In Brief

Obesity

Teen girls' popularity may affect their weights

Where a teenage girl sees herself on her school's social ladder may sway her future weight, a study of more than 4,000 girls finds.

Those who believed they were unpopular gained more weight over a two-year period than girls who viewed themselves as more popular. Researchers said the study shows how a girl's view of her social status has broader health consequences.

The girls in the study were still growing -- their average age was 15 -- and all of them gained some weight. However, those who rated themselves low in popularity were 69 percent more likely than other girls to increase their body mass index by two units, the equivalent of gaining about 11 excess pounds.

The body mass index, or BMI, is a calculation based on height and weight. Girls who put themselves on the higher rungs of popularity also gained some excess weight, about 6 1/2 pounds.

Both groups fell within ranges considered normal. But a gain of two BMI units over two years is more than the typical weight gain, researchers said.

The research appears in this month's Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. It is based on data from a continuing study used frequently by scientists studying childhood obesity.

Associated Press

Hormones

Testosterone supplements don't cause ill effects

In a study that may be reassuring to older men taking testosterone in hopes of combating the aging process, Dutch researchers reported this month that the hormone supplements did not cause any ill effects in healthy men.

Tens of thousands of American men are on testosterone despite long-standing concerns about long-term use, with some experts fearing it could fuel the growth of prostate cancer and possibly raise the risk of stroke and heart attack. Scientific evidence on testosterone's ability to preserve or restore age-related losses of sex drive, muscle mass and memory also has been mixed.

The study, published this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association, was among the first in a series of trials to determine the safety and benefits of testosterone in older men, 60 to 80 years old.

The study found that men who took testosterone for six months developed more muscle mass and lost more fat than men who didn't take it. The men taking testosterone had better insulin sensitivity, but lower levels of HDL or "good" cholesterol.