Obesity Care

Genes aren’t to blame for inability to lose weight

Although individuals may be able to blame genes for weighing more, they may not be able to blame them for an inability to lose weight. This is the conclusion of a study published in the BMJ. Carriers of the FTO gene are known to be an average of 3kg heavier and 70% more likely to be obese than their counterparts without FTO, however after a review of studies analysing data from 9,563 people, it has been found that this gene did not prevent them losing weight.
The study has therefore found that people with the FTO gene respond just as well to weight loss interventions as everyone else, this was across all age groups, ethnicities and gender. However this study had few numbers of ethnic minorities, therefore the team have explained that further research must be conducted to assess the effect of the FTO gene in these groups.

Overweight affects different types of stroke in different ways

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide and this study found that overweight women are at an increased risk of ischaemic stroke – associated with blockages of blood in the brain, but at a decreased risk of haemorrhagic stroke – associated with bleeding and the more deadly type of stroke. This study, published in Neurology, included a large sample size of almost 1.3 million women from the UK over an average period of 11.7 years using data obtained from hospital admissions. It was found that for every 5 unit increase in BMI, the risk of ischaemic stroke increased by 21%, whereas the risk of haemorrhagic stroke increased by 12%.
Although overweight women had a lower risk of haemorrhagic stroke this did not relate to an overall reduced risk, a higher BMI was associated with increased risk of total stroke across all categories, with the number of ischaemic strokes higher than the number of haemorrhagic stroke in every category as well. The results from this study were found to be largely similar to previous studies examining the same factors.

Healthy diets boost reading skills

A recent study has found that consuming a healthy diet is linked to better reading skills at school. This is the conclusion of a study conducted at the University of Eastern Finland and the University of Jyväsklä. The study involved 161 children aged between 6 and 8, and diets were assessed with food diaries compared to the Baltic Sea Diet and Finnish nutrition recommendations. The findings showed that those whose diets were ‘healthier’ did better in standardised tests that measured reading skills. Furthermore, those with a better diet quality improved their reading skills more than their peers on a worse diet.
One of the authors of the study Dr Eero Haapala explained that the associations between diet quality and reading skills were also independent of many compounding factors such as socio-economic status, physical activity and fitness. With an improved availability of healthy foods the authors are hoping that improved diet quality will follow, leading to increased academic performances in school.

Children should eat less than 35 grams of sugars daily

New recommendations have suggested that children should limit their intake of added sugars to 25 grams daily. This relates to less than six teaspoons, these recommendations also suggest that children under the age of 2 should not consume food or drinks with added sugar. Dr Miriam Vos, lead author of the study that produced the recommendations, is a nutrition scientist and associate professor of paediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr Vos cited increased risk factors for heart disease, obesity and elevated blood pressure as main reasons for her recommendations.

Added sugars are defined as any sugars that are used in processing or preparation of food or beverages, even if added at the table. One of the most common sources of added sugars are sugar-sweetened beverages. The authors claim that there has been a lack of clarity and consensus regarding how much added sugar is considered ‘safe’ for children, and whilst the average consumption is high, so is the rate of childhood overweight and obesity. They hope that by performing this research and providing robust scientific evidence they can help to clarify what quantities of sugar should be consumed.

Standing desks lower BMI

A recent study has shown that standing desks lower the BMI trajectory in school children over a 2 year span. Twenty four classrooms at three elementary schools in Texas participated in the study. 193 students took part and those with standing desks were compared with those who sat at their desks. The researchers found that those who were standing averaged a 3% drop in BMI, whilst those at normal desks noticed a 2% increase, which was considered normal for that age. Furthermore, there were no significant differences between gender and race, suggesting that this is an effect that is generalised across many demographic groups.

Whilst it is difficult to measure the BMI of children, as they should be gaining weight over time as they grow taller and get older, percentiles can be used to gain a better idea of how that child compares to others. This is what was used in this study, and indeed many other studies that assess BMI in children. The students who were a healthy weight when they began the study remained a healthy weight at the end, suggesting that whilst other children may lose weight by using standing desks, they can also be used in prevention strategies. The researchers are hoping to further this study by performing it on a larger scale.

Over 57,000 children become overweight whilst at primary school

 New figures from cancer research UK have shown that yearly, 57,100 children who started primary school at a healthy weight were overweight or obese by the time they left. Whilst 1 in 5 children are already overweight when they start primary school, 1 in 3 are overweight by the time they leave. The authors at Cancer Research UK claim that although exercise is encouraged in schools and a sugar tax is being introduced, this won’t be enough to curb the worryingly high levels of overweight in England’s schools. In order to raise awareness of the problem the charity erected an XL sized school uniforms shop, to highlight the differences between healthy weight and overweight children.

According to Cancer Research UK, being overweight or obese is the single biggest cause of preventable cancer in the UK after smoking, and it is accountable for 18,100 cases every year. Alison Cox, the director of prevention at the charity was concerned with the governments long-awaited childhood obesity strategy, explaining that she felt it had failed children and that the plan to tackle childhood obesity was not working. She went on to explain that whilst the government had gone a certain way to curb childhood obesity, with measures such as the banning of junk food advertising during shows aimed at children, they must do more to police this and ban them during adult TV shows. Overall, these worrying figures show how prevalent obesity is becoming in schools and that more must be done to prevent young children from gaining too much weight.

Diabetes treatment occurs 15 times more than obesity management.

New research has shown that clinicians prescribe anti-diabetes medication 15 times more than those for obesity. Obesity itself is a well-known risk factor for developing diabetes, with 90% of T2DM patients being overweight or obese. In the USA there are six different drugs approved for the treatment of obesity, however, of the 46% eligible for this treatment, only 2% are receiving it. The researchers of this study were aiming to determine to what extent obesity was being treated, as it is an obvious step for the prevention and treatment of diabetes.

The authors of the study call for more counselling in the availability of obesity medications for clinicians, whilst also a demonstration of a ‘greater urgency in the treatment of obesity’. The study itself was performed retrospectively and analysed data from 2012 to 2015. Dr Charles Billington, former president of The Obesity Society explained that ‘we are missing the opportunity among patients with serious obesity-related illness to provide the full range of proven, safe and effective therapies.’ He went on to explain that people with obesity should have access to evidence-based care and the provision of obesity medication on a larger scale would help to achieve this.

Caesarean sections increase risk of obesity in children

A large study, originating from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, has found that children delivered using caesarean section were 15% more likely to become obese compared to children who were delivered vaginally. Babies born by C-section were also 64% more likely to be obese than their vaginally birthed siblings. Whilst C-sections often are a necessary and lifesaving procedure, there are many known risks to the mother and the baby. Jorge Chavarro, senior author, suggests that increased risk of obesity should be added to that list.

Each year almost a third of all deliveries in the USA are C-sections, and whilst other studies have suggested a link to obesity, this is the largest and most detailed research into the area. 22,000 participants were followed over 16 years and factors such as the mother’s pre-pregnancy BMI, smoking and diabetes status, age at delivery and location were also taken into account. Dr Chavarro explained that this study provided clear evidence that the association between C-section births and childhood obesity was real.

Reduction of body weight after replacement of sugary drinks with water

A study from Virginia Tech has modelled the effects of replacing one-sugar sweetened drink with water, regardless of the amount of sugary drinks one normally consumes. It is well known that the consumption of high-calorie sugary drinks such as soda and energy drinks can increase the risk of developing obesity and cardiovascular disease. The study showed that this drink swap reduced overall daily calories and the prevalence of obesity amongst sugary beverage drinking populations.

The modelling showed that on average, replacing a sugary drink with water reduced the number of calories consumed from drinks from 17% to 11%. The study authors used a scoring system known as the Healthy Beverage Index which is used to evaluate individual beverage patterns and their relation to diet and health. Higher scores are meant to correlate with better cholesterol levels and lower hypertension levels. The index was developed by the same authors of this study. Its overall aim is to help people identify what and how much they should be drinking. The authors are hoping to continue this research and assess the effects of diet drinks on health.

High rates of obesity found in student athletes

The Athlete Health Organisation, is a non-profit organisation, that provides free participation evaluations for students before the start of each season to identify who might be at risk of illness or injury; these predominantly take place in Philadelphia. Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University have examined the most recent findings and produced a research paper on them. During each examination physicians gather biometric information and perform an electrocardiogram. The tests have been occurring for over 4 years and a variety of life-threatening conditions have been identified in a handful of students.

The most recent analysis has found high rates of obesity and high blood pressure in the student athlete population. 20% of participants were overweight, 24% were obese and 14.8% had high blood pressure readings. Although the general presumption is that sports and activity should help with weight and blood pressure control, this study has shown that this may not be the case in Philadelphia. The authors are hoping to continue their research to figure out why these effects have taken hold and to raise awareness of health issues affecting the student athlete population.

Sustained weight loss after gastric bypass surgery

A study published online in JAMA Surgery has evaluated the preoperative factors that are associated with long term weight loss after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Weight loss trajectories following gastric bypass have been variable from person to person and some patients are not able to maintain weight loss. In this study 726 RYGB patients were followed up 7 to 12 years after surgery, and weight loss and preoperative clinical factors were compared. Factors such as preoperative insulin use, smoking and use of 12 or more medications were associated with a greater long term weight loss. Factors such as preoperative hyperlipidaemia, older age and higher BMI were associated with a poorer outcome.

The authors speculate that these findings may be due to an increased interaction with healthcare professionals or perhaps due to unintentional weight loss from other health conditions. They go on to say that more studies are needed to evaluate these medications separately in relation to long term weight loss. More studies are needed to investigate psychosocial, behavioural and other modifiable factors. As these findings seem to suggest that the sickest patients seem to have the best outcomes – contrary to previous studies – more research is needed to confirm the conclusions.

Children score poorly on health behaviours measurement

A recent study, led by a team from the University of Minnesota, has found that a vast majority of children in the USA are not meeting the American Heart Association’s definition of ‘ideal cardiovascular health’. Julia Steinburger, lead author of the study, explained that the primary reason for so few children actually scoring highly on the measurement was: poor nutrition, high-calorie and low-nutrition foods. She went on to say that engaging in ideal health behaviours early on in life can have a tremendous benefit on the maintenance of health throughout life.

Overall, 91% of children scored poorly on diet measurements, with most children getting the majority of their daily calories from simple carbohydrates like sweet desserts and drinks. This, compounded with the fact that many did not partake in an adequate amount of exercise, meant that body weight was affected. For some ages between 12 and 19 the obesity rate was as high as 27%. These outcomes have highlighted the importance of instilling healthy behaviours from a young age, in order to protect our bodies as we age from the effects of diseases such as obesity, however they have also shown that this is not happening at the moment, and should be a priority in the future.