A panel at Cleveland Clinic’s Medical Innovations Summit focused on five companies developing innovative obesity-fighting medical devices that have yet to hit the market.

* BaroSense — The  TERIS cup-like device “partitions” a patient’s stomach to create a feeling of satiety.

* IntraPace — The “abiliti” device uses gastric stimulation to create a feeling of fullness in patients.

* ReShape Medical — Balloons are placed in the stomach using an endoscope and are designed to create a feeling of fullness in patients.

* Satiety —  The “TOGA System” involves stapling the tissue at the top of the stomach to create a “sleeve” that restricts the stomach’s size.

* ValenTx — The company’s device aims to mimic gastric bypass surgery without surgery.

Top 5 anti-obesity medical devices at Cleveland Clinic summit « MedCity News

Fruit flies that eat high-fat diets get fat, according to a new study. More important, fruit fly obesity looks much like human obesity, with symptoms including high cholesterol and blood sugar imbalances.

Stuffing fruit flies to study human obesity – Technology & science – Science – LiveScience – msnbc.com

Low-income African American girls who participated in weight loss programs over two years showed little improvement, according to two new studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers found little change in the girl’s body mass index (BMI), which is a measure of body fat based on height and weight.

In the first study from Stanford University girls, were offered dance classes and other opportunities to get active. One group was offered hip-hop and other types of dance classes five time a week. Researchers also went to their homes and helped them find activities they could do instead of spending time in front of the TV or computer. The other group just received newsletters with activities focusing on health and nutrition. Researchers also met quarterly with their parents.

Obesity program little help for low-income girls – The Chart – CNN.com Blogs

While the USDA prohibits schools from selling soda and other not-very-healthful foods in the actual cafeteria during mealtimes, there aren’t any hard-and-fast rules on sales at student stores, vending machines at any time or on cafeteria à la carte sales outside of mealtime. And pledges by the beverage industry to limit availability of those drinks don’t include vending machines not covered by exclusive contracts, or drinks purchased from third-party suppliers or someplace like Costco.

Researchers with Bridging the Gap, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation program, found that despite industry efforts — and a 2007 Institute of Medicine report recommending limitations on the availability of beverages at school — almost 45% of public elementary school students had access to higher-fat milk or sugary drinks at school in the 2008-09 academic year. That’s up from about 39% in 2006-07.

Study: Elementary Schoolers Have Access to High-Fat, Sugary Drinks at School – Health Blog – WSJ