred option to advertise. The majority of businesses cannot afford the price range of putting a banner ad on a popular web site, but there are many ways to advertise that will fit in any budget. Pay-per-click marketing, a form of search engine marketing, is an extremely preferential form of online marketing. Online marketing works very quickly and can be really effective, thus giving it an advantage over other forms of marketing.

When you use more traditional advertising techniques, there is a significant amount of lead time required, whereas online you can get things running in no time at all. It takes days to get an advert in the papers, but almost right away with an ad online. If you only look at how quickly and inexpensively you can advertise with web marketing, you arent be saying much; the fact that it works so well is what makes it the best choice. The majority of the folks on the web consider online advertising to be trustworthy so you should have a good customer base with which to connect. Youre trying to connect with the most people youre able to who are part of your target audience. Youre utilizing the power of online marketing to contact those individuals who want the products and services you are offering.

Through email marketing, you could contact numerous individuals anytime you want. This method is more effective when you have personally recruited the list members but theres nothing wrong with purchasing or renting someone elses list. These arent always that effective. When you first begin marketing on the internet, it is suggested by seasoned marketers that you immediately start setting up an email list of your own. Having a website for your business is yet another effective way to increase your client base. Its important to have great design and search engine optimization integration so that individuals can find it on the net. Using way too many keywords could cause the search engines to ban you because they think you are trying to spam them.

Web marketing offers many benefits with regard to promoting your site. Numerous marketing methods are available to help you come in contact with people all over the world. It could take you a little while to learn everything about online marketing, but if you have a business you want to make financially rewarding, it is the approach to take.

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The United Kingdoms Largest CSS & Team Fortress Gaming ...

Lo all, its easter, the time when Rabbits are cute and cuddly and hens lay chocolate eggs, some times with yellow and white creamy stuff that tastes like a sugar explosion.

Sooooooo

Lets have a CSS skinned fight night, there will be Bunnies, rabbits and a rather odd easter egg thing.

See you there, This Sunday 8pm Css Main.

Cawa

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