Female obesity as big a threat as terrorism
Dame Sally Davies, the Chief Medical Officer for the United Kingdom, has warned that obesity endangers the lives of women and children to such an extent that it is as dangerous a threat as that of terrorism. Read her recently released report that deals with a variety of issues facing the health of women today including the threat of obesity.
Read MoreDiabetes reversed by reducing pancreatic fat
Researchers in Newcastle University have managed to reverse Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by encouraging fat loss around the pancreas in obese patients. They found that losing less than one gram of fat that accumulates around the pancreas can reverse diabetes. Some participants in the study had T2DM and underwent gastric bypass surgery, with an average diagnosis of T2DM of 6.9 years, whilst some did not have T2DM. After the operation it was found that both groups had lost a similar amount of weight, but the pool of fat surrounding the pancreas in the diabetics was reduced. Furthermore, in these patients insulin secretion and response returned to normal, effectively reversing the diabetes.
The new research demonstrated that changing the level of fat around the pancreas can have a great effect on the presence of T2DM. In addition to this, the disparity of effects between the diabetic and the non-diabetic patients showed that decrease in pancreatic fat is not just related to weight loss, it is specific to T2DM. It is thought that the pool of fat surrounding the pancreas is therefore a direct cause of T2DM. Overall, the study provides hope, with a possibly simple intervention, for those suffering from both obesity and T2DM.
Read MoreObesity can lead to metastases in cancer patients
A high BMI is associated with a lower survival rate amongst ovarian cancer patients. Researchers in France have found that tumour cells in obese women were more successful at metastising than in those who were leaner. The researchers used mouse models to evaluate tumour cell adhesion to the abdominal cavity and also cell division. They found that lipid-loading the areas around the tumour cells, and also feeding the mice high-fat diets, increased the ability of more cells to develop and subsequently break away and form adhesions to other tissues in the body. These two steps are key in the formation of ovarian cancer metastases.
There is hope that further research into this area may provide dietary interventions to slow, or possibly halt, metastases in ovarian cancer. However, the researchers have admitted that they are still in the very early stages of study for these complicated areas. They also suggest that more research is undertaken in specific mechanisms by which obesity impacts the formation of metastases.
Read MoreIncreased risk for poorer children
A new study conducted across the UK has questioned why poorer children are more at risk of obesity than their richer peers. The researchers used data from almost 20,000 families that have taken part in the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) which tracks measurements taken from children at 5 years old and 11 years old. They found that children in the bottom income quintile were nearly 3 times as likely to develop obesity as those in the top income quintile.
The researchers took into account many different factors including the children’s environment (including parental behaviours) and health behaviours. They also assessed the amount of physical activity that the children were undertaking and what their dietary habits were. They found that interventions, particularly behavioural mediation, amongst richer children were started earlier on in life, whilst poorer families received less support in dietary and physical activity advice. They also stressed the importance of reducing the income inequalities in overweight and obesity by widening access to childhood support and early interventions.
Read MoreFather’s sperm influence children’s weight
Information about the weight of a potential father that’s carried in sperm could influence his child’s health. Researchers from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research conducted a study that compared the epigenetic patterns in a group of lean men to a group of obese men. Epigenetics refers to heritable changes in gene expression caused by environmental factors without changing the underlying DNA sequence. They found that the two groups possessed different epigenetic patterns in their sperm with regards to genes involved in controlling appetite. The results are considered to offer an explanation as to why the children of obese fathers are likely to become obese themselves.
The discovery that weight loss in potential fathers could affect behaviour in their offspring is very exciting. It paves the way for new prevention strategies for childhood obesity. In the last bulletin we reported that the weight of mothers to be could also influence the health of a child so, coupled with this new information, it is clear that the behaviours of couples pre-conception could be very important in the future health of their children.
Read MoreCold temperatures can lead to fat loss
Exposure to cold temperatures leads to changes in the composition of gut microbes, increasing the burning of fat. This is the conclusion of a study recently published in Cell. Conducting experiments in mice, the researchers found that cold exposure led to such a microbial change that fat metabolism and glucose metabolism increased, whilst the body weight of the mice decreased. The mice were exposed to cold temperatures for 10 days, and the bacteria in their guts were harvested and transplanted into microbe-free guts of other mice. The glucose and fat metabolism of these mice increased, whilst they also lost weight.
However, after 3 weeks of cold exposure, the weights of the mice returned to normal. It was suspected that the intestines of these mice had grown, allowing it to absorb more nutrients, meaning that additional weight loss was being counteracted. Mirko Trajkovski, senior author, said, “Gut microbes enable mammals to harvest more energy from food as a way to adapt to the increased energy demand associated with long periods of cold exposure, protecting against hypothermia. We were surprised to see that gut microbes had such dramatic effects on the structure and function of the intestine.” The authors are keen to start exploring the therapeutic potential of the identified microbes, as they could provide promising targets for the prevention and treatment of obesity.
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