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Tiny Generators Turn Body Motion Into Weight Control and Wound-Healing Therapies
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
Bioengineers have developed implantable and wearable nanogenerators that create electrical pulses when compressed by body motions. The pulses controlled weight gain and enhanced healing of skin wounds in rat models.
Personality Type Could Shape Attitudes Toward Body Weight of Others, Researchers Say
Florida State University
Researchers found that personality traits have a significant bearing on a person's attitudes toward obesity, their implicit theories of weight and their willingness to engage in derisive fat talk or weight discrimination.
Epigenetic change causes fruit fly babies to inherit diet-induced heart disease
Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
Scientists from Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) have identified an epigenetic marker and two genes that caused heart failure in the children and grandchildren of fruit flies with high-fat-diet-induced heart dysfunction. Reversing the epigenetic modification or over-expressing the two genes protected subsequent generations from the negative heart effects of their parents' diet. These findings help explain how obesity-related heart failure is inherited and uncover potential targets for treatment. The study was published in Nature Communications on January 14, 2019.
UTHealth drives forward programs to stop childhood obesity
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Two grants totaling nearly $3.7 million will support the efforts of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) to combat obesity and help Texas children achieve healthy lifestyles through the mission of the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living.
Using Genetics of Human Fat Cells to Predict Response to Anti-Diabetes Drugs
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Researchers have demonstrated--using fat cells derived from human stem cells--that individual genetic variation can be used to predict whether the TZD rosiglitazone will produce the unwanted side effect of increasing cholesterol levels in certain individuals.
'Phat' on Potential, Lipidomics Is Gaining Weight
University of California San Diego
For the past 15 years, LIPID MAPS has served scientists working to specify and classify lipids in order to develop techniques, tools and terms to better study them. Now with new support, the database will continue advancing the study of these fatty acids and the field of lipidomics.
Lack of Standard Dosage for Blood Thinners Can Lead to Bleeding During Bariatric Surgery, Rutgers Study Finds
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
The study suggests better measures for accurate dosages of blood thinners in obese patients
Maternal Programming During Pregnancy Induces Long-Term Postpartum Obesity
University of California San Diego Health
In a new study using a mouse model, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine suggest that long-term postpartum weight gain may be due not so much to retained fat as to reprogramming of maternal energy metabolism.
Obesity surgery leads to emergence of new microbial strains in the human fecal community
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Using a unique bioinformatics technique developed at UAB, researchers have detected the emergence of new strains of microbes in the human fecal microbiota after obesity surgery. These new strains emerged after surgical disruption of the stomach and upper small intestine.
Stuck on the couch? Good exercise habits derailed by common food additive
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Inorganic phosphate, a food additive and preservative used in up to 70 percent of food in the American diet, may be contributing to couch potato behavior.
Smoking During Pregnancy Increases the Risk that Your Baby Will Become Obese
University of Kentucky
Using discarded foreskins from circumcisions, researchers were able to identify a potential cellular mechanism that connects a mother's smoking while pregnant with an increased risk of offspring obesity later in life
Dietetics major helps improve college wellness programming
South Dakota State University
Analysis of students' insight and suggestions regarding how to encourage their peers to develop healthy lifestyle, including stress management, is helping improve college wellness programming.
We Don't Diet: We Lose Weight!
Health People
The South Bronx is notorious for its high obesity and diabetes rates---the highest in New York State. But a group of community health educators, is fighting this trend with new success. Peer leaders are helping other diabetics in the South Bronx neighborhood lose weight and better manage their disease.
Foods for Healthy Aging
LifeBridge Health
Eating healthy, less of a priority for many in their youthful years, becomes all the more necessary as the risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, Alzheimer's and other age-related conditions increases as you get older.
New research shows how a diet high in fat and cholesterol can lead to life-threatening liver disease
Keck Medicine of USC
A new USC study provides new insight on how dietary fat and cholesterol drive the development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a serious form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Diabetes drug could be used to treat common heart failure syndrome, study suggests
The Rockefeller University Press
Researchers at the University of Arizona have discovered that metformin, a drug commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes, might also be used to treat heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), a condition that is predicted to affect over 8% of people ages 65 or older by the year 2020. The study, which was published December 19 in the Journal of General Physiology, shows that metformin relaxes a key heart muscle protein called titin, allowing the heart to properly fill with blood before pumping it around the body.
Driving heart health
Wayne State University Division of Research
In September 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awarded funds to 28 state and local health departments across the United States to design, test and evaluate new, innovative approaches to address these significant health problems. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) was one of 21 state health departments to receive this funding. As part of this, a new partnership has been forged with Wayne State University researchers who will directly work with MDHHS in their efforts to prevent and manage cardiovascular health and diabetes.
Large Restaurant Portions a Global Problem, Study Finds
Tufts University
A multi-country study finds that large portion sizes in fast food and full service restaurants is not a problem unique to the U.S. The researchers found that 94 percent of full service meals and 72 percent of fast food meals studied in five countries contained 600 calories or more.
Eligibility Criteria Unfairly Limit Minorities' Access to Hip and Knee Replacement Surgeries
Johns Hopkins Medicine
In a study of medical records pulled from a national database, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have found that underrepresented populations are less likely than others to be eligible for hip or knee replacement surgeries because they do not meet certain rigid--and in their opinion unfairly applied--hospital requirements for surgery, such as weight, blood sugar and tobacco use limits. Such cutoffs, say the researchers, designed to lower costs and in some cases complications, deny minority and lower income groups access to treatments that would improve their quality of life.
Your Weight History May Predict Your Heart Failure Risk
Johns Hopkins Medicine
In a medical records analysis of information gathered on more than 6,000 people, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers conclude that simply asking older adult patients about their weight history at ages 20 and 40 could provide real value to clinicians in their efforts to predict patients' future risk of heart failure, heart attacks or strokes.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder may offer protection from obesity
A new study led by Amitai Abramovitch, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Texas State University, shows that individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are significantly less likely to become overweight or obese.
Obesity, Risk of Cognitive Dysfunction? Consider High-intensity Interval Exercise
Florida Atlantic University
Researchers have discovered what might be an effective strategy to prevent and combat cognitive dysfunction in obese individuals. They are the first to examine the modulatory role of an exercise-induced protein in the brain that promotes neuron survival using high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) in obese and normal-weight subjects. Obesity reduces the expression of this protein and lower levels are associated with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and obesity. HIIE upregulated this protein in the obese subjects compared to normal-weight subjects.
Alcohol Intake May Be Key to Long-term Weight Loss for People with Diabetes
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
A new study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) suggests that alcohol consumption may attenuate long-term weight loss in adults with Type 2 diabetes.
Small Changes to Cafeteria Design Can Get Kids to Eat Healthier, New Assessment Tool Finds
University of Notre Dame
New research from the University of Notre Dame suggests ways to approach this problem in elementary school cafeterias, especially for high-risk and underserved student populations.
Views of ideal female appearance in China are changing
University of Delaware
Young women in China experiencing more personal independence, disposable income and exposure to Western media are also altering their views of female beauty. A new study looks into whether these factors are leading to eating disorders and weight and shape concerns.
Texas Biomed Scientists Targeting Factors Involved in Hispanic Childhood Obesity
Are there changes that affect genes and fuel a person's propensity to develop obesity? That's a question under study at Texas Biomedical Research Institute. Associate Scientist Melanie Carless, Ph.D., is Principal Investigator of a $3 million, four-year grant from the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases to research this hypothesis.
Weight Likely Cause for One-Fourth of Asthma Cases in Kids With Obesity
Duke Health
A study including health data for more than 500,000 children in the U.S. suggests obesity might be to blame for about a quarter (23 to 27 percent) of asthma in children who are obese. This could mean about 10 percent of all kids ages 2 to 17 with asthma -- almost 1 million children in the U.S. -- might have avoided the illness by maintaining a healthy weight, according to researchers at Duke University and collaborators with the National Pediatric Learning Health System (PEDSnet).
Knowing You Have Prediabetes Could Prevent Onset of Deadly Disease
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
With more than 30 million Americans who suffer from type 2 diabetes, prevention is paramount. Many Americans are diagnosed or at risk for prediabetes, a precursor to diabetes. Anupam Ohri, MD, assistant professor of medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, explains how a prediabetes diagnosis does not automatically become diabetes, but can be prevented with lifestyle changes and knowledge of your risk.
Water T2 Biomarker Could Help Stop Diabetes Before It Starts
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso
"Eureka" moments still happen in scientific research. David P. Cistola, MD, PhD, had his moment in August 2014 when he and his research team discovered a blood biomarker that identifies individuals who could be at risk for Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. That discovery could revolutionize how the early changes that lead to diabetes are detected--giving patients the opportunity to make lifestyle modifications or initiate therapies that prevent the disease from developing in the first place.
Weightlifting is good for your heart and it doesn't take much
Iowa State University
Lifting weights for less than an hour a week may reduce your risk for heart attack or stroke, according to a new study. More than an hour in the weight room did not yield additional benefit. The benefits of strength training are independent of aerobic activity.
Diabetic Foot Ulcers Heal Quickly With Nitric Oxide Technology
Michigan Technological University
425 million people around the world live with diabetes and 15 percent of them develop foot ulcers, which increases their risk of death 2.5 times. A technology based on nitric oxide can help reduce the healing time of diabetic foot ulcers.
National Study Finds Gastric Bypass Most Effective Weight Loss Surgery
University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC)
A study published this month in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that adults with severe obesity had greater initial and sustained weight loss with gastric bypass surgery compared to sleeve gastrectomy or adjustable gastric banding surgery.
Obesity both feeds tumors and helps immunotherapy kill cancer
UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center
A groundbreaking new study by UC Davis researchers has uncovered why obesity both fuels cancer growth and allows blockbuster new immunotherapies to work better against those same tumors. The paradoxical findings, published today in Nature Medicine, give cancer doctors important new information when choosing drugs and other treatments for cancer patients.
Nasal Delivery of Weight-Loss Hormone Eases Breathing Problems in Sleeping Mice
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Experimenting with mice, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have added to evidence that a hormone best known for helping regulate hunger and body weight might also ease breathing problems experienced during sleep more effectively when given through the nose.
To Ward off Fatty Liver, Breast is Best for Mom
University of California San Diego Health
Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Kaiser Permanente have discovered that mothers who breastfed a child or children for six months or more are at lower risk for developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) years later during mid-life. With no other current prevention options aside from a healthy lifestyle, they say the finding may represent an early modifiable risk factor for a serious and chronic disease.
Immigration to the United States changes a person's microbiome
University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering
Researchers at the University of Minnesota and the Somali, Latino, and Hmong Partnership for Health and Wellness have new evidence that the gut microbiota of immigrants and refugees rapidly Westernize after a person's arrival in the United States. The study could provide insight into fighting obesity and diabetes.
WVU Researcher Explores How to Improve Stroke Recovery in Obese Patients
West Virginia University
Paul Chantler, an associate professor in the West Virginia University School of Medicine, is researching why obese stroke patients have more trouble recovering than their lean counterparts. His work, funded by the National Institutes of Health, hints at a medical treatment that may narrow this gap.
Obesity Problem Starts Early Phase of Therapy in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) gain weight during treatment, and researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have discovered that this problem starts during remission-induction treatment and suggests that early intervention should be considered. Chemotherapy drugs to treat ALL contribute to an increased risk of becoming overweight or obese. The scientists' findings show that obesity was prevalent - and height growth, especially in patients with identified risk factors - was compromised.
Dell Center for Healthy Living to launch statewide network to increase access to research
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
The Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, part of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), announced today a new plan to create a statewide network of researchers, decision-makers, and other key representatives that will give increased access to evidence-based solutions and data.
When Fathers Exercise, Children Are Healthier, Even As Adults
Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Men who want to have children in the near future should consider hitting the gym. A new study from researchers at The Ohio State University finds paternal exercise had a significant impact on the metabolic health of offspring well into their adulthood.
Children with Autism, Developmental Delays are Nearly 50 Percent More Likely to Be Overweight or Obese By Age 5
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
A new study reveals that children with developmental delays, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), are up to 50 percent more likely to be overweight or obese compared with the general population.
Are Popular Diets Safe?
Texas A&M University
Many of the latest popular diets make wild claims while imposing drastic changes to what you can eat.
Low Copper Levels Linked to Fatter Fat Cells
Johns Hopkins Medicine
In studies of mouse cells, Johns Hopkins researchers have found that low levels of cellular copper appear to make fat cells fatter by altering how cells process their main metabolic fuels, such as fat and sugar.
New study finds that inflammatory proteins in the colon increase incrementally with weight
Tufts University
A new study from Tufts researchers finds that two inflammatory proteins in the colon increase incrementally with weight. In individuals with obesity, this was accompanied by activation of precancerous cellular pathways.
Reversing Paralysis: Stem Cell Therapy Aims to Repair Spinal Cords Afflicted by Rare Disorder
UT Southwestern Medical Center
By injecting patients with stem cells engineered to repair the central nervous system - called progenitor cells - UT Southwestern scientists are working to establish the first treatment that can repair spinal cords inflamed by transverse myelitis.
New Study: Ketone Supplement Proved to Lower Body Fat and Weight
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Ketone supplement produces weight loss in mice on a high fat diet
Making SNAP Healthier with Food Incentives and Disincentives Could Improve Health and Save Costs
Tufts University
A new Food-PRICE study from researchers at Tufts and Harvard estimates that up to one million cardiovascular and diabetes events and $42 billion could be saved in healthcare costs using incentives and/or disincentives to improve food choices among participants in SNAP.
Nurse-Researcher Evaluates How Abuse Victims Respond to Bariatric Surgery
South Dakota State University
A unique opportunity to study patients undergoing bariatric surgery is helping health care professionals understand the challenges that those who have experienced physical or sexual abuse face during recovery.
Online Diabetes Prevention Programs Are as Effective as in-Person Programs for Weight Loss, Study Finds
An embargoed UCLA-led study suggests that an intensive, multifaceted online diabetes prevention program is as effective as in-person programs and can make prevention programs more accessible to those at risk for developing diabetes
Mannose's Unexpected Effects on the Microbiome and Weight Gain
Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
Scientists continue to unravel links between body weight and the gut microbiome. Now, researchers from Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) report an unexpected finding: mice fed a fatty diet and mannose, a sugar, were protected from weight gain, leaner and more fit--and this effect tracked with changes in the gut microbiome. The study published today in Cell Reports.
Researchers Testing Innovative Childhood Obesity Intervention
University of Alabama at Birmingham
UAB researchers will implement a new home-intervention model to teach mothers and children to form healthy habits right in the comfort of their homes.
More Than Half of Parents of Sleep-Deprived Teens Blame Electronics
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan
Fifty six percent of parents of teens who have sleep troubles believe this use of electronics is hurting their child's shut-eye.
Bet You Can't Eat Just 100: Labels, Keywords Affect Consumer Mindset About Diet Foods
Arizona State University (ASU)
ASU study shows the difference one calorie can make when it comes to influencing shoppers' health perceptions of 100 calorie mini packs
Penn Nursing Study Highlights Rapid Weight Gain During Infancy as Possible Risk Factor for Later Obesity in Children with Autism
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
Childhood obesity is a serious public health concern that can have a profound impact on children's health and well-being. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are more likely to have obesity compared to their peers with typical development, data show
Scientists Identify Hormone Link Between Diabetes and Hypertension
Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Physician researchers with The Ohio State University College of Medicine at the Wexner Medical Center say increased levels of the hormone aldosterone, already associated with hypertension, can play a significant role in the development of diabetes, particularly among certain racial groups.
For Children, Immersion in a Rainforest Lifestyle Can Lead to More Diverse Gut Microbes
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Can immersing yourself in a South American jungle and the high-fiber, unprocessed diet of its villagers make your gut microbes more diverse? And could it have benefits for people with obesity, type 1 diabetes and other disorders? A study led by Rutgers University(break)(break)-New Brunswick researchers followed seven city-dwelling adults and children who lived in a remote Venezuelan jungle village without electricity, soap or other amenities for 16 days. For the children, their microbiome - the beneficial germs in their intestines, skin, mouths and noses - became more diverse, with higher proportions of helpful bacteria. A similar change did not occur in the adults who visited the rainforest.
Discouraged by current exercise recommendations? New Beaumont research shows significant cardiac benefit with less exercise
Beaumont Health
Middle-aged and older women who exercise moderately to vigorously, three times a week for at least 30 minutes, were able to significantly reduce cardiac risk factors in just six months.
Cedars-Sinai Investigators Develop More Accurate Measure of Body Fat
Cedars-Sinai
Cedars-Sinai investigators have developed a simpler and more accurate method of estimating body fat than the widely used body mass index, or BMI, with the goal of better understanding obesity. The new method is highlighted in a study published in Scientific Reports, one of the Nature journals.
Researchers Identify Link Between Gut Bacteria and Eating for Pleasure, as Opposed to Hunger
A study of 63 healthy people showed that those with elevated microbiome levels of the metabolite indole -- produced when gut bacteria break down the amino acid tryptophan -- had stronger function and connectivity in specific areas of the brain's reward network. Such activity in the brain indicates that a person is more prone to "hedonic eating," or eating for pleasure rather than for hunger. Those with higher levels of indole also were more likely to have food addiction, as determined by questionnaires they completed.
Research Reveals Dangerous Midlife Switch of Ditching Activity to Sit Still
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
People are falling into a trap of greater inactivity during middle age, according to new research from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), which calls for its findings to be considered in future national physical activity guidelines.
Natural Sugar Defends Against Metabolic Syndrome, in Mice
Washington University in St. Louis
New research, in mice, indicates that a natural sugar called trehalose blocks glucose from the liver and activates a gene that boosts insulin sensitivity, reducing the chance of developing diabetes. The findings, from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, suggest new possibilities for treating metabolic syndrome, a cluster of related conditions that includes obesity, diabetes and fatty liver disease.
Latinos Need a Disaggregated Approach to Health Care
Washington University in St. Louis
Latinos are the largest racial/ethnic minority group in the United States, representing 16.3 percent of the population and growing -- coming from more than 25 countries in the Caribbean, Central America and South America.Each Latino group has a unique sociopolitical history and different demographic, socioeconomic, acculturation and settlement patterns that contribute to within-group variations in their health outcomes.
University Hospitals Recruits Talented Geneticist to Join Harrington Discovery Institute
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center
Announcement of new genetics researcher, Atul Chopra, MD, PhD, for the Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals.
Found: A Destructive Mechanism That Blocks the Brain From Knowing When to Stop Eating
University of California San Diego
An international team of researchers has uncovered a destructive mechanism at the molecular level that causes a well-known phenomenon associated with obesity, called leptin resistance.They found that mice fed a high-fat diet produce an enzyme named MMP-2 that clips receptors for the hormone leptin from the surface of neuronal cells in the hypothalamus. This blocks leptin from binding to its receptors. This in turn keeps the neurons from signaling that your stomach is full and you should stop eating. This is the first time that a destructive molecular mechanism has been observed and described.
Will Weight Loss Before Conception Make Mom and Baby Healthier?
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan
A new Michigan Medicine clinical trial -- now enrolling participants -- hopes to determine how weight loss prior to pregnancy affects maternal and fetal health.
Tabak receives $3.3 million NIH grant to study obesity in young mothers
Washington University in St. Louis
Young mothers are facing obesity and chronic disease at epidemic proportions, and Washington University in St. Louis researchers will use a new grant to test alternatives for prevention and intervention.Rachel Tabak, research associate professor at the Brown School, has received a five-year, $3.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study ways to prevent weight gain and chronic disease among mothers age 18-35.
Research Shows Surprising Scale of Health Benefits for Biggest Losers
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
When it comes to shedding pounds, it pays to think big, according to new research by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).
Grip Strength of Children Gives Clues about Their Future Health
Baylor University
Adolescents with a strong hand grip -- an indicator of overall muscle strength -- have better odds of being healthy over time, according to a two-year study of 368 elementary school children. A simple, non-invasive measure of grip strength can help identity risks of pre-diabetes and cardiovascular disease, issues of increasing concern as obesity in youths rises.
Americans May Have Outgrown Traditional Advice of Having a Varied Diet
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
When it comes to diet in the Western world of overconsumption where cheap convenience food rules, the age-old adage "everything in moderation" has been put to the test, prompting the American Heart Association (AHA) to issue a science advisory led by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).
In Absence of Obesity, PTSD Patients Not at Higher Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
Saint Louis University Medical Center
Saint Louis University research finds post-traumatic stress disorder does not directly lead to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), instead, obesity in PTSD patients accounts for the increased risk.
Clinical Thyroidology, a Journal of the American Thyroid Association, announces Dr. Angela M. Leung as New Editor-in-Chief
American Thyroid Association
The American Thyroid Association (ATA(r)) is pleased to announce that Dr. Angela M. Leung has been selected as the new Editor-in-Chief of the ATA monthly journal Clinical Thyroidology(r), as of 2019. Clinical Thyroidology is one of the ATA official journals distributed electronically. This highly valued abstract and commentary publication provides a broad-ranging look at the clinical thyroid literature. Experts in the field summarize the most cutting-edge, relevant articles of which clinicians should be aware and provide insight into the relevance and impact of each article on patient care.
Study Finds Behavioral Changes Insufficient at Preventing Early Childhood Obesity
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Young children and their families in poor communities were able to make some achievable and sustainable behavioral changes during the longest and largest obesity prevention intervention, but, in the end, the results were insufficient to prevent early childhood obesity.
Responsive parenting intervention results in lower BMIs through age three
Penn State College of Medicine
An intervention designed to promote healthy growth that taught first-time moms how to respond with age-appropriate responses to their babies' needs resulted in children having lower body mass indexes (BMIs) when they were three years old.
Preparing for Organized Chaos -- Back to School Health Tips for the Whole Family
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Muscle "Switch" May Control the Benefits of Exercise
Joslin Diabetes Center
Studying lab animals and humans, researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center discovered that a protein called JNK helps to drive response to exercise. If JNK is activated during exercise, the researchers say, that stimulates skeletal muscle growth. If it's not activated, muscles improve their adaptation for endurance and aerobic capacity.
Innovative Technique Converts White Fat to Brown Fat
Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science
Increasing healthy brown fat might help weight management and reduce symptoms of diabetes. Columbia Engineers have developed a simple, innovative method to directly convert white fat to brown fat outside the body and then reimplant it in a patient. The technique uses fat-grafting procedures commonly performed by plastic surgeons, in which fat is harvested from under the skin and then retransplanted into the same patient for cosmetic or reconstructive purposes.
Taking Oats Beyond the Breakfast Aisle
South Dakota State University
A food scientist will further improve a near-infrared spectrometer calibration as a single platform for determining the quality of oats and develop new products that take oats beyond the breakfast aisle through a new NIFA grant.
Why Bariatric Surgery Wait Times Have Nearly Doubled in 10 Years
Eligible patients are increasingly facing longer waits for operations proven to help them safely lose weight that endangers their health. And waiting longer doesn't improve safety, according to a new study by Michigan Medicine.
Fat Production and Burning are Synchronized in Livers of Mice with Obesity
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Mice fed a fattening diet develop new liver circadian rhythms that impact the way fat is accumulated and simultaneously burned. The team found that as liver fat production increases, surprisingly, so does the body's ability to burn fat. These opposing physiological processes reach their peak activity each day around 5 p.m., illustrating an unexpected connection between overeating, circadian rhythms, and fat accumulation in the liver.
The Medical Minute: Small Changes Can Make Big Progress in Preventing Childhood Obesity
Penn State Health
In the United States, the percentage of children and adolescents with obesity has more than tripled since 1970. Today, approximately one in five school-aged children (ages 6 to 19) is obese.
How a Frog Puppet and an Amateur Chef are Helping Kids Eat Healthier in NYC's "Urban Food Desert"
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Rutgers public health expert Christopher Ackerman teams up with a frog puppet to improve nutrition education in the South Bronx
'Good Cholesterol' May Not Always be Good for Postmenopausal Women
Postmenopausal factors may have an impact on the heart-protective qualities of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) - also known as 'good cholesterol.' The findings bring into question the current use of total HDL cholesterol to predict heart disease risk.
Bariatric Surgery Is Effective Under the Right Circumstances
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Obesity is a medical problem that can have wide-ranging mental and physical effects on a person. Pamela Bass knows that firsthand, but thanks to University of Alabama at Birmingham surgeons, she has a new lifestyle and a new state of mind. For years, Bass struggled with weight gain and the adverse health effects that come with obesity, such as high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Self-Control and Obesity: Gender Matters in Children
Ohio State University
A toddler's self-regulation - the ability to change behavior in different social situations - may predict whether he or she will be obese come kindergarten, but the connection appears to be much different for girls than for boys.
Sugar Reduction Takes Center Stage
Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)
With obesity-related diseases on the rise, many food and beverage manufacturers are looking at ways to reduce added sugar in products. From more traditional high-intensity options like sucralose and aspartame to natural offerings derived from the stevia plant, sugar alternatives can maintain sweetness levels in products as well as provide cost savings.
ACA Credited with Earlier Diagnosis of Gynecologic Cancers in Young Women
Johns Hopkins Medicine
The gains in insurance coverage with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) have already translated into improved health for young women with gynecologic cancers, who are getting diagnosed at earlier stages of their disease because of ACA benefits. That's the conclusion of a new study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine, who looked at nationwide trends in gynecologic cancer diagnosis in a large population of women before and after the ACA's implementation in 2010.
National School Food Policies Have Potential to Improve Health Now and Later
Tufts University
Providing free fruits and vegetables and limiting sugary drinks in schools could have positive health effects in both the short- and long-term, finds a new Food-PRICE study led by researchers from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.
Why Don't More Americans Eat the Mediterranean Diet?
California State University (CSU) Chancellor's Office
The diet has been shown to reduce the risk of disease and improve longevity, but most Americans don't follow it. Dr. Meifang Chen, a researcher at Cal State LA, explains why.
Novel App Switches You to Healthier Options
Northwestern University
With a simple barcode scan, free new mobile app FoodSwitch -- developed by Northwestern University researchers -- will suggest healthier alternatives to the typical fat-, salt- and sugar- laden packaged foods on grocery store shelves. If a particular food is not listed in 268,000-product database, the food can be quickly added to the app in real time through crowdsourcing. Packaged food manufacturers change products frequently, and FoodSwitch can quickly track how well they are reducing sodium, added sugars or saturated fats in their foods.
'Skinny Fat' in Older Adults May Predict Dementia, Alzheimer's Risk
Florida Atlantic University
A first-of-its-kind study has found that "skinny fat" - the combination of low muscle mass and strength in the context of high fat mass - may be an important predictor of cognitive performance in older adults. Results show that sarcopenic obesity or "skinny fat" was associated with the lowest performance on global cognition.
The Medical Minute: Just Say "Om"-the Benefits of Yoga and Pilates for Beginners
Penn State Health
Yoga and Pilates are two forms of low-impact exercise that people of all ages and fitness levels can do to improve both their physical and mental well-being.
NIH Study Associates Obesity with Lower Breast Cancer Risk in Young Women
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Young women with high body fat have a decreased chance of developing breast cancer before menopause, according to scientists at the National Institutes of Health and their collaborators. The finding, published online in the journal JAMA Oncology, may help researchers better understand the role obesity plays in breast cancer risk.
People Slimming for Summer Should Carefully Consider Their Salads
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
Laura Acosta, a registered dietitian at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, said three types of salads often come with lots of calories and are laden with fat and sodium.
Inhaled Nitric Oxide May Reduce Kidney Complications from Heart Surgery Requiring Cardiopulmonary Bypass
American Thoracic Society (ATS)
Administration of nitric oxide gas during and for 24 hours following heart surgery decreased the risk of patients developing acute and chronic kidney problems, a randomized, controlled trial conducted in China found.
Expert: Eliminating use of trans fat easier said than done
Arizona State University (ASU)
Daily Fasting Works for Weight Loss
University of Illinois at Chicago
A new study shows that daily fasting is an effective tool to reduce weight and lower blood pressure. The study is the first to examine the effect of time-restricted eating -- a form of fasting that limits food consumption to select hours each day -- on weight loss in obese individuals.
Gut Microbes May Contribute to Depression and Anxiety in Obesity
Joslin Diabetes Center
Like everyone, people with type 2 diabetes and obesity suffer from depression and anxiety, but even more so. Researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center now have demonstrated a surprising potential contributor to these negative feelings - and that is the bacteria in the gut or gut microbiome, as it is known.
Metabolic imaging targets early signs of disease development
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
Obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer often begin with early, subtle changes in cell metabolism. Now researchers at Tufts University have developed a non-invasive optical imaging technique that detects these changes, providing an early window of opportunity for new research and potential therapeutic development.
Study First to Show Antipsychotic Medication Use in Youths Increases Diabetes Risk, Body Fat
Florida Atlantic University
A study is the first to use gold-standard methods to test the hypothesis that antipsychotic treatment in youths adversely increases body fat and decreases insulin sensitivity. All three antipsychotics tested - oral aripiprazole, olanzapine, and risperidone, which are common first line use medications for children with nonpsychotic behavior disorders - increased not only total body fat, but also visceral and subcutaneous abdominal fat, associated with long-term risk for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
FDA Trans-Fat Ban Won't Be the Magic Elixir That Cures Heart Disease
University of Alabama at Birmingham