1 cm on the waist = higher risk of colon cancer
There is an increased risk of developing large bowel cancer for every 1cm gained on the waist. This comes after experts released compelling evidence at the United European Gastroenterology Week conference in Barcelona. Professor John Mathers, from Newcastle University, revealed that the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) was increased by nearly 60% in men whose waist circumference had increased by 10cm over a 10 year period. He also claimed that this increased cancer risk may be due to the fact that there is persistent inflammation in people with visceral obesity.
Prof. Mathers said that this evidence shows that improved lifestyle, better dietary choices, and being more active, will not only help fight obesity, but also the risks that being obese carries, such as the increased bowel cancer risk. He conceded that the area requires more study, so that we can find out whether other types of cancer are affected, and also what the possible long-term interventions could be, citing the use of aspirin due to its anti-inflammatory effects.
Read MoreAre gut bacteria the cause of metabolic syndrome?
Too much bacteria in the gut changes the way the body processes fat, and could therefore lead to the development of metabolic syndrome, according to new research. Metabolic syndrome is 3 or more of obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood sugar or increased waist circumference. Research has supported the view that plant-derived fibres are good for your health, gut bacteria can ferment them releasing energy-rich short chain fatty acids (SCFA), such as acetate and butyrate which are essential for gut health and preventing metabolic syndrome. However this research in mice suggests that when SCFAs are over-produced and reach the liver, they are converted into lipids which can then lead to the development of obesity, and subsequently metabolic syndrome.
This is likely to be a particular problem in people that lack ‘Toll-like receptor 5’ (TLR5), which is a receptor that regulates gut bacteria and keeps the microbiome stable. According to Matam Vijay-Kumar, one of the study authors, around 10% of the human population have a mutation which renders TLR5 useless, leaving individuals with weakened immune systems that are more likely to succumb to metabolic syndrome. Whilst some short chain fatty acids are beneficial in moderation, there is a worry that unchecked bacterial fermentation could lead to fat deposition in the liver and subsequent development of metabolic syndrome. Vijay-Kumar hopes that more long-term studies will be carried out to discover the full effects of fatty acids and these will eventually lead to a more personalised dietary intake for immunocompromised individuals.
Read MoreComponents of breastmilk contributing to passing on of obesity
New research has shown that complex carbohydrates found in breastmilk are associated with infant obesity. Michael Goran, the corresponding author from the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California identified variations of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) as either protective or as risk factors for obesity. Previous studies conducted in this area have produced varying results, with most showing that breastfeeding decreases the risk of developing obesity; this study in particular looked at 71 past reports, finding breastfeeding to reduce excess weight by about 10%. However it is largely dependent on the composition of the mother’s breast milk and the specific mix of HMOs that makes the difference.
HMOs themselves can’t be digested and so accumulate in the colon and shape the gut microbiome of the baby. The study examined 25 mother and child pairs and used measures at 1 and 6 months. Although small, the study results are promising as the aim was to identify which HMOs are most important in obesity protection. Goran stated that these HMOs could then be used as supplements in those that are breastfeeding or alongside formulae. It must be stressed that breastfeeding is not being vilified in this study, only that it is helping us to understand better how a child might develop obesity, as breastfeeding has many benefits too.
Read More‘Everything in Moderation’ could be poor nutrition advice
A diverse diet may be a poorer one, and also bad for your metabolic health. Using data from 6,814 participants, scientists from the University of Texas Health Science Centre measured diet diversity and change in waist circumference over 10 years. Diet diversity is defined as less similarity amongst the foods that people eat; it was measured by the ‘total count’ (of varying foods eaten in a week), ‘evenness’ (the equality of calories spread over the foods eaten), and ‘dissimilarity’ (the characteristics of some foods that might contribute to metabolic health, for example trans-fat content or fibre).
The researchers managed to dissect the nerve fibres from mice that innervated adipocytes and assess the functional relevance of these neurones. They observed obvious fat breakdown and fat mass reduction on activation of the sympathetic neurones. This study has not only clarified how leptin has its lipolytic effect but suggests new therapeutic strategies for overcoming the central leptin resistance seen in obesity.
Read MoreHas sugar been proven to be toxic?
Reducing consumption of sugar in children, without reducing calories or losing weight, can reverse the symptoms of metabolic syndrome. It is widely known that sugar has a detrimental effect on weight, however this study from California suggests that it is metabolically harmful, simply due to the fact that it is sugar. Dr Robert Lustig, the study’s lead author, claimed that his work was the ‘strongest evidence to date that the negative effects of sugar are not because of calories or obesity’, but that it contributes to metabolic syndrome differently. The study was carried out on 43 children between the ages of 9 and 18 who were all obese, with at least one other metabolic disorder.
After evaluating total count and evenness the researchers found that there was no association with waist circumference, however, those participants with the greatest dissimilarity experienced increased weight gain. Diet quality was also measured using the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score and the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) score. It was found that participants that had a greater dissimilarity also had a poorer quality. This suggests that in modern diets, eating ‘everything in moderation’ could be more detrimental than eating a smaller number of healthy foods. This shows that there should be increased focus on the consumption of more healthy foods in order to create a varied diet.
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