Weight Loss, Dieting & Obesity

Weight Loss & Obesity Research Blog - Archive #0037.

Scientists discover mechanism tying obesity to Alzheimer's disease

December 29, 2005 - Journal of Alzheimer's Disease

Researchers have shown that being extremely overweight or obese increases the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease.

After gastric bypass surgery, important to check vitamin B1 deficiency

December 26, 2005 - EurekAlert / Neurology

A deficiency in vitamin B1 can be a serious complication following a popular surgery to treat obesity. If untreated, vitamin B1 deficiency can lead to Wernicke encephalopathy, a severe neurological condition.

Aquaporin and obesity

December 21, 2005 - EurekAlert / Nature

The article presents aquaporin as a new modulator of the biology of the adipocyte. It is a new concept concerning how the permeability of glycerol in fat cells is able to modulate the size of the adipocyte and, as a result, can contribute to the development of obesity.

Machinery of the 'marijuana munchies'

December 21, 2005 - EurekAlert / Neuron, Vol. 48, 1055–1066

The active ingredient of marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol--has a well-documented tendency to stimulate hunger. Scientists have traced this property to cannabinoid receptors in the brain. Understanding this circuitry has important practical implications because blocking the cannabinoid receptor, CB1, offers a promising approach to treating obesity. One such compound, rimonabant (trade name AcompliaTM) is already undergoing clinical testing.

Dramatic increase in annual rate of laparoscopic bariatric surgeries

December 19, 2005 - EurekAlert / Archives of Surgery

The number of bariatric surgeries performed in the US increased by 450 percent between 1998 and 2002, a growth the researchers say could be linked with use of the minimally invasive laparoscopic technique

Resolved to lose weight? Social cues encourage overeating

December 19, 2005 - University of Toronto / Physiology and Behavior

Socially informed perceptions of which foods are appropriate to eat, when they should be eaten and how much should be consumed have a greater impact on our food intake than feelings of hunger or fullness

Doctors group gives New Year's diet tips

December 19, 2005 - The American Journal of Medicine / PCRM

Doctors with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) suggest a new approach to weight loss based on a recent study showing that a low-fat vegan diet is an effective way to shed unwanted pounds.

Prepregnancy weight is increasing, bringing greater risk

December 15, 2005 - EurekAlert / American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

A growing number of women are overweight or obese when they become pregnant, a condition that is risky to both mother and baby

Digestive problems may impede overweight people from exercising

December 8, 2005 - EurekAlert / Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Doctors treating overweight or obese patients often prescribe exercise as one way to take off pounds. However, a new study indicates that some people's ability to exercise may be hampered by a variety of gastrointestinal problems that frequently affect individuals who are overweight.

Nutritional genomics identifies a potential weight-loss resistance gene

December 7, 2005 - EurekAlert / Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism

Scientists have identified a variation in the perilipin gene that appears to render some people resistant to weight loss from calorie restriction.