News Releases

Four-Year Study of Massage for Osteoarthritis of the Knee to be Conducted with Partners at Duke Integrative Medicine and University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

DERBY, CT (January 20, 2012) - The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Duke Integrative Medicine and its key research partners at Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center and University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) a $2.75 million shared grant to investigate the impact of massage therapy on people with osteoarthritis of the knee. The combined research team will conduct a randomized controlled trial to definitively evaluate an eight-week course of Swedish massage as a treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee in terms of its effects on pain, stiffness, and physical function.

Newly appointed Duke Integrative Medicine Executive Director and Principal Investigator, Dr. Adam Perlman commented, “The team we have established has been working to study the efficacy of massage for this prevalent...

DERBY, CT (January 12, 2012) - In late December, Marketing Disease Prevention & Awareness (MDPA) began announcing its inductees into the MDPA Hall of Fame Class of 2012. The first inductee to be chosen is David L. Katz, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP, the founding director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center.

The MDPA Hall of Fame is designed to honor those who have made substantial strides in helping to improve efforts in health through better efforts in marketing, communication, and improving awareness of important health issues. The focus of those inducted this year will be based on their contributions to fighting the epidemic of childhood obesity. 

Marketing Disease Prevention & Awareness is an offshoot of the established healthcare marketing conference company, DTC Perspectives Inc. The goal of this venture is to discuss how preventable diseases plaguing the U.S. can be treated and prevented and how to best communicate these options.

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Study Shows that Adding KIND Fruit & Nut Bars to Daily Diet Aids in Weight Management

It might seem counter-intuitive, but when a group of people were asked by the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center to include nearly 350 calories’ worth of snack bars in their diets each day without boosting their physical activity levels, their weight remained the same after eight weeks of eating the snack bars.

The Prevention Research Center team, led by Dr. David Katz, conducted the study, which was published in the December issue of the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. They purposefully designed the study to include a particular snack, the Kind Bar, which is made primarily from nuts and fruits.

Prior studies have shown a lack of association between eating nuts and weight gain, despite the fact that nuts are a concentrated source of calories. This may be due in part to a feeling of satiety,...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DERBY, CT (November 30, 2011) - Can chocolate be legitimately considered a health food?  If so, which is more “healthful” – dark chocolate or milk chocolate? An extensive review of the relevant science, authored by Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center Director Dr. David Katz and colleagues, suggests that dark chocolate does indeed qualify as a health food, although with some stipulations.

The review, published in the November 15th issue of the journal Antioxidants and Redox Signaling, notes that cocoa, the main ingredient in chocolate, actually has a long history of use based on its purported healing properties....

HAMDEN & WALLINGFORD, CT (November 3, 2011) - Rates of childhood obesity, and related risk factors for chronic disease, are at unprecedented levels, and rising throughout the U.S. and here in Connecticut. To help reverse this trend, Quinnipiac University and the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center have been partnering with Connecticut schools in Hamden and Wallingford to bring nutrition education and physical activity into elementary school classrooms. This project has been supported by the Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation, LLC.

"The trends that we are combating are national trends - even global trends,” noted Dr. David Katz, M.D., MPH, FACPH, FACP, Director of the Prevention Research Center. “But in public health, we say 'think globally, but act locally.' We are delighted to be partnering with Quinnipiac University and...

As summertime approaches, eating healthier, losing weight, and getting into shape becomes a priority for many. You may find yourself wondering, "Which is the better snack - tortilla chips or pretzels?" or "Is it better to choose the bread with higher fiber or the one with lower sodium?"

Dr. David Katz, ABC News consultant and international expert in nutrition, weight management, and chronic disease prevention, along with nutrition scientist, Dr. Debbie Kennedy, founder of Build Healthy Kids™, are teaming up with Gather Central to offer a free webcast / conference call workshop to introduce and explain the NuVal™  nutritional scoring system found in over 1,000 grocery stores nationwide, including Big Y and Price Chopper.

To participate by phone or online with real time audience interaction go to http://www.gathercentral.com/hidden-dangers-in-your-grocery-store/....

DERBY, CT (May 18, 2011) - These days, most people are well aware of the health benefits of physical activity but many find it difficult to make time in their busy day to exercise. Thanks to a new online video program called A-B-E (Activity Bursts Everywhere) for Fitness,? being active on a daily basis can be easy and fun, and best of all, it?s free. A-B-E for Fitness? is available at http://www.abeforfitness.com. According to the federal government?s Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults need at least two and a half hours (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, along with muscle-strengthening activity that works all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week. In recent years, physical activity research has evolved to reflect compelling evidence that physical activity accumulated in brief bouts spread over the course of a day is "powerful...

DERBY, CT (May 17, 2011) - Announcing the National Exchange for Weight Loss Resistance (www.newlr.com) - a lively newly launched web community where people who can?t seem to lose weight no matter what they do can find solidarity, understanding, reliable information, and the opportunity to trouble-shoot the problem together. Weight loss resistance is just recently being recognized by the medical community, and the causes are still uncertain. There are certainly times when people overestimate the calories they are expending in physical activity, or underestimating the calories they are taking in- but true resistance to weight loss clearly exists as well. Among the factors that can account for weight loss resistance are various hormonal disorders, from hypothyroidism to insulin resistance to leptin resistance; a wide array of genetic factors related to resting energy expenditure; the bacterial flora of the GI tract; and potentially some environmental exposures. The intent of the National Exchange for Weight Loss Resistance is to help people struggling with weight loss resistance find others who really understand what they are going through. By sharing frustrations, and insights, the Exchange is hoped to produce both solidarity, and real solutions. The web platform is designed to facilitate an exchange of ideas and stories among those who suffer from weight loss resistance, as well as with expert guests to the site. The National Exchange for Weight Loss Resistance was conceived by Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, director of the Integrative Medicine Center at Griffin Hospital, and president of Turn the Tide Foundation, Inc. "In 20 years of counseling patients, I have been able to help most who wanted to lose weight -- but not all," said Dr. Katz. "It has become quite clear that some people are exceptionally resistant to weight loss, for unknown reasons. They do everything right -- eat well and exercise -- and the weight just won't go. I know the problem is real, and the people who live with it deserve to know it, too. They deserve to know they are not alone. And, ideally, they deserve solutions which perhaps a community working together will help us find."...

DERBY, CT - A common belief is that foods that are "good for you" are more expensive than those that are less healthful. However, the results of a recent study contradict the notion that food shoppers must either spend more money to eat a healthful diet or save money by sacrificing the nutritional value of their food selections.

Dr. David Katz, MD, MPH, director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, and his colleagues devised this study, just published in Public Health Nutrition. They recruited a volunteer to shop in typical U.S. supermarkets for eight categories of food products (breads, cereal bars, cereals, chips, cookies, crackers, juices, and peanut butters). The volunteer visited six supermarkets in Jackson County, Missouri and selected 131 items, 75 percent of which were brand name products and...

Findings from a Study in Missouri