Gut microbe networks differ from norm in obese people, systems biology approach reveals

For the first time, researchers have analyzed the multitude of microorganisms residing in the human gut as a complex, integrated biological system, rather than a set of separate species. Their approach has revealed patterns that correspond with excess body weight.

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Breakthrough in regulating fat metabolism

Scientists at Warwick Medical School have made an important discovery about the mechanism controlling the body’s ‘fat switch’, shedding new light on our understanding of how proteins regulate appetite control and insulin secretion.

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Enzyme boosts metabolism, prevents weight gain in mice

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.

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Another clue to how obesity works

The effects of obesity - both on our bodies and on the health budget - are well known, and now, scientists are getting closer to understanding how the disease progresses, providing clues for future treatments.

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Green tea helps mice keep off extra pounds

Green tea may slow down weight gain and serve as another tool in the fight against obesity, according to Penn State food scientists.

Obese mice that were fed a compound found in green tea along with a high-fat diet gained weight significantly more slowly than a control group of mice that did not receive the green tea supplement, said Joshua Lambert, assistant professor of food science in agricultural sciences.

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Powerful antibody-based strategy suggests a new therapeutic approach to diabetes and obesity

Cold Spring Harbor, NY – The work of a team of scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) led by Professor Nicholas Tonks FRS, suggests a way to overcome one of the major technical obstacles preventing a leading therapeutic target for diabetes and obesity from being addressed successfully by novel drugs.

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Joslin researchers identify pathways leading to activation of good fat

BOSTON – September 20, 2011 – Researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center have identified for the first time two molecular pathways that are critical to activating a type of “good” fat found in the body, a discovery that could play an important role in the fight against obesity and diabetes.

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Policies that promote healthy eating could cut heart disease deaths by half

Research by the University of Liverpool has found that intervention policies that promote healthy eating could cut the death rate for cardiovascular disease (CVD) by up to 50%.

Professor Simon Capewell from the Institute of Psychology, Health and Well-being found that intervention policies which reduce unhealthy eating habits can have a significant effect on levels of CVD at both an individual and population level.

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Cardiotrophin 1 shows promising results for treatment of obesity and metabolic syndrome

Scientists from the Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) of the University of Navarra (Spain) have discovered that cardiotrophin 1, a protein synthesized by muscle cells and adipose tissue, has a marked effect on fat and glucose metabolism. “These new findings add to those we already know on this compound such the anti-ischemic and cytoprotective effects showed in acute liver damage and solid organ transplants gives CT-1 great possibilities to be developed in various serious conditions”, commented Pablo Ortiz, CEO of Digna Biotech.

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Gout prevalence swells in US over last 2 decades

Increase in obesity and hypertension are likely contributors

A new study shows the prevalence of gout in the U.S. has risen over the last twenty years and now affects 8.3 million (4%) Americans. Prevalence of increased uric acid levels (hyperuricemia) also rose, affecting 43.3 million (21%) adults in the U.S. Greater frequency of obesity and hypertension may be associated with the jump in prevalence rates according to the findings now available in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

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