Obesity Care

Weight discrimination doubles health risk

A new study based at Harvard University has analysed the effect of weight discrimination over a 10 year period. Using a long-term national study in the USA, the researchers approached respondents who reported regularly experiencing discrimination because of their weight, this included, discourteous treatment, being called names, and being made to feel inferior as well as other feelings. They found that those experiencing regular discrimination had twice the risk of allostatic load, the cumulative dysfunction of bodily systems from chronic stress. Stress such as this is likely to lead to heart disease, diabetes, chronic inflammation and other diseases.

This effect is added to the fact that these people are already overweight and already experiencing negative health effects as a result. The researchers are hoping to highlight that the way we treat people who are overweight is incredibly important and can have more of an effect than we realise. Further to this they urge people to be more sensitive and understanding, especially when an individual is clearly trying to lose weight. The authors are hoping to use this data to inform public health campaigns in order to support individuals with obesity and help them lose weight.

Ability to successfully diet dependent on brain structure

A new research paper published in Cognitive Neuroscience. Thas examined the connections between executive control and the reward system in the brain to better understand why some people are more successful at dieting than others. It found that in some people, the white matter pathway connecting the two systems is ‘improved’, making it easier to diet.

It was already known to the researchers that chronic dieters have depleted cognitive control and over-reward with high-calorie foods. Therefore they used functional magnetic resonance imaging to get a real-time demonstration of the activity in the executive control and reward systems in 36 chronic dieters, who were all obese. The participants were shown images of food and control images, and it was found that dieters showed more activity in response to the food cues, further to this it was shown that those with lower body fat percentages showed greater white matter integrity between the two systems. The authors concluded that individuals with reduced integrity of white matter may have difficulty overriding their reward mechanisms. They urge other scientists to continue this research in order to establish whether repetitive dieting can cause changes in the white matter of the brain.

Hormone involved in maturation of fat cells discovered

Researchers at Stanford University have identified a hormone that is involved with the maturation of fat cells. These findings help us understand why some stem cells differentiate into fat cells. The hormone itself is called Adamts1. It is produced by mature fat cells and is the switch for stem cells to begin the process of turning into fat cells; high-fat diets and glucocorticoid medications increase the production of Adamts1. The researchers firstly identified Adamts1 and then conducted experiments in both mice and humans. It was found that when mice and humans were fed a high fat diet, most of the increase in fat was seen in the visceral tissue, where there was a decreased amount of Adamts1.

The study’s findings suggest that there are many other hormones involved with the production and differentiation of fat cells, furthermore the researchers believe that stress must play an important role in this process. It remains to be seen whether Adamts1 could be used as a target for obesity medication, and more research must be undertaken in order to fully understand its role within the body

New anti-obesity target identified

Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute in Florida have identified a protein that promotes fat accumulation in animal models. The protein works by slowing the breakdown of fat and promoting storage, the results have been published in the International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology. The researchers found that by deleting a protein called IP6K1 resulted in a higher energy expenditure and protected animal models from diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance.

A process called lipolysis precedes the expenditure of fat energy, and this is when fat is broken down to smaller products. The team found that by deleting IP6K1 the interfered with the protein interactions, causing lipolysis, and therefore this process, was enhanced. They then looked at introducing chemicals that would inhibit IP6K1, and found that an inhibitor known as TNP slowed the initiation of diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance. The researchers are hoping to further this research to better understand the mechanisms behind both the protein and the inhibitor.

Obesity linked conditions in children projected to rise

Researchers have estimated that by 2025, almost 268 million children will be overweight, with 91 million obese in a new study. This is assuming that no large scale interventions prove effective at changing current trends. The researchers have also anticipated that obesity related conditions will sharply rise in children. By 2025, 12 million children will have impaired glucose tolerance, 4 million will have T2DM, 27 million will have hypertension and 28 million will have a build-up of fat in the liver.

Member states of the WHO have adopted resolutions aiming to achieve ‘no increase in obesity levels’ by 2025 for infants, adolescents and adults. The figures in this study are based on current trends and therefore the researchers are urging governments, health planners and service providers, to address these problems and take strong action against them. In conclusion, the researchers stated that the 2025 targets are unlikely to be met and service providers must plan for a significant increase in obesity-linked comorbidities as well.

Rise in obesity relates to rise in high-risk pregnancies

A review by an international team of doctors, based at the Center for Reproductive Health at MetroHealth has been undertaken to further our understanding of the worldwide impact of obesity on pregnancy. The team focused on the clinical management of obesity in pregnancy and how to reduce risks to mother and child. There are no standard guidelines on this management, however all pregnant women are recommended to follow a healthy diet and to consider at least half an hour of moderate physical activity per day. However, the team identified obese pregnant women as representing a relatively new high risk population that will call for the development of additional tools to reduce these risks.

The team suggest that clinicians working with overweight and obese women of childbearing age must offer pre-conception weight management to improve overall metabolic health and decrease the risks of early pregnancy loss. Furthermore, women should be instructed on how to maintain a healthy weight once pregnant. The study also suggested that clinicians should regularly screen for foetal abnormalities as well as for maternal complications such as gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia. The team also believe that the post-partum period is one of the most important when it comes to weight management, as it may decrease the risks in the next pregnancy. However, overall the team are looking to delve deeper into the complications of maternal obesity in pregnancy, so they can develop more effective management plans.

If you would be interested in learning more about the affect of obesity on reproductive health, follow this link.

Sleep deprivation increases weight in children

Sleep deprived pre-schoolers consume about 20% more calories than when they follow their regular sleep patterns. This is the conclusion from a study carried out at the University of Colorado and published in the Journal of Sleep Research. The children were all regular afternoon nappers, but kept awake for 3 more hours more than usual on the test days. It was found that they consumed 25% more sugar and 26% more carbohydrates than when they were given the full amount of sleep. On these ‘recovery days’ they returned to baseline sugar and carbohydrate consumption, however, they still consumed 14% more calories and 23% more fat.

The results help shed light on how sleep loss can affect weight gain. Furthermore, in the USA, it is estimated that about 30% of pre-schoolers do not get enough sleep. With rising levels of childhood obesity, this study helps to show how a variety of factors can contribute to the problem. Interestingly, in the study, parents were given no instructions regarding the kind or amount of food and drink to give to their children, and fed them the same as they would on any normal day. Although the study size was small, with five girls and five boys, the researchers are hoping to repeat their results in a larger sample and to continue their research using different diets and objectively measure activity in children.

Preventing childhood obesity must start before conception

A series of papers published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology has stated that the time before couples conceive is vital in the prevention of obesity in children. The researchers argue that more must be done to motivate future parents to lead a healthier lifestyle. There is a wide range of evidence showing that obesity can impact the developing baby. This study found that many people are becoming more obese and not planning ahead with pregnancies. One part of the paper aimed to determine the trends in global obesity amongst women and the consequences on their reproductive health. Another part of the study found that managing obesity during pregnancy, whilst being difficult was also a major concern, therefore showing that reducing the rate of obesity before pregnancy should be a priority.

The final parts of the series examined the effects that maternal obesity has on the child and possible overall interventions. These problems ranged from developmental to physical to genetic. The researchers called for a top-down approach from policy makers to improve opportunities for young people, especially those at risk, to lead healthier lives. However this must be accompanied by a bottom-up approach whereby communities and individuals create a demand for these services. Overall, the study aims to help future parents lead a healthy life, not only for themselves, but for their potential children too in order to stop the vicious cycle of obesity from generation to generation.

If you would be interested in learning more about childhood obesity, follow this link.

Stress can erase the benefits of choosing ‘good fat’ Researchers

Researchers from Ohio State University have found that a stressful event before eating can erase any benefits of a healthy fat choice, these results were published in Molecular Psychiatry. The researchers knew that diet and stress were related in some way however they were aiming to learn more about the interplay between stress, diet and inflammatory markers. In this study a group of women were given a breakfast with mostly saturated fats, and another group were given a similar meal but made with monounsaturated oil, which is known to be healthier. The women were then asked about the previous day’s experiences, and answers were assessed using the Daily Inventory of Stressful Events Questionnaire to determine whether they were under any stress. Blood tests were taken to assess inflammatory markers, and it was found that these were all raised in the women who had consumed the unhealthy diet. However this difference disappeared in the women who had had ‘stressful days’; the markers were high in both groups. The study has left questions regarding the specific relationship between stress and fat and the researchers are hoping to delve deeper into this field.

Location of fat important in predicting heart disease

A recent study has found that increased abdominal fat is associated with worsening heart disease risk factors. This study has added to the growing body of evidence that regional deposits of fat are harmful, in particular the study found that increased stomach fat and a lower fat density resulted in worsening heart disease risk factors. This is one of the first studies that has closely examined the density of fat, and the team are still working to understand the effect that density of fat truly has. Over 6 years the researchers analysed data from 1,106 individuals who were taking part in the Framingham Heart Study.

Increases in subcutaneous and visceral fat were measured over this period. Each additional pound of fat from baseline was associated with new high blood pressure and characteristics of metabolic syndrome. These changes were more pronounced with increased visceral fat rather than subcutaneous. There were even suggestions that higher levels of fat under the skin may actually be protective, as it serves as a ‘metabolic sink for storing excess fat particles’. An editorial accompanied the study and stated that the findings support a growing body of evidence that suggest that identifying the location and the type of fat provides important information about the risk of heart disease. The researchers want to continue their work to understand the role of fat density and how it is involved in the mechanism of obesity.

Is the increase in teenage obesity due to lack of calorie burning?

A new study has concluded that the increase in teenage obesity is due to the number of calories that they burn dropping dramatically in puberty. The 12-year-long study was led by the University of Exeter Medical School and is published in the International Journal of Obesity. Puberty is a time when calorie burning is expected to increase due to growth spurts; however this study found that 15 year olds burn a quarter fewer calories at rest than they do when they are 10. The study also found that the amount of physical activity that teenagers undertake also drops during the onset of puberty.
The team analysed data from 350 school children at 6-monthly intervals. Blood samples were also taken to assess metabolic health as well as measurements of size. The children were placed in rooms that measured the amount of oxygen that was consumed at rest, this was then used to calculate the number of calories that were burnt. At the moment the team can only speculate as to the reasons that there was a drop in calories used, with one explanation being a possible evolutionary change where calories are conserved for growth. The team are hoping to continue their research in order to provide further answers to this surprising conclusion.

Lasting mental effects of discrimination in adolescents

The bullying experienced by overweight adolescents can lead to significant emotional problems in later life. According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology it has been found that the demeaning responses from overweight people’s peers cause them to feel distressed. The study itself included data from 5,128 individuals across schools in California aged 11-13, the analysis examined the relationship between BMI and emotional health using questionnaires about weight discrimination experiences.
About 1 in 3 students reported at least one weight-related discriminatory experience, and by age 13 many girls had reported feeling physical symptoms such as headaches, fatigue and nausea following episodes of loneliness after such experiences. At the moment, many school based programmes are aimed at reducing the overall prevalence of obesity, however this study highlights that many of these weight management programmes may be increasing the amount of stigma towards overweight individuals. Therefore, more must be done to increase weight acceptance and body-shape diversity, whilst also promoting healthy behaviours, a complicated compromise.