Obesity Care

Drinking artificially sweetened beverages during pregnancy linked to increased infant BMI

A recent study published in JAMA Paediatrics revealed that consumption of artificially sweetened beverages by pregnant women was associated with a higher infant BMI. It is known that excess sugar consumption can lead to obesity, both in mothers and children. However, little research has been conducted into the effects of sugar replacement exposure during pregnancy. In this study, 3,033 mother-child pairs were examined, with particular interest in their dietary choices during pregnancy and the subsequent effects on infant BMI.

About 30% of women reported drinking beverages with artificial sweeteners during their pregnancy. It was found that these women were more likely to have obese children, with a 2 to 4 fold increase in the risk of overweight by age 1. The authors admit that there was a margin for error as the study relied on food questionnaires, however an effect on the infants’ BMI was clearly present. Given that there is both widespread childhood obesity as well as artificial sweetener use, the authors hope to further their research and understand the biological mechanisms for such an effect.

The complex interaction between families and childhood obesity

The causes of obesity are known to be very complex, however a recent review has highlighted how family interventions may be able to significantly reduce a child’s genetic risk. The authors suggest that families should be fully involved in planning healthy living campaigns and in the? efforts to regulate food marketing strategies. Barbara Fiese, one of the review’s authors, explained that the family system should not be used as a source for blame, but rather as part of a larger ecology that could support or derail children’s health. The review points out that the likelihood of developing weight problems can be greatly reduced by family meals which promote and model healthy eating behaviours.

Furthemore, the use of electronic media devices whilst eating also increased children’s risk for obesity. This  may lead to increased exposure to advertising of unhealthy foods, as well as impede positive communication within the family. Positive communication has been shown to promote healthy habits due to attention to what, and how much, the children are consuming. The researchers support the collaboration of experts with families, but admit that parents also require the social tools to put concepts into action. This has proved to be difficult, however the authors have begun to address this by developing educational videos that focus on healthy habits in the family environment.

Parent’s perception of child weight has larger impact than once thought

A collaboration between the University of Liverpool and Florida State University College of Medicine has recently taken place to determine the effect of parents perception of their children’s weight on subsequent weight gain. They found that parents whose children are overweight often fail to identify their offspring’s weight accurately . Little research has taken place before to examine whether parental perceptions of child weight status are protective against further weight gain.

By analysing the data of 3,557 Australian children and their parents, the researchers found that children whose parents perceived them as being overweight as opposed to being ‘about the right weight’, gained more weight following analysis. This showed that an identification of overweight by parents does not actually carry any protection for the child but instead it puts them at more risk of weight gain in the future. Further research is required to understand how parental perceptions of child weight may counter-intuitively contribute to obesity.

High-fructose diet during pregnancy can have lasting effect on children

Researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch have shown that an increased consumption of fructose in a mouse model during pregnancy increases the risk of offspring developing obesity and heart disease. High-fructose corn syrup is used to sweeten food and beverages, and some reports suggest that refined sugars account for more than half of all sweeteners used in the US food supply chain. The authors compared the phenotype of the offspring of mice who were on a high-fructose diet during pregnancy to those on a normal diet.

The high fructose diet  was designed to mimic a diet that contained high amounts of sugary soft drinks. The research team were especially interested in the amount of abdominal fat tissue and fat around the liver, which they measured using computed tomography. They found that both female and male offspring of the high fructose diet mice were fatter, had higher glucose levels and higher blood pressure compared to the control offspring. The authors are hoping to expand their research which could have large implications as a very high proportion of the world’s processed food uses fructose and fructose based syrups as sweeteners.

Mindfulness very effective for teenagers

Some of the simplest, safest and most effective interventions for combating adolescent obesity may be just making them aware of what they are eating. A recent study conducted in Georgia, USA showed that mindfulness eating awareness training programs encourage adolescents to make healthier food choices and increase their physical activity. 40 high school students were enrolled in a 12 week mindfulness program, alongside a control group, sessions ranged from meditation techniques to meal timings.

Adolescents in the intervention arm eventually ate better and exercised more. They also experienced a slight downward trend in their weight, whilst those in the control arm did not experience such positive outcomes. However, many in the intervention arm continued to binge eat, therefore more research into the use of mindfulness and its possible adjustments must be conducted. The overall concept though is a relatively simple and easy intervention, and could prove to be highly successful in defending the health of young people.

Obesity affecting male fertility

Obesity affecting male fertility

Infertility in obese men is a global health issue and needs to be addressed by policymakers and the media. This is the suggestion from a recent study based in Porto, Portugal that examined, in particular, the effect of obesity on the fertility of males. Obesity is a metabolic disease that can cause dysfunction in the body’s endocrine system and hormonal functioning. Fertility is extremely closely linked with hormones and even the smallest of changes can result in large effects. The researchers wanted to highlight the fact that as obesity is now such a widespread problem, there will be other issues that occur at the same time, one of which is male infertility.

The study itself discussed the most recent and relevant evidence relating to male infertility and obesity, some of which examined how lifestyle factors and dietary habits can influence the progression of obesity and male infertility. Overall, the team hopes that their paper will lead to increased media coverage about the issue, whilst also proving to policymakers how important it is in today’s society.

BEATing hunger with a nonsurgical intervention

BEATing hunger with a nonsurgical intervention

A novel, safe and minimally invasive treatment has been developed that may help people struggling to lose weight. Researchers designed the Bariatric Embolization of Arteries for the Treatment of Obesity (BEAT) trial to evaluate the use of bariatric arterial embolization (BAE) as a new treatment option for obesity. The technology itself was developed by interventional radiologists and works by using catheters and image guidance systems to decrease blood flow to certain parts of the stomach that produce a hormone called ghrelin. This hormone is known for being the body’s most powerful ‘hunger hormone’.

The study itself enrolled 7 severely obese participants that were already being cared for by a multidisciplinary team. The participants were monitored after treatment with BAE and it was found to be a safe and effective procedure, as no adverse events were reported and all patients experienced marked weight loss as well as much lower hunger levels. After 6 months the participants had lost an average of 13.3% of their original weight. The researchers are hoping to gain approval to test the treatment on a larger cohort of patients, so that the safety and efficacy of BAE can be fully assessed.

Long-term diabetes reversal is now an achievable target

People who reverse their diabetes and subsequently keep their weight down can remain diabetes free. This is the conclusion from a study conducted at Newcastle University, which forms part of a large body of evidence detailing that losing weight in T2DM may effectively reverse it by removing fat from the pancreas. In 2013, a study was published which showed that T2DM could be reversed by limiting caloric intake, however it was a small and short study. This study included a slightly larger number of participants. Once again, it followed a similar diet and diabetes was reversed in a number of participants, although many of them remained overweight enough fat had been removed from their pancreas to allow for normal insulin production and action. The study also showed that longstanding diabetes can also be reversed, with some patients becoming diabetes free after 10 years.

The study’s authors are eager to point out that more research needs to be undertaken in order to improve the quality of the interventions in order to make it applicable to more patients, therefore they have already begun work on a larger trial that will look at how successfully people can reverse their diabetes through weight loss under the care of their GP or nurse. This is being funded by Diabetes UK.

Can childhood antibiotic use lead to obesity?

Early antibiotic use has been linked to a number of rare long-term health consequences, but a new study published in Gastroenterology has suggested that it can also lead to obesity. The study was performed in the UK and found that increased antibiotic exposure before the age of 2 can lead to a higher risk of being classed as obese by age 4. This was described with a 1.2% increased absolute risk and a 25% relative increase in risk of exposed children to non-exposed children. The risk was seen as strongest with repeated exposures, particularly with 3 or more courses of antibiotics.

Antibiotics have been used to promote weight gain in livestock for many years now, and this study has shown that similar results may be observed in humans. Over prescription of antibiotics is a common worldwide problem that has not only led to antibiotic resistance, but now may also increase the global burden of obesity. The researchers explained that antibiotics should still be used when necessary, but doctors and parents should think twice about prescribing unless they are clearly indicated. Further research is underway to explore if there is any relationship with adolescent weight and antibiotic use, also research is being conducted in the type of antibiotics used and if that has an effect on the amount of weight gained.

Weight loss and protein diet improves sleep quality

Overweight and obese individuals who are losing weight whilst adhering to a high protein diet will benefit from high quality sleep. This is the finding from a recent study conducted at Purdue University in Indiana, USA. Whilst many studies have looked into the effect of sleep on diet and weight control, this research aimed to reverse the viewpoints and see if particular diets and weight loss, specifically protein controlled diets, had any effect on sleep patterns and quality. The main study involved 44 participants, half of whom were given a normal protein diet, whilst the others were given a high protein diet. They were then given a survey on sleep quality to complete, and after 3 to 4 months of dietary intervention, the group on the high-protein diet that were also losing weight reported an overall better quality of sleep than their counterparts.

Jing Zhou, the lead author explained that short sleep duration and poor quality sleep can lead to metabolic and cardiovascular disturbances, and by better understanding how changes to lifestyle and diet can affect sleep we can help improve the health of different populations. Sleep is a very important modifier of an individual’s health, and the team that carried out this research are hoping to continue in the same vein and complete more objective measurements of sleep quality in order to confirm their results.

The dangers of belly fat are revealed

A recent review of current literature has revealed a clear correlation between high BMI, waist circumference and an increased risk of heart failure. Researchers from Imperial College London and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology have conducted a meta-analysis that showed that overweight, as well as obesity, increases the risk of heart failure. Overall, overweight individuals were considered to have a 35% increased risk of heart failure than their normal weight counterparts, whilst obesity increased the risk by 2 to 3 times.

The paper included 23 studies that included 650,000 participants in total, they also found that the distribution of one’s fat plays a major role in the development of heart failure; a 10cm increase in waist circumference was linked to a 29% higher risk of heart failure. The authors hope that the paper will reinforce the suggestions of measuring patients’ waist circumference in regular medical examinations throughout the world. Whilst the researchers have found correlations, they admit that direct causation mustn’t be the final conclusion drawn, rather that increased waist circumference is one of many factors that can ultimately lead to heart failure.

Children with a high BMI more likely to have pedestrian injuries

A study conducted at the University of Iowa has shown that overweight and obese children are at a greater risk for pedestrian injury. The researchers examined 206 children between the ages of 7 and 8 in a virtual environment. By studying the choices that these children make in traffic simulations they found that obese children were more impulsive and impatient than their peers. The children completed 30 virtual road crossings and were also asked to choose between different pedestrian routes. The researchers also found that girls are more cautious at road junctions than boys.

Elizabeth O’Neal, the lead author, explained that examining the risk of pedestrian injury represented a new avenue of research in childhood obesity and that it was not well developed. She went on to speculate that one of the reasons why these children are making riskier choices at road intersections was because obesity puts increased stress on the joints, and these children are merely trying to expedite the crossing to reduce this. The choices that these children make may however be more of a reflection of the increased impulsivity of obese people and show how obesity affects behaviours that can have large impacts on health.

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