Weight Loss, Dieting & Obesity

Weight Loss & Obesity Research Blog - Archive 0001.

Hormone Wants to Keep Body at Weight Set Point

July 6, 2004 - EurekAlert / Penn State University

Studies of a stomach hormone called ghrelin in normal weight women indicate that the hormone may play a part in reestablishing a body weight set-point after dieting and exercise, according to Penn State researchers.

Weight Loss Reduces Calcium Absorption

July 2004 - American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol.80, No.1

Weight loss reduces bone mass and increases fracture risk. Mechanisms regulating calcium metabolism during weight loss are unclear, though suggests the need for increased calcium intake during weight loss.

Artificial Sweeteners Lead to Increased Eating & Calorie Intake, and Higher Body Weight & Fat Levels.

July 2004 - International Journal of Obesity, P.933-935

Two studies in rats show that rats that drank artificially sweetened drinks could not determine or regulate their total calorie intake and consumed up to three times as many calories overall than rats that were fed natural, high calorie sweetened drinks.

Dieting Makes Young Girls Fatter

June 29, 2004 - MSNBC (Link expired)

Girls who are starting to get too fat at 5 are often experienced dieters by the age of 9 - but put on extra fat instead of taking it off, researchers from Pennsylvania State University wrote in their report, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

Ghrelin Hormone Acts Differently in Overweight Men

June 29, 2004 - MSNBC (Link expired)

A study by Dr. Julio Licinio, a professor of psychiatry and medicine at the University of California Los Angeles, published in the 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences' shows that the hunger hormone Ghrelin has numerous spikes during the sleep of lean men between midnight and dawn. In fat men, however, "The most powerful ghrelin surge was missing in the obese men, suggesting that their regulatory system has gone awry or can no longer listen to its own cues," Licinio said in a statement.

Weight Loss & Exercise Results In Better Erectile Function in Men

June 22, 2004 - MSNBC (Link expired)

A study by Center for Obesity Management, Second University of Naples, Italy, shows that obese men can improve or restore sexual function by exercise and losing weight.

Yo-Yo Dieting Weakens Immune System

June 2004 - Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Vol 104, Issue 6

Short term weight loss, followed by weight gain and repeatedly cycling through the "yo-yo dieting process" weakens the immune system and increases the risk of immune-related diseases in later life according to this important research. Although the study was carried out on a group of postmenopausal women, there are solid reasons to believe that the conclusions are valid for both men and women of all ages.

No Health Benefits in Weight Loss by Liposuction

June 16, 2004 - New England Journal of Medicine (Link expired)

Weight loss by liposuction does not improve health conditions associated with excess weight, which do improve with natural weight loss methods. Metabolic issues affecting heart disease, such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, insulin sensitivity and so forth were measured in the trial.

Weight Loss Surgery - 1.9 Percent of Patients Die Within 30 Days

June 6, 2004 - Chicago Sun-Times (Link expired)

Gastric bypass surgery may well be effective for weight loss - but the risks of complications including death are high. Less risky is lap-band surgery, though patients generally do not lose as much weight as gastric bypass patients.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) Supplementation Reduces Body Fat in Healthy Overweight Humans

June 2004 - Americal Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 79, No. 6, P. 1118-1125

A one year study has shown that supplementation with CLA reduces Body Fat Mass and increases Lean Body Mass in humans, independently of diet or exercise.

Mammograms Inaccurate in Obese Women

May 24, 2004 - Archives of Internal Medicine

Obese women are 20% more likely to be misdiagnosed with a false-positive mammography result than normal weight women.

World Health Organization Plan to Fight Obesity

May 21, 2004 - MSNBC

Health Ministers from around the world have agreed on a landmark plan to fight a growing trend of obesity and diseases caused by poor diet and exercise habits. Political and economic issues raised by numerous countries (such as sugar producing countries) saw a number of compromises before the agreement was finally reached.