Focus: Obesity Channel Featured Story 2

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Being overweight in childhood increases the risk of developing type 1 diabetes in later life, according to the findings of a new study that analysed genetic data on over 400,000 individuals. The study, co-led by researchers from the Universities of Bristol and Oxford and published today in Nature Communications, also provides evidence that being overweight over many years from childhood influences the risk of other diseases including asthma, eczema and hypothyroidism.

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Increased access to an adolescent-centered healthy weight management program, including bariatric or weight loss surgery, is paramount to achieving the best long-term outcomes as adolescents with obesity grow to adulthood

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Adolescents with severe obesity may not pursue metabolic bariatric surgery for weight loss due to lack of information, difficulties with access to care, and because of social stigma, according to a newly published study.

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The researchers, who hope to continue developing the app, were undaunted by its lackluster performance. “That just means we need to work more on the app and try to improve it,” Collins says. “We’re working on another app that will be more sophisticated and will be compatible with Android and Mac iOS.”

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Registered dietitian nutritionists can help decrease the number of children diagnosed with overweight or obesity by collaborating with caregivers, educators, health care providers and legislators to provide children with nutritious foods and opportunities for physical activity, according to a new position paper from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

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In a randomized clinical trial, overweight adults who increased their nightly sleep duration by about an hour reduced their daily caloric intake by an average of 270 kcal, which would lead to weight loss over time.

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People with type 1 diabetes should be screened regularly for obesity and chronic kidney disease, according to a study published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

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The study measured abdominal visceral fat levels and arterial stiffness in more than 600 children, adolescents and young adults. Visceral fat is the fat found in the abdomen that infiltrates vital organs.

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A Cleveland Clinic study shows that patients with obesity and advanced fatty liver disease who had bariatric weight loss surgery significantly lowered their future risk of liver disease complications and serious cardiovascular disease compared with patients who did not have surgery.

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UT Southwestern scientists may have identified a method of safely mimicking the weight-loss benefits of a plant compound that – despite its harmful side effects – hold critical answers to developing therapies for obesity.

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Warning labels on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and menu labeling requirements for chain restaurants could be a cost-effective policy leverage to prevent weight gain and reduce medical expenses, but their impact is expected to fade over time, finds a new study from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

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University of California San Diego researchers, with international colleagues, describe how energy expenditure and heat production are regulated in obesity through a previously unknown cellular pathway.

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Novel obesity treatments such as modulation of the gut microbiome and gene therapy are underutilized and could help fight the obesity epidemic, according to a new manuscript published in the Endocrine Society’s journal, Endocrine Reviews.

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Missing out on the recommended seven or more hours of sleep per night could lead to more opportunities to make poorer snacking choices than those made by people who meet shut-eye guidelines, a new study suggests.

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Around 1 in 6 parents say their child eats fast food at least twice a week; families’ views on fast food consumption varied based on parents’ perceptions of their child’s weight.

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Researchers studying the enzyme DHPS have determined that blocking its activity in mouse macrophages leads to a reduction in proteins that drive inflammation during obesity, leading to improved glycemic control.

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Penn researchers have discovered that TSLP stimulates the immune system to release lipids through the skin’s oil-producing sebaceous glands in mice.

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Frequent activity breaks from sitting may improve fasting blood sugar (glucose) levels and stabilize daily fluctuations, according to new research. The study, the first of its length to explore the effects of activity breaks in “free-living” conditions, is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism. It was chosen as an APSselect article for August.

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A new analysis from the STAMPEDE trial shows that over the course of five years, patients who had bariatric and metabolic surgery to treat uncontrolled type 2 diabetes reported greater physical health, more energy, less body pain, and less negative effects of diabetes in their daily lives, compared with patients who had medical therapy alone for their diabetes. Long-term changes in psychosocial and emotional quality of life measures were not significantly different between the surgical and medical groups. The research was published in the Annals of Surgery.

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Even moderate smartphone use may influence teens’ diet and weight, according to a new study of more than 53,000 Korean adolescents. Teens who used a smartphone for more than 2 hours per day were significantly more likely to eat more junk food and fewer fruits and vegetables than those spending less time on their phone. Teens spending more than 3 hours per day on a smartphone were significantly more likely to be overweight or obese.

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A Cleveland Clinic study shows that survivors of COVID-19 who have moderate or severe obesity may have a greater risk of experiencing long-term consequences of the disease, compared with patients who do not have obesity. The study was recently published online in the journal of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.

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People don’t gain or lose weight because they live near a fast-food restaurant or supermarket, according to a new study led by the University of Washington. And, living in a more “walkable”, dense neighborhood likely only has a small impact on weight.

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DALLAS – May 12, 2021 – Scientists with UT Southwestern’s Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute have identified the molecular mechanism that can cause weight gain for those using a common antipsychotic medication. The findings, published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, suggest new ways to counteract the weight gain, including a drug recently approved to treat genetic obesity, according to the study, which involved collaborations with scientists at UT Dallas and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.

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BOSTON – (March 25, 2021) – A mechanism has been identified that explains how physical exercise in pregnancy confers metabolic health benefits in offspring. According to researchers, the key lies with a protein called SOD3, vitamin D and adequate exercise, with the outcomes possibly forming the first steps to designing rational diet and exercise programs to use during pregnancy and particularly when mothers may also be overweight or obese.

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For people who are overweight or obese and have type 2 diabetes, the first line of treatment is usually lifestyle intervention, including weight loss and increased physical activity. While this approach has cardiovascular benefit for many, it can be detrimental for people who have poor blood sugar control, according to a study conducted by researchers at Wake Forest School of Medicine.

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University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center researchers report that intermittent fasting reduced breast cancer risk in obese mice.

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Unraveling the links among obesity, aging, telomere lengths and metabolic diseases is the subject of the study published today in Nature Metabolism by a collaborative research team at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

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New study in mice finds that a high-fat diet allows cancer cells to outcompete immune cells for fuel, impairing immune function and accelerating tumor growth. Findings suggest new strategies to target cancer metabolism, improve immunotherapies.

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Lessons on healthy feeding practices delivered to young mothers through a brief home-visiting intervention put Native American infants on a healthier growth trajectory, lowering their risks for obesity.

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New research in mice suggests that a high-fat diet early in life may impair male fertility in adulthood. The first-of-its-kind study is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism.

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Consuming extra virgin olive oil has proved to have protecting effects for the health, especially due to its antioxidant content.

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Grandparental child care is linked to nearly a 30% increase in childhood overweight and obesity risk, finds a new analysis from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.In a study, published online Jan. 22 in Childhood Obesity, researchers discovered that grandparents could impact their grandchildren’s waistline in various ways, such as influencing their daily diet and physical activity, as well shaping their grandchildren’s perceptions on what represents a healthy lifestyle.

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A child obesity expert from the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health in Austin was called upon to help lead a groundbreaking project to involve and empower adolescents in the fight against obesity in Europe.

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Scientists identified a neural circuit in the hypothalamus as the primary mechanism mediating the hormone leptin’s anti-obesity and anti-diabetes effects and found two mechanisms underlying leptin’s inhibition of appetite. The work in mice advances efforts to treat human obesity and diabetes.

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In an analysis of clinical data collected on more than 9,000 people, Johns Hopkins researchers have shown that the number of years spent overweight or obese appear to “add up” to a distinct risk factor that makes those with a longer history of heaviness more likely to test positive for a chemical marker of so-called “silent” heart damage than those with a shorter history.

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Could short-term exposure to the average American diet increase one’s risk for developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease? According to a recent study funded by the American Heart Association (AHA), researchers from New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) provide compelling evidence to support this hypothesis.

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New numbers from the National Center for Health Statistics show that rates of obesity have increased by at least 30 percent in both adults and children the past 15 years. Some doctors aren't surprised.

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A study led by the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing’s Diane Spatz, PhD, RN-BC, FAAN, the Helen M. Shearer Term Professor of Nutrition, has found that delayed lactogenesis was more prevalent among women who were obese pre-pregnancy and that excessive gestational weight gain was also associated with a delay in lactogenesis II.

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New discoveries about the mechanism responsible for heat generation in the body related to fat tissue oppose classical views in the field and could lead to new ways to fight metabolic disorders associated with obesity, according to a study led by Georgia State University.

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Working in mice, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a way to convert white fat, which stores calories, into brown fat that burns them.

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Study uses fMRI brain scans to document relationship between neural activity and risk for obesity

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Join our virtual press briefing on August 10 at 11 am ET to hear from these organizations about new research, stories of successful programs in communities, and experts who can speak to the need to ensure all children have access to nutritious food and safe places to be physically active.

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Modest weight gains – even among those who aren’t overweight – can cause dangerous changes to the heart, but small amounts of weight loss can improve the condition, new research from UT Southwestern Medical Center cardiologists shows.

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Conversation Cards© were developed to help families think about and prioritize key challenges regarding pediatric weight management. They also create points of reference for providers, which could help to create treatment plans for families based on their priorities. Using Conversation Cards©, researchers from the University of Alberta conducted a study that reviewed the way families use the cards and how their card selections aligned with family characteristics.