News

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Statin Medications and Diabetes

"Statin Medications and Increased Risk for Diabetes Mellitus: What Clinicians Need to Know" - Medscape article based on study results published in the January 9, 2012 Archives of Internal Medicine (you need to log into Medscape to view this - there is free registration) » read more

Date: 01-18-2012

Lancet Study: Gastric Band Migrates

Case Report: Gastric Band Migrates (Lancet 2011) » read more

Date: 01-02-2012

The Endocrine Society also joins ASBP in supporting the FDA's removal of HCG from the market

The Endocrine Society also joins ASBP in supporting the FDA's removal of HCG from the market : » read more

Date: 12-09-2011

ASBP's Response to FDA Announcement about Removing HCG from Market

ASBP has issued the following press release in response to the FDA announcment regarding removing "homeopathic" HCG from the market: » read more

Date: 12-08-2011

FDA News Release about Removing HCG from the Market

The FDA, FTC act to remove "homeopathic" HCG weight loss products from the market. » read more

Date: 12-08-2011

Medicare Coverage for Obesity - Physicians Must Know How to Help Their Patients

According to USA Today, Medicare's recent decision to cover obesity treatment has triggered a debate on who is best able to treat obese patients. The ASBP's mission is to "advance and support the physician's role in treating overweight patients." In other words, ASBP's education is focused on exactly the need the article discusses. » read more

Date: 12-01-2011

ASBP Tackles Obesity

"ASBP Tackles Obesity" - ASBP Member Jennifer Seger, MD's blog about the recent Obesity Symposium: » read more

Date: 11-29-2011

Metabolism Boosted By Enzyme, Weight Gain Prevented In Mice

Male and female mice engineered to express the inflammatory enzyme IKKbeta in their fat tissue ate more but gained less weight. They burned sugar and fat more effectively than mice who were left unaltered. The research may shed light on how obesity and inflammation affect insulin resistance and sensitivity. (November 16, 2011) » read more

Date: 11-16-2011

Kolasa: Research shows no benefit to using hCG for weight loss

Q My sister wants me to get hCG shots with her for weight loss. If it works, I guess it would be worth the money since I need to lose some weight. But I can’t afford spending money on something that’s not a sure thing. — R.S., Winterville (November 16, 2011) » read more

Date: 11-16-2011

Enzyme Boosts Metabolism, Prevents Weight Gain in Mice

ScienceDaily (Nov. 14, 2011) — Male and female mice engineered to express the inflammatory enzyme IKKbeta in their fat tissue ate more but gained less weight. They burned sugar and fat more effectively than mice who were left unaltered. The research may shed light on how obesity and inflammation affect insulin resistance and sensitivity.In a new study, scientists report that they substantially curbed weight gain, improved metabolism, and improved the efficacy of insulin in mice by engineering them to express a specific human enzyme in their fat tissue. Although the obesity prevention came at the significant cost of widespread inflammation, the research offers new clues about the connections among obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, and inflammation. » read more

Date: 11-15-2011

Physicians Who Treat Obesity Respond to the News of Bubba Smith's Overdose

DENVER, Nov. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP) is sad to learn of the death of Bubba Smith. Our condolences go out to his family, friends and fans. The recent news reports regarding the fact that the medication phentermine was a contributing factor to his death are concerning and bring to the forefront the importance of using such medications as prescribed. » read more

Date: 11-10-2011

New Drug Cuts Blood Supply To Fat Cells For Weight Loss

A study published this month in the journal Science Translational Medicine explains a new and potentially revolutionary approach to weight loss, a drug called Adipotide, that basically reduces the blood supply specifically to fat cells, causing them to simply wither away. (November 10, 2011) » read more

Date: 11-10-2011

Obese Monkeys Lose Weight On Drug That Attacks Blood Supply of Fat Cells

ScienceDaily (Nov. 9, 2011) — Obese rhesus monkeys lost on average 11 percent of their body weight after four weeks of treatment with an experimental drug that selectively destroys the blood supply of fat tissue, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reports in Science Translational Medicine.Body mass index (BMI) and abdominal circumference (waistline) also were reduced, while all three measures were unchanged in untreated control monkeys. Imaging studies also showed a substantial decrease in body fat among treated animals. » read more

Date: 11-10-2011

Equipping Facilities for Bariatric Patients

In its recent newsletter article on bariatric patient safety, ECRI Institute PSO acknowledges the input provided by ASBP member and former member of the ASBP Board of Trustees Charles Shaffer, M.D., medical director, The Weigh Station, Christiansburg, Virginia, and Robert Dums, M.D., attending physician at The Weigh Station. You can download the full article from ECRI Institute’s website at https://www.ecri.org/Forms/Pages/PSO.aspx. » read more

Date: 11-09-2011

Blame your hormones if you can't lose weight, keep it off

ASBP member Ethan Lazarus, MD commented on a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Please click the link below to view the television interview (October 27, 2011). » read more

Date: 11-07-2011

Do Farm Subsidies Cause Obesity?

New Paper Dispels Myths about Public Health and Commodity Payments » read more

Date: 11-03-2011

Exenatide (Byetta) Has Rapid, Powerful Anti-Inflammatory Effect, Study Shows

ScienceDaily (Nov. 2, 2011) — Exenatide, a drug commonly prescribed to help patients with type 2 diabetes improve blood sugar control, also has a powerful and rapid anti-inflammatory effect, a University at Buffalo study has shown. » read more

Date: 11-03-2011

Unsaturated Fat Breakdown Leads to Complications of Acute Pancreatitis in Obese Patients

ScienceDaily (Nov. 2, 2011) — The toxic byproducts produced by the breakdown of unsaturated fats lead to a higher likelihood of severe inflammation, cell death and multi-system organ failure among acute pancreatitis patients who are obese, say researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Their findings, published online November 2 in Science Translational Medicine, provide new insight into how fat can induce complications after sudden inflammatory, non-infectious illnesses.Doctors have observed that obese people are at greater risk for adverse outcomes after trauma, severe burns, critical illnesses and acute pancreatitis, which is an inflammatory condition of the pancreas typically brought on by gallstones and alcohol, said senior author and UPMC gastroenterologist Vijay Singh, M.D., assistant professor, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Pitt School of Medicine. » read more

Date: 11-03-2011

Live Longer With Fewer Calories

By consuming fewer calories, ageing can be slowed down and the development of age-related diseases such as cancer and type 2 diabetes can be delayed. The earlier calorie intake is reduced, the greater the effect. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have now identified one of the enzymes that hold the key to the ageing process. (November 1, 2011) » read more

Date: 11-01-2011

Adding weight loss counseling to practice

Pouya Shafipour, MD, a family physician with the Motion Picture and Television Fund Medical Group, a five-doctor primary care practice in Los Angeles, California, began providing weight reduction services 4 years ago to help the increasing number of patients with weight-related issues. (October 10, 2011) » read more

Date: 10-28-2011

Scheduled Conference Speaker John Foreyt, PhD Comments: Intense Obesity Interventions Don't Increase Attrition

Note: You will need to login to Medscape to view this article. » read more

Date: 10-21-2011

Estrogen Works in the Brain to Keep Weight in Check, Study Shows

ScienceDaily (Oct. 20, 2011) — A recent UT Southwestern Medical Center study found that estrogen regulates energy expenditure, appetite and body weight, while insufficient estrogen receptors in specific parts of the brain may lead to obesity. » read more

Date: 10-20-2011

Activating Brown Fat: Research Finding May Lead to New Treatments for Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes

ScienceDaily (Oct. 10, 2011) — Activating a specialized type of fat, known as brown adipose tissue, may help combat obesity as well as result in better glucose control for type 2 diabetes, according to new research conducted by scientists at the UC Metabolic Diseases Institute.The current UC study suggests that activating brown adipose tissue through targeted inhibition of the cannabinoid receptor 1, also known as CB1, could effectively reduce body weight and blood glucose by increasing calorie burning in brown adipose tissue. » read more

Date: 10-13-2011

Scheduled Conference Speaker Cheryl Forberg, RD Explains How To Eat Like A 'Biggest Loser'

There are no two ways about it: The contestants on "The Biggest Loser" know -- or rather, come to find out -- that their weight-loss journey and the path to health is not a result of a "diet" or fad, but a medically sound lifestyle modification program that includes exercise and a sensible, healthy eating plan. Diets are temporary. This is not. (October 5, 2011) » read more

Date: 10-07-2011

HCG: A dieter's dream?

It's a weight loss solution that seemed too good to be true: Stop exercising, eat a third of your normal daily calories, and shed the pounds without a single hunger pang. (October 2, 2011) » read more

Date: 10-04-2011

The Hormonal Role In Glucose And Fat Metabolism Explained

Hormone researchers at the University of Houston (UH) have their sights set on providing long-term treatment options for diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases by better understanding estradiol, the most potent naturally occurring estrogen. (October 3, 2011) » read more

Date: 10-03-2011

Cell Dysfunction Linked to Obesity and Metabolic Disorders

ScienceDaily (Sep. 26, 2011) — By measuring the radioactive isotope carbon-14, scientists at Karolinska Institutet have revealed an association between lipid cell dysfunction and diseases such as obesity, diabetes and blood lipid disorders.The study, which is presented in the journal Nature, can lead to new approaches to combating metabolic diseases. » read more

Date: 09-26-2011

Abnormal Activation of a Protein May Explain Deadly Link Between High Salt Intake and Obesity

ScienceDaily (Sep. 19, 2011) — Dietary salt intake and obesity are two important risk factors in the development of high blood pressure. Each packs its own punch, but when combined, they deliver more damage to the heart and kidneys than the sum of their individual contributions. Discovering the molecular mechanisms behind this lethal synergy has presented a challenge to scientists, but research led by Toshiro Fujita, MD, professor and chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine and chief of the Department of Nephrology and Endocrinology at the University of Tokyo, suggests that high dietary salt intake and obesity work together to trigger an abnormal activation of a cellular protein called Rac1. » read more

Date: 09-20-2011

Radio Broadcast: Drop the Knife - Medical Weight Loss

Click the link below to listen to a radio broadcast featuring Wendy Scinta, MD, MS and Craig Primack, MD, FAAFP discussing medical weight loss. » read more

Date: 09-12-2011

Scientists Discover Switch That Turns White Fat Brown

ScienceDaily (Sep. 6, 2011) — Scientists have discovered a biological switch that gives energy-storing white fat the characteristics of energy-burning brown fat. The findings could lead to new strategies for treating obesity.The animal study by researchers at The Ohio State University Medical Center shows that the change is due to the activation of a nerve and biochemical pathway that begins in the hypothalamus, an area of the brain involved in energy balance, and ends in white fat cells. This pathway, called the hypothalamic-adipocyte axis, also induces brown-fat-like cells within masses of white fat. » read more

Date: 09-07-2011

Scheduled Conference Speaker John Foreyt, PhD Discusses How to Curb your Food Cravings

You know you have been trying hard to lose those extra pounds for the past one month. But still, you can't stop yourself from devouring those sumptuous chocolate cookies and French fries. (August 27, 2011) » read more

Date: 09-02-2011

Viruses in the Human Gut Show Dynamic Response to Diet

ScienceDaily (Aug. 30, 2011) — The digestive system is home to a myriad of viruses, but how they are involved in health and disease is poorly understood. In a study published online August 30 in Genome Research, researchers have investigated the dynamics of virus populations in the human gut, shedding new light on the gut "virome" and how it differs between people and responds to changes in diet."Our bodies are like coral reefs," said Dr. Frederic Bushman of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, senior author of the study, "inhabited by many diverse creatures interacting with each other and with us." The interactions between viruses, bacteria, and the human host likely have significant consequences for human health and disease, especially in the delicate ecosystem of the gut microbiome. » read more

Date: 08-31-2011

Free Radicals Crucial to Suppressing Appetite

ScienceDaily (Aug. 29, 2011) — Obesity is growing at alarming rates worldwide, and the biggest culprit is overeating. In a study of brain circuits that control hunger and satiety, Yale School of Medicine researchers have found that molecular mechanisms controlling free radicals -- molecules tied to aging and tissue damage -- are at the heart of increased appetite in diet-induced obesity.Published Aug. 28 in the advanced online issue of Nature Medicine, the study found that elevating free radical levels in the hypothalamus directly or indirectly suppresses appetite in obese mice by activating satiety-promoting melanocortin neurons. Free radicals, however, are also thought to drive the aging process. » read more

Date: 08-29-2011

Research from Everest: Can Leucine Help Burn Fat and Spare Muscle Tissue During Exercise?

ScienceDaily (Aug. 28, 2011) — Research on Mt. Everest climbers is adding to the evidence that an amino acid called leucine -- found in foods, dietary supplements, energy bars and other products -- may help people burn fat during periods of food restriction, such as climbing at high altitude, while keeping their muscle tissue. It was one of two studies reported in Denver at the 242nd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) on the elite corps of men and women who have tackled the highest peak on Earth, mountaineering's greatest challenge.In a pilot study of the feasibility of supplementing the diet of climbers with the branch chain amino acid, leucine, scientists studied 10 climbers for 6-8 weeks as they ascended Mt. Everest, which towers 29,000 feet above sea level. Since Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay made the first successful climb in 1953, over 2,500 people have scaled Mt. Everest in the Himalayas. Thousands more tried and failed, with more than 216 deaths. The researchers were studying the physiological benefits of adding leucine to the climbers' diets to help them stay healthy. The researchers are from the University of Utah. » read more

Date: 08-29-2011

Could a Tumor Suppressor Also Fight Obesity? Research Reveals Hormone Receptor GCC's Role in Appetite

ScienceDaily (Aug. 25, 2011) — The hormone receptor guanylyl cyclase C (GCC) has been established as a suppressor of colorectal cancer tumors, but new evidence from Thomas Jefferson University suggests it may also help fight one of the country's biggest pandemics: obesity.Reporting in the August 25 online issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Scott Waldman, M.D., Ph.D., chairman of the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at Jefferson, and colleagues found that silencing GCC affected appetite in mice, disrupting satiation and inducing obesity. Conversely, mice who expressed the hormone receptor knew when to call it quits at mealtime. » read more

Date: 08-26-2011

Mathematical Model Predicts Weight With Varying Diet, Exercise Changes; Findings Challenge One-Size-Fits-All Weight Assumptions

ScienceDaily (Aug. 25, 2011) — Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have created a mathematical model -- and an accompanying online weight simulation tool -- of what happens when people of varying weights, diets and exercise habits try to change their weight. The findings challenge the commonly held belief that eating 3,500 fewer calories -- or burning them off exercising -- will always result in a pound of weight loss.Instead, the researchers' computer simulations indicate that this assumption overestimates weight loss because it fails to account for how metabolism changes. The computer simulations show how these metabolic changes can significantly differ among people. Findings will be published Aug. 26 in a Lancet issue devoted to obesity. » read more

Date: 08-26-2011

Why Only Some Obese People Develop Chronic Diseases: Disease-Causing Fat Cells Found in Those With Metabolic Syndrome

ScienceDaily (Aug. 24, 2011) — UC Davis Health System researchers have discovered biological indicators that help explain why some obese people develop chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, and others do not.The researchers took a novel approach of looking specifically at the body fat of people with metabolic syndrome -- a condition characterized by increased blood pressure, high-fasting blood-sugar levels, excess abdominal fat and abnormal cholesterol levels. They found the fat cells released biomarkers associated with insulin resistance and chronic inflammation, conditions often leading to diabetes and cardiovascular disease. » read more

Date: 08-25-2011

New Target for Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes and Prediabetes Identified

ScienceDaily (Aug. 22, 2011) — Researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center have shown that an enzyme found in the mitochondria of cells is decreased in the skeletal muscle of those with diabetes, a finding that could lead to the development of drugs to boost the activity of this enzyme in an effort to fight the disease.A paper in published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed that the enzyme, Sirt3, is decreased in the skeletal muscle of humans and animals with diabetes by at least half, compared to those without diabetes and that this may contribute to development of insulin resistance, one of the earliest manifestations of the disease. Sirt3 is found in the mitochondria, the power producers of cells that convert energy into usable forms. » read more

Date: 08-23-2011

Fat Signals: Lipid Cleaving Enzyme Produces Signaling Molecule Essential in Lipid Metabolism

ScienceDaily (Aug. 22, 2011) — Obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases are daunting modern-day epidemics. In Western Europe more than 50% of the population is overweight and approximately 15 million people die from cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and stroke every year. These conditions are often caused by disorders of fat metabolism, resulting in a massive accumulation of fat in various tissues and of cholesterol in the walls of arteries.Fats are known to perform long-term storage of energy, but they also act as signaling molecules in the body. Consequently, fat is stored not only in adipose tissue, but also in smaller amounts in almost all cells of the body. Special fat cleaving enzymes, called lipases, are used to remobilize stored fat from cellular depots. One of them, Adipose Triglyceride Lipase (ATGL), is responsible for the first step in the breakdown of fat. Scientists from the University of Graz and colleagues from several countries report in the journal Nature Medicine that ATGL also produces key signaling molecules that are essential for the regulation of energy metabolism. » read more

Date: 08-23-2011

Gene That Exacerbates Risk Factors for Heart Disease and Diabetes Identified

ScienceDaily (Aug. 18, 2011) — A scientist at the Gladstone Institutes has discovered how a gene known as SIRT3 contributes to a suite of health problems sweeping across America, offering new insight into how to combat these potentially fatal conditions.In a paper being published August 18 in Molecular Cell, Gladstone Senior Investigator Eric Verdin, MD, describes how SIRT3, when switched off, accelerates the build-up of fats throughout the body. This can lead to obesity, high blood pressure and a decreased ability to process sugar -- the combination of which is known as the "metabolic syndrome." Metabolic syndrome significantly increases one's risk for developing heart disease and diabetes. » read more

Date: 08-19-2011

Bariatric Physicians do not Support State Intervention for Childhood Obesity

The American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP) does not support the concept that state intervention to remove a child from his or her home is the proper way to address life threatening cases of childhood obesity. Comprised of physicians involved in the frontline clinical treatment of obesity, the ASBP believes that in most cases this type of state intervention is extreme and unjustified. (August 16, 2011) » read more

Date: 08-17-2011

New Research Links Obesity With Heart Rhythm Disorder

ScienceDaily (Aug. 15, 2011) — University of Adelaide research has shown for the first time that obesity directly causes electrical abnormalities of the heart. » read more

Date: 08-17-2011

Should all obese people lose weight?

(CNN) -- You may be obese, but does that automatically mean you're unhealthy? » read more

Date: 08-16-2011

The Obesity Epidemic

Source: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Running Time: (7:13) Release Date: 07/22/2011 » read more

Date: 08-16-2011

A Protein May Help Treat Obesity, Diabetes

ScienceDaily (Aug. 9, 2011) — A newly-identified protein may hold the key to keeping appetite and blood sugar in check, according to a study by York University researchers.Suraj Unniappan, associate professor in York's Department of Biology, Faculty of Science & Engineering, is delving into the metabolic effects of a protein called nesfatin-1, abundantly present in the brain. His studies found that rats administered with nesfatin-1 ate less, used more stored fat and became more active. In addition, the protein stimulated insulin secretion from the pancreatic beta cells of both rats and mice. » read more

Date: 08-10-2011

Why Diets Don't Work: Starved Brain Cells Eat Themselves, Study Finds

ScienceDaily (Aug. 2, 2011) — A report in the August issue of the Cell Press journal Cell Metabolism might help to explain why it's so frustratingly difficult to stick to a diet. When we don't eat, hunger-inducing neurons in the brain start eating bits of themselves. That act of self-cannibalism turns up a hunger signal to prompt eating. » read more

Date: 08-03-2011

New Link Found Between Obesity and Insulin Resistance

ScienceDaily (Aug. 2, 2011) — Obesity is the main culprit in the worldwide avalanche of type 2 diabetes. But how excess weight drives insulin resistance, the condition that may lead to the disease, is only partly understood. Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center now have uncovered a new way in which obesity wreaks its havoc, by altering the production of proteins that affect how other proteins are spliced together.Their finding, published in Cell Metabolism, may point toward novel targets for diabetes drugs. » read more

Date: 08-03-2011

The Six Doctors Every Fitness Pro Should Know

By MEGAN SENGER - Your new client says her physiatrist wants her to work out less. Your spinning class regular asks whether he should see an orthopedic or osteopathic physician for his knee pain. A gym member wants to know if a chiropractor or a sports-medicine doctor is better for back injuries. And your regular trainees are all abuzz about the new bariatrics office opening down the street. (July 2011) » read more

Date: 08-01-2011

FDA Panel Says No to New Antidiabetes Agent

July 19, 2011 — The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee (EMDAC) today voted 9 to 6 against recommending the approval of the novel antidiabetic agent dapagliflozin (Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca), largely because of fears that the product may cause breast and bladder cancer. » read more

Date: 07-29-2011

Increased Muscle Mass May Lower Risk of Pre-Diabetes: Study Shows Building Muscle Can Lower Person's Risk of Insulin Resistance

ScienceDaily (July 28, 2011) — A recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) found that the greater an individual's total muscle mass, the lower the person's risk of having insulin resistance, the major precursor of type 2 diabetes.With recent dramatic increases in obesity worldwide, the prevalence of diabetes, a major source of cardiovascular morbidity, is expected to accelerate. Insulin resistance, which can raise blood glucose levels above the normal range, is a major factor that contributes to the development of diabetes. Previous studies have shown that very low muscle mass is a risk factor for insulin resistance, but until now, no study has examined whether increasing muscle mass to average and above average levels, independent of obesity levels, would lead to improved blood glucose regulation. » read more

Date: 07-29-2011

Treating Obesity Via Brain Glucose Sensing

ScienceDaily (July 26, 2011) — The past two decades have witnessed an epidemic spread of obesity-related diseases in Western countries. Elucidating the biological mechanism that links overnutrition to obesity could prove crucial in reducing obesity levels. In the July 26 issue of PLoS Biology, Dr. Dongsheng Cai and his research team at Albert Einstein College of Medicine describe a pathway that directs the brain to sense the body's glucose dynamics, and they find that a defect of this glucose sensing process contributes to the development of obesity and related disease. Importantly, the team also found that correction of this defect can normalize the whole-body energy balance and treat obesity. » read more

Date: 07-27-2011

USDA Announces Improvements in School Wellness Promotion

Changes will Engage Local Communities to Promote Healthier Lifestyles for Children - USDA announced today improvements included in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 that will enhance local wellness policies in schools in order to promote healthier lifestyles for children. Local wellness policies are an important tool for parents, local educational agencies and school districts to promote student wellness, prevent and reduce childhood obesity, and provide assurance that school meal nutrition guidelines meet the minimum federal school meal standards. Schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program were required to have local wellness policies in place beginning in the 2006-2007 School Year. (WASHINGTON, July 7, 2011) » read more

Date: 07-25-2011

Modulation of Inhibitory Output Is Key Function of Antiobesity Hormone

ScienceDaily (July 13, 2011) — Scientists have known for some time that the hormone leptin acts in the brain to prevent obesity, but the specific underlying neurocircuitry has remained a mystery. Now, new research published by Cell Press in the July 14 issue of the journal Neuron reveals neurobiological mechanisms that may underlie the antiobesity effects of leptin. » read more

Date: 07-14-2011

Waistlines in People, Glucose Levels in Mice Hint at Sweeteners' Effects: Related Studies Point to the Illusion of the Artificial

ScienceDaily (June 28, 2011) — In the constant battle to lose inches or at least stay the same, we reach for the diet soda. Two studies presented June 25 and 27 at the American Diabetes Association's Scientific Sessions in San Diego suggest this might be self-defeating behavior.Epidemiologists from the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio reported data showing that diet soft drink consumption is associated with increased waist circumference in humans, and a second study that found aspartame raised fasting glucose (blood sugar) in diabetes-prone mice. » read more

Date: 06-29-2011

Soluble Fiber Strikes a Blow to Belly Fat

ScienceDaily (June 27, 2011) — All fat is not created equal. Unsightly as it is, subcutaneous fat, the fat right under the skin, is not as dangerous to overall health as visceral fat, the fat deep in the belly surrounding vital organs.According to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, the way to zero in and reduce visceral fat is simple: eat more soluble fiber from vegetables, fruit and beans, and engage in moderate activity. » read more

Date: 06-28-2011

Higher Vitamin D Levels Linked to Lower Diabetes Risk

(Reader login required) - June 25, 2011 (San Diego, California) — Higher levels of vitamin D in the blood appear to be associated with a reduced risk for incident diabetes among people at high risk for the disease, according to a new report. » read more

Date: 06-27-2011

Obese Dieters' Brain Chemistry Works Against Their Weight-Loss Efforts

ScienceDaily (June 23, 2011) — If you've been trying to lose weight and suspect your body's working against you, you may be right, according to a University of Illinois study published in Obesity."When obese persons reduce their food intake too drastically, their bodies appear to resist their weight loss efforts. They may have to work harder and go slower in order to outsmart their brain chemistry," said Gregory G. Freund, a professor in the U of I College of Medicine and a member of U of I's Division of Nutritional Sciences. » read more

Date: 06-24-2011

Webcam docs push risky HCG diet

By Brittany Davis - Two physicians affiliated with an Arizona-based company have been prescribing or recommending risky and unproven weight-loss drugs and near-starvation diets to “patients” all over the country via telephone and Internet. (June 24, 2011) » read more

Date: 06-24-2011

Link Between Low Birth Weights and Obesity Later in Life: Altering Hormone Levels Changes Cellular Development in the Brain

ScienceDaily (June 21, 2011) — In a study that increases the understanding of the link between fetal development and obesity later in life, researchers at Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed) found altering the levels of two common hormones, insulin and leptin, in utero changes the cellular development in the region of the brain that regulates appetite.Their study using fetal neural stem cells from animal models, which was published online by the journal, Endocrinology, found that altered levels of leptin or insulin may have marked effects on their offspring brain development. The researchers said these findings provide further clues to the causes of obesity. » read more

Date: 06-21-2011

New Stem Cell Research Could Aid in Battle Against Bulging Waistlines

ScienceDaily (June 16, 2011) — Innovative adult stem cell research by scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) could aid efforts to apply the brakes to stem cells that produce the type of fat ringing the waists of millions. Research appeared online ahead of the print issue of Cell Stem Cell.The scientists have developed a bold approach for targeting fat-generating stem cells that one day could aid in the delivery of drugs that slow the cells' ability to direct fat expansion. Because these cells are also used in regenerative medicine, this approach may have wide applications. The cells are termed adipose stem cells. » read more

Date: 06-17-2011

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