Weight Loss, Dieting & Obesity Blog

Blog of Weight Loss, Dieting & Obesity Research - Archive #0125.

New model system may better explain regulation of body weight

January 14, 2009 - EurekAlert / Cell Metabolism

A new mathematical model of the physiological regulation of body weight suggests a potential mechanism underlying the difficulty of losing weight, one that includes aspects of two competing hypotheses of weight regulation

Economic status affects obesity rates in Mexican-American and white women

January 14, 2009 - Public Health Nursing

Obesity continues to increase for women in the United States, particularly among African-American and Mexican-American women. Between the ages of 35-44, there are approximately 3.3 million white women, 1.4 million African-American women, and 575,000 Mexican-American women who are obese

Calories from home-cooked recipes grow over time

January 14, 2009 - EurekAlert / USDA Small Changes Summit

Research shows that calories in recipes have increased over time. Dr. Brian Wansink, of the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion said, "The calories in recipes in the cookbook, 'The Joy of Cooking,' have increased 63 percent from its publication, 1937, to its latest edition, 2006. Overweight and obesity have resulted in small steps going the wrong direction. The solution is to bring government, industry and academia together to promote small changes in the right direction."

Fatty liver disease medication may have no effect

January 13, 2009 - Hepatology

A new randomized, prospective trial has shown that orlistat, a commonly prescribed inhibitor of fat absorption, does not help patients with fatty liver disease lose weight, nor does it improve their liver enzymes or insulin resistance.

Free exercise and nutrition program in Brazil could serve as model in United States

January 13, 2009 - EurekAlert / American Journal of Public Health

What if free exercise classes were offered in public spaces such as parks, beaches and recreation centers? When a city government in Brazil tried such a program, it greatly increased physical activity among community members. A group of health researchers who studied the program believes it could also work in US cities with warm climates

Athletes not spared from health risks of metabolic syndrome

January 13, 2009 - Ohio State University / Journal of Athletic Training

College-age football players who gain weight to add power to their blocks and tackles might also be setting themselves up for diabetes and heart disease later in life, a new study suggests. Nearly half of a sample of collegiate offensive and defensive linemen who underwent a battery of tests for the study had metabolic syndrome.

Disabling enzyme allows mice to gorge without becoming obese

January 11, 2009 - EurekAlert / Nature Medicine

UC Berkeley researchers discover that a key enzyme in fat tissue plays a major role in regulating fat metabolism. Mice that have had this enzyme disabled remained lean despite eating a high-fat diet and losing a hormone that suppresses appetite.

Eating habits and exercise behaviors in children can deteriorate early

January 9, 2009 - EurekAlert / Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior

School-age children may develop eating habits and leisure-time patterns that may not meet current recommendations and contribute to childhood obesity. Researchers report that parents perceived that their pre-school children had relatively good eating habits and physical activity levels, but that parents of school-aged children (6 to 12 years) felt their children had less healthful diets and leisure-time activities

For fats, longer may not be better

January 8, 2009 - EurekALert / Journal of Lipid Research

Researchers have uncovered why some dietary fats, specifically long-chain fats, such as oleic acid (found in olive oil), are more prone to induce inflammation. Long-chain fats, it turns out, promote increased intestinal absorption of pro-inflammatory bacterial molecules called lipopolysaccharides

Obesity starts in the head? 6 newly discovered genes for obesity have a neural effect

January 8, 2009 - Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health / Nature Genetics

Obesity is known to increase the risk of chronic disorders, such as diabetes (type 2). An international team of scientists with German participation through the Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen identified six new obesity genes. Gene expression analyses have shown that all six genes are active in brain cells