Focus on nutritional value, not calorific content
It’s time we stopped counting calories in food and started to pay more attention to its nutritional value if we are to cut illness from cardiovascular disease and curb obesity. This comes from an editorial published in the online journal Open Heart
Using published evidence, Drs Aseem Malhotra & James Di Nicolantonio, along with Professor Simon Capewell discuss that, much like stopping smoking, simple dietary changes can have a profound effect on health outcomes. They highlight the effects of increasing the amount of omega 3 fatty acid, olive oil and nuts in the reduction in deaths from cardiovascular disease.
They consider there is far too much focus on the calorific content of foods, whilst less attention is paid to the actual nutritional value of food. The overall cost of obesity related illness is in the region of £27 billion, a small mind-set change could therefore have a great effect on the economy. They also suggest that population-wide policies might achieve a more rapid reduction in disease, whilst also highlighting the need for change in focus, citing a potential government subsidy in fruit and vegetables as a possibility. In conclusion, they recommend that a Mediterranean type diet would be the best place to start as this will not only have health benefits, but will also highlight nutritional benefits of food to the general population. This would include emphasising the consumption of plant-based food such as fruit, vegetables and nuts, whilst also replacing butter with healthier fats such as olive oil, limitingred meat and eating more fish and poultry
Read MoreHow obesity can affect stillbirth
Obese pregnant women are twice as likely to have stillbirths than their normal weight counterparts. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health analysed data from 658 stillbirths (defined as reaching 16 weeks gestation and showing no evidence of life after delivery), mothers were described as lean, overweight, obese or severely obese. The rate of stillbirths per 1,000 was 7.7 for lean women, and 17.3 for severely obese women.
Lead author, Dr Lisa Bodnar, said, “We’ve known for some time that obese women are more likely to have stillbirths, but this is one of the first and most comprehensive efforts to figure out why”. Due to the study’s design it was difficult to prove cause and effect relationships, it was only possible to prove association. The most common causes of stillbirth amongst the obese population are placental diseases and hypertension. Foetal abnormalities, meaning the child would be unlikely to survive post-partum, and umbilical cord abnormalities were also highlighted as common causes. The results from this study show that obstetricians need to monitor the weight of pregnant and pre-pregnant women in order to avoid some, potentially tragic, complications.
Read MoreGood things come in Small Packages
A Cochrane review has shown that smaller portions, packages and tableware leads to the consumption of less food. The review analysed 72 studies over a span of 35 years, and concluded that ‘successfully reducing the size, availability and appeal of larger-sized portions, packages and tableware contributes to meaningful reductions in quantities of food people select and consume’.
For many years portion sizes have been increasing, and now a normal portion is much larger than it used to be This study aimed to prove that not only do portion sizes, but also package sizes and tableware, make a huge difference to consumption. The analysis suggested the potential of cutting 500 calories a day for US citizens, through the use of smaller portions. The study authors hope that the findings will provide fresh impetus for open discussion on how reducing the size, availability and appeal of large servings can be achieved in the public and commercial sectors.
Read MoreFat responds to nerves activation
A breakthrough study has shown how fat is innervated and how direct stimulation can lead to fat breakdown. This comes after collaborative research from Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência in Portugal and the Rockefeller University in the USA. Almost 20 years ago the same team, at the Rockefeller Univesity, discovered leptin, the hormone that is released by fat cells, that tell the brain how much fat is in the body. Low levels increase appetite, whilst high levels increase fat breakdown. However, it was not known how the lipolytic effect of leptin was mediated.
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 MoreCan chemicals cause obesity?
The Endocrine Society have warned that exposure to certain chemicals can lead to obesity and diabetes. The new publication builds on the Society’s 2009 report which examined the role of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) and human health. A study over 5 years was carried out in order to discover the potential role of EDCs in the development of obesity and diabetes. EDCs mimic, block and interfere with hormones within the body, this in turn alters the way cells within the body develop.
EDCs include dioxin chemicals produced during waste incineration, polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides and bisphenol A (found in food can linings and receipts). Andrea Gore, Vacek Chair of Pharmacology at the University of Texas said ‘the evidence is more definitive than ever before – EDCs disrupt hormones in a manner that harms human health.’ The Society called for additional research to be carried out to discover more about the mechanisms involved; regulation to ensure that exposure to chemicals is minimised; creation of products that are safe; and education for the public and policy makers so that EDCs are kept out of food, water and the air.
Read MoreChildren with severe obesity at high cardiometabolic risk
A new study carried out in North Carolina has found that children with severe obesity are at a much higher risk of developing heart disease and diabetes than those of a normal weight. Dr Ashley Cockrell Skinner, the lead researcher said that the ‘findings show a direct correlation between higher levels of obesity and adverse cardiometabolic risk factors that can lead to future disease’.
Researchers analysed data from 8,579 overweight or obese children from 3 to 19 years of age, using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts. They found that the higher the severity of obesity, the higher the risks of a low HDL cholesterol level, high systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and high triglyceride and glycated haemoglobin levels. These are all well-known markers for cardiometabolic diseases. The researchers recommended that prevention and intervention strategies that look at reducing obesity in early life should receive much more attention, as it is too long to wait before the risk factors lead to disease. The paper highlights the need for increased attention to the issues that contribute to childhood obesity.
Read MoreA glass of water a day keeps obesity away?
Drinking 500ml of water half an hour before eating meals may help obese adults lose weight. A study conducted at the University of Birmingham on 84 obese adults showed that this simple intervention could be profoundly beneficial. The group was randomly split into two, and both were given a weight management consultation, to discuss how best to adapt lifestyle and behaviour, in order to promote weight loss. 41 were asked to “preload” with water before eating, whilst the others were told to imagine their stomach was full.
The participants were monitored over a 12 week period, and those that were asked to drink water before their main meal lost, on average, 1.3kg more than those in the control group. Those who preloaded 3 times a day lost 4.3kg! The intervention was simple and was shown to be effective at follow-up. We must bear in mind though that it was not only filling up on water before meals that resulted in weight loss, each participant was given lifestyle advice. The researchers hope to continue their research on a larger population in the future.
Read MoreBad news for first born sisters…
Older sisters are more likely to be overweight and obese when compared to their younger siblings. According to a large study performed on 13, 406 Swedish sister pairs. The results corroborate with previous studies that found older brothers to be both, heavier, and taller, than their younger siblings. The study showed that at birth, firstborns weighed a little less than the second born sisters, however their BMI was around 2.4% higher during their first 3 months of pregnancy.
Overall it was found that firstborn women were 29% more likely to be overweight, and 40% more likely to be obese during their mid-20s, furthermore they were an average of 1.2mm taller. Sisters with a high number of siblings were also more likely to be shorter and the researchers hypothesised that this could be due to a phenomenon known as ‘resource dilution’ – the idea that parental resources are spread more thinly across a higher number of children.
It was unclear why older sisters seemed to be heavier, however the researchers hypothesised that changes in the womb after the first pregnancy could be a potential cause. It is possible that during the first pregnancy, blood vessels are narrower in the placenta, limiting flow. The body then adapts to this to store more fat and glucose. For subsequent pregnancies the blood flow is altered to stop this from happening. Although the findings confirm the results in other studies involving men, more research is needed to see whether there is an associated increase in metabolic risk in first born women.
Read MoreDoes a feeling of reward cause obesity?
A French team have examined the role of pleasure when compared to that of energy needs in food intake. The study was performed on a group of mice and considered the activity of neurones that regulate feeding behaviours, known as NPY/AgRP. These are activated in periods of fasting and promote food intake. They found that these neurones become dispensable when a highly palatable diet is chosen; instead the hedonic circuitry in the brain drives the feeding behaviours. However when food is not palatable, it is the AgRP neurones that drive feeding in response to the body’s metabolic needs.
Using these findings it was shown that animals with compromised AgRP neurone activity could be more prone to comfort eating as they are more likely to consume palatable food due to stress. The mice with compromised AgRP neurones were also more sensitive to external factors, such as stress, they were therefore very good models for comfort eating.
A continued exposure to palatable foods, many of which are energy-rich could alter NPY/AgRP circuitry and cause them to become desensitised, leading to the reward circuit taking over. Overall, these results shed more light on the energy balance mechanisms controlled by NPY/AgRP and highlights how the reward circuitry interacts with it and may explain why people can’t seem to avoid eating the wrong foods!
Read MoreIs weight loss surgery altering gut bacteria?
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Read MoreThe age of the smartphone-controlled diet
Smartphones could soon be telling us what to eat and what to avoid whilst shopping in supermarkets. This comes after a study, published in the Journal of Medical Systems, looked at the possible use of Near Field Communication (NFC) in Spain. This is a recently developed technology that allows electronic devices to establish radio communication and share data by simply touching, or even being in close proximity (typically 10cm).
The researchers aimed to make choosing food for overweight children at the supermarket an easier experience for parents by tagging food with nutritional data, such as energy and fat content; when an interaction is made with the mobile phone, a notification will inform them whether it is appropriate for the users diet or not. Once a suitable diet has been devised according to the user profile, an appropriate shopping list could be developed, making shopping much more efficient! The system also takes into account the physical activity of the user using accelerometers. The study found that time spent in the supermarket was reduced by parents using the system and the quality of the food and drinks being bought was increased.
Read MoreAntibiotics encourage obesity
Continued use of antibiotics in children can lead to obesity, changes in bone growth and altered gut bacteria, according to a new study in Nature Communications. The team stated that, in the USA, 262 million courses of antibiotics were prescribed to outpatients, that’s 842 per 1000 people a year, with use at its highest in children under 10. Estimates suggest children may have had 10 courses by this age. Antibiotics are well known to impact on microbial function, but little study has been done into how they affect host health during critical developmental stages.
The researchers mimicked childhood antibiotic use by using mice as their models. They found that early life pulsed antibiotic treatment (PAT) leads to short term increases in mouse weight and bone growth, whilst also leading to long-term changes in composition of gut bacteria. These changes included altering the species of the bacteria present and therefore the metabolic functions as well. Furthermore, they found that the bacteria in the antibiotic treated mice took much longer to adapt to new diets than those without antibiotics. The team remain cautious regarding the implication for humans though.
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