Children of African descent, who have a genetic variant that reduces the production of leptin in the body, are at higher risk of being overweight. Leptin plays a key role in controlling children’s weight. Children of African descent are at higher risk of developing obesity if they carry a genetic variant that reduces their…
For years, researchers have debated over whether brown fat continues to grow after birth. MMRI’s Lin Lab has become the first to prove it actually does. What is the brown fat? Brown fat, also known as brown adipose tissue, is a special type of fat that “turns on” (activates) when it chills to…
Periodontal or gum disease is known to be a significant risk factor for metabolic syndrome – a group of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes. In a new study, researchers from the Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) discovered that infection with Porphyromonas gingivalis – the bacteria that causes periodontal disease…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Saxenda (liraglutide) for chronic weight control in obese patients aged 12 and older. Saxenda has been approved for chronic weight control in adults with a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or more, or in adults with a BMI of 27 kg/m2 or more who have at least…
Researchers from the Rutgers Medical School, New Jersey have reported that vitamin D regulates calcium in a section of the gut that was previously thought not to play a key role. The findings have important implications on how gut disease, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, can alter calcium regulation. The study This…
Researchers have found that a treatment with icodec insulin once a week successfully reduced blood sugar and had a safety profile similar to that of glargine U100 insulin administered once a day in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. It is often thought…
A common weight loss surgery for obese teenagers called sleeve gastrectomy has damaging effects on bones, according to a new study. “Childhood obesity is a major public health problem that has increased over the past 10 years,” lead researcher Miriam A. Bredella, MD, said. She is professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School in…
Gut hormones Gut hormones play an important role in the regulation of fat production in the body. A key hormone released a few hours after eating shuts down fat production by regulating gene expression in the liver. Nevertheless, this regulation is abnormal in obesity, researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign found in a…
Obese patients older than 60 years of age can lose as much weight as younger people only through lifestyle changes, according to a new study by the University of Warwick NHS Trust and the University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW). The study shows that age is not a hurdle to lose weight. The…
Obesity is a global epidemic that causes millions of deaths each year; it is a chronic disease associated with other serious and chronic conditions, which include type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, stroke, cancer, and depression, among others. In a new study, researchers have discovered that the hormone Lipocalin-2 can reduce hunger, leading to weight…
The incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing among children, but not all obese youngsters undergo recommended detection tests, a California study suggests. The study A group of researchers inspected Kaiser Permanent Southern California electronic medical record data from members ages 5 to 18 between 2009 and 2018, with records from…
A personalized obesity treatment plan based on phenotypes resulted in greater weight loss than that of standard care, according to a speaker from ObesityWeek Interactive. “We have classified obesity based on pathophysiology and behavioral phenotypes on abnormal satiation (hungry brain), abnormal postprandial satiation (hungry gut), emotional hunger (hedonic eating) and abnormal energy expenditure at…