In the News

Further research necessary to fully understand the cause of obesity
Source: Medical News Today

A recent article published in the BMJ reveals that our understanding of what causes obesity may actually be incorrect. The author of the study, Gary Taubes, stresses that if we are to make any actual progress in combating obesity we must further our understanding on what actually causes it. Gary Taubes said: "What we want to know is what causes us to gain weight, not whether weight loss can be induced under different conditions of semi-starvation."

There have been two different hypotheses about the cause of obesity. The accepted hypothesis since the 1950s is that obesity is caused by overeating, however, there is an alternative hypothesis which states that it is caused by a hormonal imbalance.

Getting white fat cells to burn calories could be way to tackle obesity
Source: Medical News Today

US scientists have discovered a protein switch that decides whether precursor fat cells turn into white fat cells that store calories, or brown fat cells that burn calories. They suggest the fight against obesity and diabetes could learn some valuable clues from studying how this switch works. For example, might it be possible to use it to reprogram white fat cells to behave more like brown fat cells?

Patrick Seale, an assistant professor of Cell and Developmental Biology and a member of the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism of at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and colleagues, write about their findings in the 14 March online issue of the journal Cell Metabolism.

Relationship between obesity, heart disease and hypertension
Source: Medical News Today

Obesity, heart disease, and high blood pressure (hypertension) are all related, but understanding the molecular pathways that underlie cause and effect is complicated.

A new University of Iowa study identifies a protein within certain brain cells as a communications hub for controlling blood pressure, and suggests that abnormal activation of this protein may be a mechanism that links cardiovascular disease and obesity to elevated blood pressure.

Obesity may explain reduced bone fracture risk worldwide
Source: Medical News Today

An Australian study shows that women - but not men - with more abdominal fat are less at risk of bone fracture. This may explain why global rates of fracture are declining at the same time as obesity is increasing.

Abdominal fat is an important risk factor for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and the authors of the study are by no means recommending that women should gain abdominal fat to protect their bones.

Stomach surgery for more patients
Source: Daily Rx

Bariatric surgery guidelines revised in three medical bariatric societies

(dailyRx News) Surgery to shrink the stomach has typically been reserved for extremely overweight patients having trouble losing the pounds. But new bariatric surgery guidelines suggest that the procedure might not be just for the obese.

Three major medical societies recently revised their guidelines to open metabolic and bariatric surgery to older patients and mild to moderately obese patients. The new guidelines also address how to choose the right surgical method. The changes are based on research done over the last four years to help doctors, surgeons and other health professionals make informed decisions to benefit patients, according to researchers.

Increased sleep could reduce rate of adolescent obesity: Each additional hour of sleep is associated with a lower BMI
Source: Medical News Today

Increasing the number of hours of sleep adolescents get each night may reduce the prevalence of adolescent obesity, according to a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Results of the study show that fewer hours of sleep is associated with greater increases in adolescent body mass index (BMI) for participants between 14 and 18-years-old. The findings suggest that increasing sleep duration to 10 hours per day, especially for those in the upper half of the BMI distribution, could help to reduce the prevalence of adolescent obesity. Full results of the study are available online in the latest issue of Pediatrics.

Researchers Discover New Strategy to Fight Obesity
Source: Yahoo News

After decades of achieving little long-term success with medications, Belgian scientists have come up with a new strategy to fight obesity. They're targeting food sensors in the stomach.

Researchers from the Catholic University of Leuven have reported that the digestive tract "tastes" what a person eats. It uses signalling devices similar to those found in the tongue to detect bitter, sweet, fat, and savoury taste, according to Medical News Today.

Thanks to these mechanisms, the gut release hormones that control blood sugar levels and feelings of being satisfied once food reaches the stomach. A malfunction in the sensors could have a role in developing obesity-associated illnesses.

Patients with Type 2 Diabetes may face increased risk of Barrett's Esophagus
Source: News Medical

Patients with Type 2 Diabetes may face an increased risk for Barrett's Esophagus (BE), regardless of other risk factors including smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), according to research unveiled today at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 77th Annual Scientific meeting in Las Vegas.

The study, "Diabetes Mellitus Increases the Risk of Barrett's Esophagus: Results from A Large Population Based Control Case Study," suggests that, "if you have diabetes, your risk for Barrett's esophagus (BE) may be almost doubled ," said co-investigator, Prasad G. Iyer, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. He said this risk may be higher in men with diabetes likely because men tend to carry more fat in the abdomen compared to women who tend to carry weight around the hips and thighs.

Nutrisystem Improves Arterial Function in Obese, Postmenopausal Women
Source: News wise

Newswise — TALLAHASSEE, Fla. ⎯ Arturo Figueroa, a researcher in the Florida State University College of Human Sciences, has confirmed with a team of researchers that Nutrisystem, with or without low intense resistance exercise, improves arterial function in obese, postmenopausal women.

In the study, “Effects of Diet and/or Low-Intensity Resistance Exercise Training on Arterial Stiffness, Adiposity and Lean Mass In Obese Postmenopausal Women,” Figueroa and his colleagues were able to demonstrate that a hypocaloric diet may be recommended to reduce the increase in arterial stiffness associated with menopause and obesity. The study was published Jan. 7 in the American Journal of Hypertension.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in postmenopausal women. Risk factors for cardiovascular disease include obesity and hypertension, and are associated with increased arterial stiffness.

Protective association between statin use and esophageal cancer
Source: News Medical

Statins, a cholesterol lowering drug may lower the risk of esophageal cancer, especially in patients with Barrett's esophagus, Mayo Clinic researchers report in a study being presented at the American College of Gastroenterology annual meeting. There are two main types of esophageal cancer: squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Barrett's esophagus, a complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease, raises the risk of adenocarcinoma, the more common type of esophageal cancer. Barrett's esophagus is a precancerous condition in which the lining of the esophagus, the tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach, is damaged by stomach acid.

Protein P62 Balances Metabolism In Fat Tissue - Making It An Attractive Target For Anti-Obesity Therapies
Source: Medical News Today

In many cases, obesity is caused by more than just overeating and a lack of exercise. Something in the body goes haywire, causing it to store more fat and burn less energy. But what is it? Sanford-Burnham researchers have a new theory - a protein called p62. According to a study the team published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, when p62 is missing in fat tissue, the body's metabolic balance shifts - inhibiting "good" brown fat, while favouring "bad" white fat. These findings indicate that p62 might make a promising target for new therapies aimed at curbing obesity.

Weight-Loss Surgery cuts heart risk more than drugs
Source: Bloomberg.com

Weight-loss surgical procedures such as stomach stapling and gastric banding reduce the warning signs of heart disease more dramatically than drug treatments and can be life-saving, according to a survey of 73 previous studies.

Surgical weight loss may stop diabetes
Source: dailyRx

Type 2 diabetes risk among obese people reduced through bariatric surgery

If obesity is one of the main causes of diabetes worldwide, then helping people lose weight may lower rates of diabetes. But it can be hard to shed weight by changing lifestyle habits alone.

Weight loss surgery may lower the long-term risk of type 2 diabetes by more than 80 percent in obese people.

Weight loss surgery has long-term benefits for obese people, Utah study shows
Source: globalpost.com

Weight loss surgery has long-term health benefits lasting well beyond the procedure, new research shows.

While short-term benefits of gastric bypass surgery for obese people are proven — with three quarters of recipients losing at least 20 percent of pre-surgery weight and keeping it off — a new study found long-term improvements in diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol,

Bariatric surgery prior to pregnancy results in heart healthier kids
Source: MedicalNewsToday

Kids born to moms who have lost a substantial amount of weight after undergoing bariatric surgery have fewer cardiovascular risk factors than their siblings who were born before the weight loss surgery.

Sleep is key to successful weight loss
Source: dailyRx

Sufficient sleep aids weight loss and can help address obesity

Want to lose weight? Then exercise more, right? No doubt physical activity is important for weight loss. But so is laying down, closing your eyes and getting enough sleep.

A recent editorial by two obesity researchers discusses how important a good night's sleep is to helping people lose weight or simply avoid gaining it in the first place.

Diabetes improved regardless of procedure for weight loss surgery
Source: wlshelp

Gastric bypass surgery is no better at treating diabetes than gastric banding or vertical banded gastroplasty, according to researchers of a large ongoing study known as the ‘Swedish Obese Subjects’ study.

The study found that the improvements to diabetes in weight loss surgery patients was more likely associated with the degree of weight loss rather than the type of weight loss surgery.

'Obesity Genes' may influence food choices, eating patterns
Source: ScienceDaily

The findings suggest it may be possible to minimize genetic risk by changing one's eating patterns and being vigilant about food choices, in addition to adopting other healthy lifestyle habits, like regular physical activity.

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How many calories should I eat?
Source: MedicalNewsToday

The number of calories people should eat each day depends on several factors, including their age, size, height, sex, lifestyle, and overall general health. A physically active 6ft 2in male, aged 22 years, requires considerably more calories than a 5ft 2ins sedentary woman in her 70s.

Most weight loss supplements are not effective
Source - Science Daily

Melinda Manore reviewed the evidence surrounding hundreds of weight loss supplements, a $2.4 billion industry in the United States, and said no research evidence exists that any single product results in significant weight loss -- and many have detrimental health benefits.

A few products, including green tea, fiber and low-fat dairy supplements, can have a modest weight loss benefit of 3-4 pounds (2 kilos), but it is important to know that most of these supplements were tested as part of a reduced calorie diet.

Blood vessel function improved by weight loss
Source - dailyRx

Weight loss, especially in the belly, is key to improved blood vessel function. The improved blood flow was noted regardless of whether the pounds were shed from a low-fat or low-carb diet.

They evaluated blood vessel health before and after the weight loss program by constricting circulation with a blood pressure cuff for five minutes and measuring the amount of blood that reached the fingertips before, during and after the artery was constricted. Investigators found that participants who lost more belly fat had better blood flow, suggesting better blood vessel function.

Kidney cancers: Major rise 'linked to obesity'
Source - BBCNews

Obesity is fuelling a major increase in the number of cases of kidney cancers diagnosed in Britain, experts say.

Obesity increases kidney cancer risk by about 70%, compared with smoking which increases it by about 50%.

Obesity and pain linked, study of one million Americans shows
Source: Science Daily

A clear association between obesity and pain -- with higher rates of pain identified in the heaviest individuals -- was found in a study of more than one million Americans published January 19 in the online edition of Obesity. In "Obesity and Pain Are Associated in the United States," Stony Brook University researchers Arthur A. Stone, PhD., and Joan E. Broderick, Ph.D. report this finding based on their analysis of 1,010,762 respondents surveyed via telephone interview by the Gallop Organization between 2008 and 2010.

"We wanted to explore this relationship further by checking to see if it was due to painful diseases that cause reduced activity, which in turn causes increased weight," says Joan E. Broderick, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science and School of Public Health at Stony Brook University, and lead investigator of a National Institutes of Health-funded study on how arthritis patients manage their own pain.

Lumbar disc degeneration more likely in overweight and obese adults
Source: Medical News Today

One of the largest studies to investigate lumbar spine disc degeneration found that adults who are overweight or obese were significantly more likely to have disc degeneration than those with a normal body mass index (BMI). Assessments using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) show elevated BMI is associated with an increased number of levels of degenerated disks and greater severity of disc degeneration, including narrowing of the disc space. Details of this study now appear in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

Stress and weight gain - a vicious circle
Source: Medical News Today

Stress can make you fat - and being obese can create stress. A new hypothesis seeks to explain how.

Diet and lack of exercise are not sufficient to explain the worldwide rise in obesity. Stress is one of many other factors which could contribute, according to human biologist Brynjar Foss from the University of Stavanger.

The researchers review a number of studies, which show that weight gain and cortisol (the stress hormone) levels are noticeably higher in people who became fatter because of stress.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass better than gastric banding for rapid and safe weight loss

Source: MedicalNewsToday

A study published Online First by Archives of Surgery compared the effectiveness of two common forms of treatment for excessive weight gain: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) and gastric banding (GB). The researchers found that for more sustainable and rapid weight loss, RYGBP is the better form of treatment.

In relation to the treatment of other comorbidities - other existing illnesses among the patients - RYBGP was also found to be more successful. Cholesterol levels in those who received GB remained unchanged, but those who received RYBGP saw a notable decrease. The lipid profile for those after RYGBP was "significantly better" after five years than for those in the GB group, as well as a lower mean fasting glucose level.

Morbidly obese find hope with gastric sleeve surgery

Source: Articlesbase

Vertical sleeve gastrectomy surgery—more commonly known as the gastric sleeve procedure—restricts food consumption through the removal of 70-85% of the patient's stomach. The remaining section of the stomach is stitched in the shape of a long tube or sleeve. Unlike gastric bypass surgery, the stomach is still connected directly to the lower intestine so the procedure does not induce malabsorption.

Gastric sleeve surgery often is performed prior to gastric bypass surgery or a duodenal switch procedure to help morbidly obese individuals with the first stage of their weight loss. Because the surgery is performed laparoscopically and does not involve rerouting the intestines, it is generally considered less risky than both the gastric bypass and duodenal switch procedure.

Diabetic and cardiovascular benefits of bariatric surgery occur even prior to weight loss

Source: EmaxHealth

Researchers are learning, however, that the benefits of weight loss surgery (WLS) in obese patients biologically begin prior to dropping the pounds. Two new studies have been released this week explaining the reduction in risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

"It's clear that weight loss surgery, particularly gastric bypass, has a significant beneficial effect on glucose control," said Dr Carel le Roux, from the Department of Medicine, who led the study.

ASMBS updates position statement on sleeve gastrectomy

Source - Wlshelp Weight Loss Surgery News

The American Society For Metabolic And Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) recently issued an Updated Position Statement on Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy as a Bariatric Procedure.

The ASMBS statement highlights the “substantial comparative and long-term data now published in the peer-reviewed literature demonstrating durable weight loss, improved medical comorbidities, long-term patient satisfaction, and improved quality of life after SG (Sleeve Gastrectomy).”

Bariatric Surgery Safety and Outcomes in Extremely Obese Patients

Source - Wlshelp Weight Loss Surgery News

A recently published study highlights the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic bariatric surgery on extremely obese patients as well as the outcomes of different surgical approaches.

Although it would seem that the most likely candidates for bariatric surgery are those with the most weight to lose, they often do not qualify for bariatric surgery. Surgery of any type, including bariatric surgery, is generally associated with greater surgical risks in patients with a very high body mass index (BMI), due to technical difficulties and severe weight related comorbidities.

Future obesity clues could surface in 6-month-olds, study suggests

MONDAY, November 7, 2011 — Early signs of childhood obesity could be detected in the weight gains of infants as young as 6 months old, suggests a new study. Babies were twice as likely to become obese by the age of 5, and 75 percent as likely to become obese by the age of 10, if their weight during their first two years jumped up two or more "percentiles," as measured on growth charts. The charts, called weight-for-length charts, show how an infant's weight compares to that of other babies of the same length,and are marked with lines that highlight the 5th, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th and 95th percentiles for age and sex.

Exercise Fights Effect of 'Obesity Gene'

TUESDAY, November 1, 2011 — Daily exercise reduces the effect that the so-called "obesity gene" has on a person's chances of becoming severely overweight, according to a new study. The reduced risk appeared to be the same across genders and races among carriers of that version of the gene, but the researchers found that the effect was more pronounced in North Americans than in Europeans.

Weight-loss surgery may improve memory

Weight-loss surgery may help individuals not only shed pounds but improve their memory and concentration. Obese people participating in a new study were tested on their mental abilities. They showed, on average, slightly impaired memory and concentration. Twelve weeks after surgery, subjects' scores registered in the normal range. Meanwhile, the obese study participants who did not undergo surgery actually showed a decline in their mental abilities over those 12 weeks, but the researchers aren't sure why this occurred.

Bariatric surgery benefits not just patients, but their family members too

MONDAY, October 17, 2011 — Obese family members of an obese patient who underwent bariatric surgery lose an average of 22 pounds (10 kgs) within a year of the operation, researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine reported in Archives of Surgery this week. The authors explained that bariatric surgery encouraged family members, and not just the patient, to adopt better healthy behaviors.