Reward centres of obese women act differently to those of normal weight
A new study has shown that the parts of the brain that control feelings of reward continue to respond after severely obese women are already full. The brains of 15 obese women were compared with the brains of 15 lean women. It was found that activity in certain parts of the brain were increased in both groups before a meal, whilst they were hungry, however after the meal these centres continued to respond in the obese women. Whilst the appeal of pictures of food dropped by 15% for lean women, the obese women only had a 4% drop, further to this the reward centres in the obese women’s brains maintained activation.
The authors of the study described the obese women as having ‘an instinctive drive to keep eating’. These findings may help to explain why some obese people report underlying and irresistible drives to continue eating, despite the fact that they are no longer hungry. This also highlights some of the more difficult factors to address when attempting to treat obesity in a handful of the population.
Read MoreTake part in Sheffield Hallam University’s physical activity and Pokémon Go™ survey
On the 14th July 2016, Pokémon Go™ was released in the UK. The App relates to the animated game Pokémon™, that allows users to capture different characters and complete challenges. It is made explicit to the user when downloading the App that they will need to be physically active to engage with the game.
Researchers from the Academy of Sport and Physical Activity at Sheffield Hallam University are studying whether the Pokémon Go™ App has increased physical activity in the last 7 days.
The research team are recruiting people aged 18 years and older from across the world to complete an online survey. If you would like to complete the survey or for more information, please follow the link below:
https://shusls.eu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_4Git5qVSH4ZA1al
Read MoreOnline behavioural counselling effective at sustaining weight loss
Behavioural counselling has been used as a treatment option for obesity, alongside diet and lifestyle changes. However, previous studies have suggested that intensive counselling and support is needed for it to be effective. A new online weight reduction programme called Positive Online Weight Reduction (POWeR)+ has been proven to be highly effective at weight loss and weight loss maintenance, these results have been published in Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. Professor Paul Little, the developer of the programme, explained that it not only helped people lose weight, but it enabled them to manage their weight going forward.
The programme itself involves brief online contacts from a nurse that teaches self-regulation and cognitive behavioural techniques, providing long-term solutions to weight loss. The study itself included 818 people over 30 who were participating in the course for over 6 months. The researchers explain that online interventions that are effective have the ability to save the NHS money by reducing the amount of time and funding given to face-to-face contact.
Read MoreLack of weight management discussions in primary care
A recent review has found that weight-related communication in primary care is uncommon and there is a lack of focus on patient weight-related outcomes. This comes after 20 papers were included in the final review that all examined weight-related communication and its relationship to patient weight outcomes. As primary care is effectively placed for a role within patient weight management, the authors of this study wanted to assess to what end weight management is discussed in primary context.
The paper found that specific patient centred communication from the medical practitioner and motivational interviewing led to improved outcomes. The authors hope that future research will measure doctor and patient communications during weight discussion in order to develop an intervention that assists doctors and improves overall outcomes for the patient.
Read MoreBariatric surgery increasing the risk of fracture
Patients undergoing weight loss surgery are more likely to suffer from fractures both before and after surgery compared to their obese and non-obese counterparts who don’t need surgery. This is the conclusion from a large study from Canada that has been published in the BMJ. The study included over 177,000 participants who were categorised into ‘weight-loss group’, ‘obese’, and ‘non-obese’. Both before and after the surgery the weight loss group suffered more fractures.
The authors speculate that the increased risks are due to falls, and obesity related comorbidities, as well as anatomical nutritional changes. Many of these changes aren’t very well understood and they explain that more needs to be done to investigate the full effects of weight loss on bone physiology. They also highlight that as this is an observational study, no definite conclusions can be drawn from the results about cause and effect. They do however go on to call for more research on management strategies to counter the supposed effects of weight loss surgery that have been highlighted in this study.
Read MoreThe Samoan thrifty gene
In recent times Samoa has had some of the world’s leading obesity rates. A new study has identified a genetic variant that may contribute to this obesity risk. The paper, published in Nature Genetics, describes a ‘thrifty gene’ that promotes the storage of fat. The study included over 3,000 participants and the researchers believe that this gene could be associated with a 35% higher odds of being obese compared with not having the gene. After careful analysis of the whole genome, the researchers found that chromosome 5 was strongly associated with overweight. They had a more in depth look at the chromosome, eventually uncovering the mutation in the CREBRF gene.
In collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh the mutation was implanted into the fat cells of mice and it was found that these mice stored more fat. The researchers admit that this gene is one part of many factors that have led to 80% of males and 91% of females in Samoa being overweight or obese in 2010, this gene only gives an elevated risk of developing obesity, and with the right diet and lifestyle interventions, many Samoans may be able to avoid putting on weight.
Read MoreDoes meat consumption contribute to global obesity?
A team from the University of Adelaide has found that meat offers surplus energy in the modern diet and have presented their findings in BMC Nutrition. The analysis involved data from 170 countries and suggested that meat consumption has as much of an effect on the development of obesity as sugar consumption does. The study is led by PhD student Wenpeng You who has explained that fats and carbohydrates in modern diets supply enough energy for the average person. This means that meat protein, which takes longer to digest, is actually surplus. This energy is then converted to fat and stored within the body.
Previous papers that have linked meat to obesity have often blamed the fat content of meat, however this study is now suggesting otherwise. Whilst this paper does not definitively prove that meat protein causes obesity steps will be taken to further this research in order to properly understand its impact.
Read MoreObesity in China still a growing problem
A large study has found that 1 in 3 people are overweight and 1 in 7 are obese in the Jilin Province in Northeast China. Over recent years, China has been experiencing an increase in the rates of obesity within its population. The researchers of this paper wanted to examine a densely populated part of China in order to uncover influential factors that may be addressed in future health policy to protect people from obesity. The study included nearly 21,000 randomly selected adults in 2012.
They found many contributing factors, with the major one being the adoption of the ‘Western lifestyle’ across such a large population. The study also showed that regular intake of meat and alcohol, having been married and getting less than 7 hours sleep a night were all associated with a higher risk of developing obesity. The researchers were particularly worried about the rate at which obesity was growing and the subsequent increase in chronic diseases that will occur. They are hoping to increase awareness of this problem so that more effort is put into slowing these rates and preventing the development of obesity within China.
Read MoreRisk of premature death increases, alongside risk of obesity and overweight
A major study that has been published in The Lancet has shown that being overweight or obese is directly associated with a higher risk of premature death. Many recent studies have suggested that excess weight does not have deleterious effects on chronic disease; however this study has highlighted many methodological limitations in previous research. For example, much research had been confounded by smokers, as they tend to have a lower BMI than non-smokers, but a higher mortality.
In 2013, researchers pooled resources to form the Global BMI Mortality Collaboration, involving over 500 investigators from over 300 institutions. The efforts of this group have recently been focused on resolving the confusion between BMI and mortality. In total, this study analysed data from 10.6 million participants across 45 years. It found that those of a healthy weight (BMI between 22.5 and 25) had the lowest mortality, whilst every 5 units above 25 was associated with a 31% higher risk of premature death. The study also found that those who were underweight also had a higher mortality risk. Overall the study has highlighted that the higher the BMI of an individual, the higher their chance of premature death for a wide range of populations.
Read MoreHealthy infant sleep habits help prevent obesity
Parents should be taught bedtime techniques that encourage healthy sleep habits to help prevent obesity in their children. This is the conclusion of a study coming from Penn State College of Medicine. The researchers are investigating the use of a new intervention that is being trialled in the INSIGHT study (Intervention Nurses Start Infants Growing on Healthy Trajectories), one part of this intervention is the improvement of sleep related behaviours for both parents and children. It was found that children of parents who had been trained in special bedtime techniques were more likely to self-soothe to sleep without being fed, and were less likely to wake up during the night requiring feeding.
The lead author, Dr Ian M. Paul, mentioned how many parents try to keep their baby up later so that they sleep longer during the night, however this was shown to not be the case, and actually led to unhealthy behaviours for the children. He went on to say that children should be put to bed early and left to self-soothe. Whilst helping to prevent obesity, this would also result in positive effects for the child’s development and the mental health of the parents.
Read MoreWeight loss interventions do not result in higher fertility
A randomised controlled study has taken place in the Netherlands and has found that weight loss interventions preceding fertility treatment did not result in higher birth rates. The study included 577 women, who were split into two groups, one who received lifestyle intervention advice, and one that did not. Weight loss was found to be higher in the intervention group, however, birth rates were comparable. A further analysis did however find that the rate of ongoing pregnancies following natural conception was higher in the intervention group than the control.
Obese women may suffer from anovulation, where they do not release an ovum to be fertilised monthly. This study has shown that whilst a lifestyle intervention may be able to treat anovulation, the rates of healthy live births are not affected.
Read MoreObese children have a 60% higher healthcare cost
An Australian study has found that obese children aged two to five have a 60% higher healthcare cost than their healthy weight counterparts. The article, published in Obesity, is one of the first to directly compare the healthcare costs of obesity in preschool children when compared to those of a normal weight. The study included 350 children in total, and found that obese children were also 2-3 times more likely to require hospital admission. Commonly these children were being admitted for ear, nose and throat problems, as well as respiratory disorders.
The researchers are hoping to highlight the fact that whilst childhood obesity has a huge impact on the health of a child, there are also economic impacts that may have previously been overlooked. Worldwide, it is thought that around 6.9% of children are obese, but in wealthier countries this number is far higher, with 23% of Australian children suffering from overweight and obesity. It has been shown before that obesity tracks into adulthood, and this can cause further health problems, but this study serves to highlight that the economic impact should not be ignored, and healthcare funders should take this information into account.
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