New Drug to Tackle Body Fat Problems

[ScienceRocks]

New Drug to Tackle Body Fat Problems


ScienceDaily (Apr. 27, 2012) — Medical researchers at the University of Sheffield have defined the structure of a key part of the human obesity receptor- an essential factor in the regulation of body fat- which could help provide new treatments for the complications of obesity and anorexia.


This major advance in research, published in the journal Structure, will greatly enhance the ability to generate drugs which can both block and stimulate the receptor for the obesity hormone leptin. This could have life-changing effects on people suffering from the complications of obesity and malnutrition.

Researchers have solved the challenging crystal structure of the leptin-binding domain of the obesity receptor using state of the art X-ray crystallography, helping them to work out how to block or stimulate the receptor. Leptin, the obesity hormone, is produced by fat and excess leptin predisposes overweight people to conditions such as multiple sclerosis, cancer and heart disease whilst a deficiency in leptin, as occurs in malnutrition, results in infertility and immunodeficiency.

Blocking the receptor, and therefore the excessive actions of leptin, could prevent the complications of obesity and stimulating the receptor may improve fertility and the immune response.

Professor Richard Ross, Professor of Endocrinology at the University of Sheffield said: "This pioneering research gives us the potential to generate new drugs that could treat conditions and diseases associated with obesity such as Multiple Sclerosis, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

"Modulating the actions of the obesity receptor provides a novel approach to the treatment of conditions associated with both obesity and anorexia and has the potential to make a massive difference to millions of people whose quality of life and health is hindered by obesity or malnutrition."

Controlling appetite is a fundamental basic physiological drive which in turn is connected to many other aspects of physiology, in particular fertility and the immune response.

Professor Pete Artymiuk, from the University of Sheffield´s Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, said: "The human obesity receptor binds the hormone leptin and together they play a key role in regulating appetite, fertility, and immunity.
New drug to tackle body fat problems

 

[Not2BSubjugated]

Why do they keep trying to reinvent the wheel on this one? We already have methamphetamine for weight loss and it works -fabulously-

 

[waltky]

Granny don't wanna be usin' her tax dollars fer Uncle Ferd's g/f's...

New Study: US Obesity Levels Could Reach 42 Percent by 2030
May 08, 2012 - A new forecast for the United States suggests that 42 percent adult Americans could be obese and 11 percent severely obese by the year 2030.

The estimates are part of two Institute of Medicine (IOM) reports issued Monday and Tuesday at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Weight of the Nation conference in Washington. The scientists who conducted the research say a strategy requiring action across all levels of society is needed to reverse the problem of obesity.

IOM figures indicate that 34 percent of adults in the U.S. currently are obese, and six percent are severely obese. Severe obesity generally is defined as being about 45 kilograms overweight. One IOM study concludes the source of America’s overweight epidemic is an environment that promotes obesity, rather than a lack of individual willpower.

The co-authors made a long list of recommendations, including focusing heavily on schools where children spend most of their days, cutting farm subsidies that prohibit U.S. farmers from planting fruits and vegetables, and taxing sugar-sweetened beverages such as carbonated soda.

The IOM report also urges that healthy food and drink choices be more widely available to allow Americans to make better choices, not only at restaurants, but while at school, shopping or at entertainment and sports venues.

Source

 

[waltky]

Granny gonna start puttin' pepper onna Uncle Ferd's g/f's meals when dey eat with us...

Black pepper fights formation of fat cells
May 7,`12 (UPI) -- Researchers in South Korea say they are unlocking the secret to why black pepper fights fat.

Soo-Jong Um, Ji-Cheon Jeong and colleagues at Sejong University in Seoul said black pepper and the black pepper plant were used for centuries in traditional Eastern medicine to treat gastrointestinal distress, pain, inflammation and other health disorders.

Despite the long medicinal history, scientists know little about how the spice works on the innermost molecular level. The study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, found piperine -- the pungent-tasting substance that gives black pepper its characteristic taste -- blocks the formation of new fat cells.

Using laboratory studies and computer models, the researchers found piperine interferes with the activity of genes that control the formation of new fat cells. Piperine might also set off a metabolic chain reaction that helps keep fat in check in other ways, the researchers said.

Read more: Black pepper fights formation of fat cells - UPI.com

See also:

Spices reduce triglyceride response
Aug. 11,`12 (UPI) -- Adding spices to a high-fat meal reduces triglyceride response by about 30 percent, compared to a similar meal with no added spices, U.S. researchers say.

Study leader Sheila West of Pennsylvania State University, says eating a diet rich in spices, such as turmeric and cinnamon, reduces the body's negative responses to eating high-fat meals. "Normally, when you eat a high-fat meal, you end up with high levels of triglycerides, a type of fat, in your blood," West says in a statement. "If this happens too frequently, or if triglyceride levels are raised too much, your risk of heart disease is increased. We found that adding spices to a high-fat meal reduced triglyceride response by about 30 percent, compared to a similar meal with no spices added."

West and colleagues prepared meals on two separate days for six men ages 30-65 who were overweight but otherwise healthy. The researchers added two tablespoons of culinary spices -- rosemary, oregano, cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, cloves, garlic powder and paprika -- to each serving of the test meal, which consisted of chicken curry, Italian herb bread and a cinnamon biscuit. The control meal was identical, except it used no spices.

The findings, published in the Journal of Nutrition, indicate for those who ate the meal that contained a blend of antioxidant spices, antioxidant activity in the blood was increased by 13 percent and insulin response decreased by about 20 percent.

Read more: Spices reduce triglyceride response - UPI.com

 

[Douger]

In short. Don't eat like uh murkin.
When I escaped that shithole I was 250. Now I'm 190.
Time to make some Gallo Pinto !

 

[waltky]

Granny gonna invest in Arena stock an' give free samples to Uncle Ferd's g/f's...

US approves first obesity drug in 13 years
27 June`12 - US regulators on Wednesday approved the first drug to treat obesity in 13 years, a drug called lorcaserin, marketed as Belviq and made by Arena Pharmaceuticals.

The drug works to control the appetite through receptors in the brain and was approved as additional therapy for certain overweight and obese patients, combined with diet and exercise. Trials showed the drug helped people lose an average of three to 3.7 percent of their body weight after a year when compared to a placebo, the US Food and Drug Administration said. It is approved for use in obese adults with a body mass index of 30 or greater, or overweight adults with a BMI of 27 or greater who have at least one other condition such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol.

Arena's stock opened the day at $9 per share and jumped as high as 47 percent on news of the US approval. The company said it is also seeking approval on the European market, but has no timeline yet for a decision. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, described obesity as "a major public health concern," and said the new drug offers a treatment option when used "responsibly in combination with a healthy diet and lifestyle." However, the FDA warned that Belviq is not for women who are pregnant or nursing, and called for further long-term postmarketing studies on the drug's potential risks.

The label will also recommend that Belviq be discontinued in patients who fail to lose five percent of their body weight after 12 weeks of treatment. "These patients are unlikely to achieve clinically meaningful weight loss with continued treatment," said the FDA statement. Belviq activates the serotonin 2C receptor in the brain, and may cause serious side effects if taken in combination with certain medications for depression and migraine that increase serotonin levels or activate serotonin receptors. "Belviq may also cause disturbances in attention or memory," said the FDA.

Common side-effects in patients without diabetes include headache, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, dry mouth, and constipation. In diabetic patients, side effects may include low blood sugar, headache, back pain, cough, and fatigue. Lorcaserin was rejected in 2010 by the Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee, which advises the FDA, over concerns that it formed breast tumors in rats. But those effects did not appear in trials on overweight and obese humans. An independent advisory committee to the FDA recommended the drug be approved in May after three randomized, placebo-controlled trials of nearly 8,000 patients spanning one to two years. "All participants received lifestyle modification that consisted of a reduced calorie diet and exercise counseling," the FDA said. "Compared with placebo, treatment with Belviq for up to one year was associated with average weight loss ranging from three percent to 3.7 percent."

More US approves first obesity drug in 13 years - Yahoo! News

 

[waltky]

No longer is a fat baby a healthy baby...

Severely obese children's hearts already in danger
23 July 2012 - Severely obese children are putting their heart at danger even while they are still in primary school, according to a Dutch study.

Heart disease is normally associated with middle age, but the early warning signs were detected in children between the ages of two and 12. Two-thirds of the 307 children studied had a least one early symptom such as high blood pressure. The findings were presented in Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Obesity is a growing problem around the world with more people becoming obese and at a younger age. Heart disease is normally associated with middle age, but the early warning signs were detected in children between the ages of two and 12.

Two-thirds of the 307 children studied had a least one early symptom such as high blood pressure. The findings were presented in Archives of Disease in Childhood. Obesity is a growing problem around the world with more people becoming obese and at a younger age.

BBC News - Severely obese children's hearts already in danger

 

[there4eyeM]

A drug to stop obesity? So, these people will still be able to eat too much (while others starve), and not get fat?
Great!
Talk about personal responsibility.
New discovery to prevent obesity - STOP EATING!

 

[ScienceRocks]

A drug to stop obesity? So, these people will still be able to eat too much (while others starve), and not get fat?
Great!
Talk about personal responsibility.
New discovery to prevent obesity - STOP EATING!

Maybe if those starving third world countries worked to educate their populations toward learning modern farming...Well, maybe they would eat to the same. Ever thought of that? The concept must be over most of this worlds intelligence level.

Scotty beam me up!

 

[waltky]

Gallstone risk to obesity for teens...

Gallstone risk 'higher among obese teenagers'
24 August 2012 - Teenagers who are overweight or obese are much more likely to develop gallstones, compared with peers of a healthy weight, US research suggests.

Healthcare providers Kaiser Permanente looked at 510,000 children aged 10-19. The study, in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, found 766 had gallstones. It found those who were overweight were twice as likely as those with a healthy weight to have gallstones - the rate was higher among those who were obese. Those who were moderately obese were four times more likely to have gallstones than those with a normal body mass index, and this rose to six times for those classed as extremely obese.

A UK obesity expert said it was yet another sign that obesity-linked disorders were being seen at increasingly young ages. Gallstones are small stones, usually made of cholesterol, that form in the gallbladder. Often they do not cause any symptoms, but if one becomes trapped it can trigger intense abdominal pain. They can block the passage of bile into the intestine, which in turn can cause severe damage or infection in the gallbladder, liver, or pancreas and - if left untreated - can be fatal.

'Historically rare'

Gallstone disease is linked to increased weight in adults. The team from Kaiser Permanente looked at electronic health records of the teenagers, who were all enrolled in its Southern California Children's Health Study. There was a stronger association between weight and gallstones in girls than in boys. Lead author of the study, Corinna Koebnick, said: "Although gallstones are relatively common in obese adults, gallstones in children and adolescents have been historically rare. "These findings add to an alarming trend - youth who are obese or extremely obese are more likely to have diseases we normally think of as adult conditions."

National Obesity Forum chairman Prof David Haslam said the fact gallstones were being seen in obese teenagers was not surprising - but that it was worrying. "We know there is a link between the condition and obesity. But yet again we are seeing an adult illness in young people - because of obesity. "We have already seen Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Now it's gallstones. "And because these conditions are coming earlier, deaths will come earlier."

BBC News - Gallstone risk 'higher among obese teenagers'

 

[Politico]

Hmm and all this time I have been avoiding Ring Dings.

 

[Peach]

A disgrace; very little research is needed. People who stuff their faces are the PROBLEM, costing the country more than drug and alcohol abuse combined. The "I have a slow metabolism" crowd are sacks of lard liars. What the have is the sin of GLUTTONY!

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

Or you could just get off your fat ass and walk around the block once or twice a day.

 

[waltky]

Mebbe dey eatin' too much corn pone?...

Study: Rural U.S. more likely to be obese
Sept. 16, 2012 -- U.S. researchers say Americans living in rural areas are more likely to be obese than those living in urban areas.

Christie Befort of the University of Kansas Medical Center said there might be two significant reasons why rural residents are more likely to be overweight -- cultural diet and physical isolation.

The researchers analyzed data of the National Center for Health Statistics that used measured heights and weights of people. Previous studies relied on self-reported data, which typically underestimate the prevalence of obesity, Befort said.

The study, published in the Journal of Rural Health, found rural Americans typically consume a diet higher in fat. The research demonstrated the rural-urban obesity disparity existed in younger Americans, ages 20-39, but not in older age groups. Befort said this could be partially attributed to increased mechanization of previously labor-intensive jobs.

"There is a definite cultural diet in rural America, full of rich, homemade foods including lots of meat and dessert," Befort said in a statement. "Access -- healthcare, prevention and lifestyle activities -- is often about travel time in a rural area, but it can also be that there's no place to go. It's tough to get to a gym if you live outside of a town without one."

Read more: Study: Rural U.S. more likely to be obese - UPI.com