Obesity

Posted on June 25, 2019June 25, 2019 Obesity

Could coffee be the secret to fighting obesity?

Caffeine and sleep — Could coffee be the secret to fighting obesity?

Scientists from the University of Nottingham have discovered that drinking a cup of coffee can stimulate ‘brown fat’, the body’s own fat-fighting defenses, which could be the key to tackling obesity and diabetes.

The pioneering study, published today in the journal Scientific Reports, is one of the first to be carried out in humans to find components which could have a direct effect on ‘brown fat’ functions, an important part of the human body which plays a key role in how quickly we can burn calories as energy.

Brown adipose tissue (BAT), also known as brown fat, is one of two types of fat found in humans and other mammals. Initially only attributed to babies and hibernating mammals, it was discovered in recent years that adults can have brown fat too. Its main function is to generate body heat by burning calories (opposed to white fat, which is a result of storing excess calories).

People with a lower body mass index (BMI) therefore have a higher amount of brown fat.

Professor Michael Symonds, from the School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham who co-directed the study said: “Brown fat works in a different way to other fat in your body and produces heat by burning sugar and fat, often in response to cold. Increasing its activity improves blood sugar control as well as improving blood lipid levels and the extra calories burnt help with weight loss. However, until now, no one has found an acceptable way to stimulate its activity in humans.

“This is the first study in humans to show that something like a cup of coffee can have a direct effect on our brown fat functions. The potential implications of our results are pretty big, as obesity is a major health concern for society and we also have a growing diabetes epidemic and brown fat could potentially be part of the solution in tackling them.”

The team started with a series of stem cell studies to see if caffeine would stimulate brown fat. Once they had found the right dose, they then moved on to humans to see if the results were similar.

The team used a thermal imaging technique, which they’d previously pioneered, to trace the body’s brown fat reserves. The non-invasive technique helps the team to locate brown fat and assess its capacity to produce heat.

“From our previous work, we knew that brown fat is mainly located in the neck region, so we were able to image someone straight after they had a drink to see if the brown fat got hotter,” said Professor Symonds.

“The results were positive and we now need to ascertain that caffeine as one of the ingredients in the coffee is acting as the stimulus or if there’s another component helping with the activation of brown fat. We are currently looking at caffeine supplements to test whether the effect is similar.

Once we have confirmed which component is responsible for this, it could potentially be used as part of a weight management regime or as part of glucose regulation programme to help prevent diabetes.”

Leave a comment Posted on January 5, 2018January 5, 2018 Obesity, Weight Loss

Easy-To-Follow Weight-Loss Guidelines for Men

Easy-To-Follow Weight-Loss Guidelines for Menwe

It is estimated that in the UK, 1 in every 4 adults are obese with research suggesting that the ratio is likely to increase over time. Tackling obesity is a key government priority as losing weight can not only improve people’s lives but have a positive impact on the economy as well. Men are more likely to be obese than women in the UK (66% of men as opposed to 58% of women). Men also more reluctant to join weight-loss programmes and have a lower chance of reaching a healthy body weight by themselves than obese women.

The consumer market offers countless weight-loss aids that can significantly help lose weight and if coupled with a healthy lifestyle, the results can be astonishing. Due to men being less likely to embark on a weight-loss journey it is all the more important to motivate them to do just that. There is a better chance that a man will be inspired to lose weight if he can understand that his weight poses risks to his health. Apart from that, a few simple guidelines may also do the trick.

Don’t diet

Banish the 4-letter word all together as the term ‘diet’ is often synonymous with deprivation, which usually isn’t sustainable. Cutting out certain foods and food groups that you enjoy and have enjoyed your entire life is not realistic for most people yet 80% of losing weight depends on how you can control what you eat. It is important to develop an eating strategy that you can stick to in the long run. If you are looking for permanent weight-loss you need to be prepared to make permanent changes to your lifestyle.

Do some mathematics

A single pound of fat equates to 3,500 calories. If you want to lose 1 pound a week you need to reduce your daily calorie intake by 500 every day. Take your current weight and multiply it by 11. That is a rough indication of how much calories your body needs to maintain its current status. Aim to subtract 500 calories from that number by making changes to your diet and exercise routine.

Develop a strategy

You do not have to do anything as drastic as overhauling your whole fridge overnight nor does it mean you have to avoid certain foods for the rest of your life. What it does mean is that need to figure out what compromises you need to make without feeling entirely desperate and deprived. IF you are prone to indulging in chips and soda every day start by cutting down to every second or third day. Small lifestyle changes will lead to substantial and sustainable weight-loss in the end.

Make sure you have a plan

A lot of people fail at their diets because they don’t have a plan. Plotting out your menus for the week or month is a very good place to start as you are more likely to stick to an eating plan if it is decided upon in advance. Learning about portion control and how many calories are hidden in different food sources will also prove to be of great benefit. There are numerous handy applications available, such as MyFitnessPal, that does all the calculations for you when you log your food intake. This is the easiest way to keep track of what you are eating and also keep you honest.

Add exercise to the equation

You can also control your calories by exercising more and burning them off while building muscle. Exercise will enable you to lose weight faster without having to starve yourself. If you only alter the way you eat your body will burn both fat and muscle, making strength training of vital importance as it reduces muscle loss.

You did not gain your excess weight overnight nor can you expect to lose it instantly. A fad diet may see you losing weight fast initially but chances are good that you will regain everything you have lost and possibly even more. By taking a holistic approach to your weight-loss you will not only keep off the weight you lose but you will significantly improve your general well-being as well.

Leave a comment Posted on November 1, 2017November 1, 2017 Children's health, Obesity, Patient Talk

New Infographic on Childhood Obesity

“It’s a common complaint that kids these days just aren’t going outside and getting enough exercise. While that’s true (largely in part to their growing tablet addictions), parents also play an immensely important role in their child’s health. The food that you pack in their lunch bags or put on their dinner plates is becoming increasingly important to fighting the obesity epidemic that has hit our country. Here’s an infographic (courtesy of homeremediesforlife.com) with 10 foods that parents should seriously reconsider serving their children, along with some helpful alternatives:”

Leave a comment Posted on October 20, 2017October 20, 2017 Children's health, Obesity

Childhood obesity soars worldwide

[Original article on NHS Choices website]

“Shocking figures show there are now 124 million obese children worldwide,” reports The Guardian. A pooling of records of height and weight in children from 200 countries found the numbers of children who are obese rose from less than 1% in 1975, to 5.6% of girls and 7.8% of boys in 2016.

The numbers of children severely or moderately underweight worldwide has fallen – but not by much (from 9.2% to 8.4% in girls and 14.8% to 12.4% in boys). There were an estimated 192 million severely or moderately underweight children in the world in 2016, mostly in Asia and Africa.

In the UK, as with other high-income English-speaking countries, the rise in childhood obesity seems to have stabilised in the past decade, albeit at high levels. Around 10% of UK children are estimated to be obese according to this study.

The figures show that some middle- and low-income countries that previously had many underweight children (such as in the Middle East) had “flipped” to having many overweight children.

Children who become overweight or obese in childhood are at higher risk of developing chronic diseases in adulthood such as type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer. And sadly, research suggests they are more likely to be bullied and have low self-esteem.

Find out more about how you can help your child reach a healthy weight.

Where did the story come from?

The study was carried out by researchers from the international NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, and the lead researcher is based at Imperial College London. It was funded by the Wellcome Trust and AstraZeneca Young Health Programme. It was published in the peer-reviewed medical journal The Lancet on an open-access basis, so it is free to read online.

The researchers also published country-specific information in graphs on their website.

The Guardian and BBC News both published accurate stories. The Guardian took a “first-world problem” approach and did not mention the numbers of children still underweight, focusing entirely on the obesity figures.

BBC News gave a more rounded report.

What kind of research was this?

This was a pooled analysis of population-based measurement studies, using data sources from 200 countries around the world. Researchers wanted as many reliable studies of children’s height and weight as possible, to compare trends and figures from 1975 to 2016. They also looked at figures for adults, but focused on children aged five to 19 for this study.

What did the research involve?

Researchers sought out reports that included the measured weight and height of children within the general population of countries worldwide. They used data from government and health service sources, as well as any published studies, and used their international network to find all relevant data sources from their local areas.

They then analysed the information to look for trends in mean body mass index (BMI), and how many children fitted into five categories, from moderate and severely underweight to obese. They looked at trends over time and in global regions.

The researchers only used data where weight and height had been measured as part of a study, rather than self-reported weight and height. They grouped countries into 22 geographical regions for most of their analyses. They used World Health Organization (WHO) growth reference charts to categorise children, which means their figures don’t compare directly with other studies that used different definitions.

What were the basic results?

The researchers pooled information from 2,416 data sources, which had height and weight information for about 31.5 million children aged five to 19 years.

The results showed an increase in obesity and a decrease in those severely or moderately underweight over time:

In 1975, 0.7% of girls (95% credible interval (CrI) 0.4 to 1.2) and 0.9% of boys (95% CrI 0.5 to 1.3) were obese.

In 2016, 5.6% of girls (95% CrI 4.8 to 6.5) and 7.8% of boys (CrI 6.7 to 9.1) were obese – an estimated total of 50 million girls and 74 million boys.

In 1975, 9.2% of girls (95% CrI 6.0 to 12.9) and 14.8% of boys (CrI10.4 to 19.5) were underweight.

In 2016, 8.4% of girls (95% CrI 6.8 to 10.1) and 12.4% of boys (CrI 10.3 to 14.5) were underweight.

The global figures, however, mask big differences in various regions of the world.

In eastern Europe, for example, average age-standardised BMI changed very little for boys or girls. In central Latin America, by contrast, it rose by 1kg/m2 for every decade from 1975 to 2016. In high-income English speaking countries, average age-standardised BMI rose until about 2000, then the rise flattened off.

The areas of the world with the highest proportion of children estimated to be obese in 2016 are:

Polynesia and Micronesia (25.4% of girls and 22.4% of boys)

High income English-speaking countries including the UK, north America and Australia and New Zealand (around 20%, exact figures not given)

In the UK, obesity in boys rose from 2.4% in 1975 to 10.9% in 2016, while obesity in girls rose from 3% in 1975 to 9.4% in 2016. The UK ranks 73rd on the list of 200 countries for childhood obesity prevalence.

How did the researchers interpret the results?

The researchers say their results show that “rising trends in children’s and adolescents’ BMI have plateaued in many high-income countries, but have accelerated in parts of Asia.”

They say that if trends continue, “child and adolescent obesity is expected to surpass moderate and severe underweight by 2022.”

They say figures from east Asia and Latin America show that “the transition from underweight to overweight and obesity can be rapid”, and that international policy goals should address both underweight and overweight in a coherent way.

They point out that: “While momentum might be gathering to use taxes and regulations to reduce the consumption of energy-dense foods, few policies and programmes attempt to make healthy foods such as whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables more affordable through targeted price subsidies, (conditional) cash transfers and food vouchers, or healthy school meals. Unaffordability of healthy food options not only leads to social inequalities in overweight and obesity, but might also limit the effect of policies that target unhealthy foods”.

Conclusion

This is a huge report with data from around the world. It found that, while obesity among children has clearly increased globally, the picture is variable from one country or region to another.

It’s encouraging that the report found obesity levels among countries such as the UK are levelling off. However, that still leaves millions of children obese or overweight, which could put their health at risk in years to come. More needs to be done to reduce those numbers. More urgent is the situation in countries that have seen a rapid rise in childhood obesity that shows no sign of slowing.

It is also important not to overlook the ongoing problem of the many millions of children who are underweight, as this can lead to other long-term health risks.

The report does have some limitations to be aware of:

Categories of obesity, overweight etc are not “absolute” categories based on the optimum weight for health. Instead, they represent how a child’s BMI compares to a “reference” population of children the same age and sex. Some debate whether this over-estimates the proportion of children categorised as obese.

The amount of data the researchers had available for each region varies a lot. Some regions have many reports of children’s weight and height, often measured at school. For regions where children are less likely to attend school, or where such programmes are not in place, researchers made estimates relying on fewer sources.

Despite the researchers’ efforts, they may not have found all relevant data for the study.

Obesity in children can set them up for ill health later in life. It may be harder to lose weight as an adult, than to prevent too much weight gain in childhood. Public Health England said in a statement that it was “at the forefront” of addressing the problem through reducing sugar consumption and introducing a levy on sugar-sweetened drinks.

Leave a comment Posted on September 20, 2017September 19, 2017 Diet, Obesity, Weight Loss

Could discovery of ‘fat switch’ cure obesity?

Original article on NHS Choices here.

“Obesity cure possible after discovery of fat ‘switch’,” is the somewhat premature headline in The Daily Telegraph.

Researchers have identified a “biological switch” that controls when fat cells convert fat into energy for the body. But the headline fails to make it clear that this discovery was in mice, not humans.

Current thinking is that fat cells start off as “beige”, where they’re essentially in a neutral state. They can then be converted into either white or brown fat cells.

White fat cells store energy and can contribute towards obesity. Brown fat cells are primed to burn energy by warming the body.

It’s possible for white fat cells to be converted into brown fat cells – by fasting, for example – in a process known as browning. In some cases, brown fat cells can switch back to being white fat cells again.

This study looked at this process in mice and found a mechanism that controls this switch. It involved an area of the brain called the hypothalamus and a protein called TCPTP, which acts on insulin receptors.

Researchers found the switch was stuck in obese mice and they were in energy-storing mode all the time, promoting weight gain.

But we don’t yet know if the switch would be the same in humans, and to what extent it contributes to obesity.

Interfering with neural pathways in the brain could have unintended consequences, so any drugs developed to target the process would need thorough testing to make sure they’re safe.

For now, the best way to achieve a healthy weight is to stay activeand eat a balanced diet.

Where did the story come from?

The study was carried out by researchers from Monash University in Australia, and the Department of Neuronal Control of Metabolism in Cologne, University Hospital Cologne, the University of Cologne, and the National Center for Diabetes Research, all in Germany.

The research was funded by the NHMRC of Australia, the Diabetes Australia Research Trust, and the National Imaging Facility.

It was published in the peer-reviewed journal Cell Metabolism.

The UK media coverage of this research was generally accurate, although The Guardian failed to mention anywhere in their article the research was conducted in mice.

Any talk of a cure for obesity being found, as suggested by The Daily Telegraph, is premature.

The study’s results can’t be directly linked to human biology. There’s no way of knowing yet if fat control mechanisms in human brains work in the same way.

What kind of research was this?

This experimental research was carried out in mice to understand the mechanism behind the storage or expenditure of energy in normal and obese mice, as well as during feeding or fasting stages.

This kind of research is very useful for showing how biological mechanisms might potentially work in humans.

But the research is at a very early stage, and there’s a long way to go before therapies or treatments might be available for humans.

What did the research involve?

The researchers looked at brain scans, blood tests and metabolic measurements in mice to examine how the mechanisms in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus work in response to feeding and fasting, and see how these might potentially work in humans.

The hypothalamus is responsible for regulating a number of essential biological processes, including appetite, and regulating body temperature.

The specific area in the hypothalamus the researchers were interested in was the insulin receptor TCPTP.

The researchers looked at the mice’s ability to use energy just after a meal and store energy in between meals by preventing or allowing the action of insulin.

Insulin levels rise after eating as blood glucose levels rise, causing the brain to send signals to start “browning” fat so energy is expended. When insulin levels lower, energy starts to be conserved again.

The researchers looked at beige fat cells and their ability to switch between white fat cell-like states (energy storage) and brown-like states (energy expended).

They also looked at the mechanism that controls these beige fat cells, how this mechanism changes according to eating or fasting patterns (and therefore insulin levels), and whether there are any differences in this mechanism in obese mice.

What were the basic results?

The researchers found beige fat cells’ ability to switch between energy storage versus expenditure was important in a feeding versus fasting context.

They found this was co-ordinated by the hypothalamus and the action of TCPTP on insulin receptors in this area of the brain.

Hypothalamic TCPTP was increased during the fasting phase, which prevented insulin signalling, resulting in less browning of the white fat cells and therefore less energy expenditure.

Hypothalamic TCPTP decreased during the feeding phase, increasing insulin signalling and resulting in more browning of the white fat cells and more energy expended.

The ability to suppress the hypothalamic TCPTP as a result of feeding didn’t work as effectively in obese mice.

Removing hypothalamic TCPTP in obese mice restored browning of the beige fat cells after feeding, increasing energy expenditure once more to promote weight loss.

Mice without hypothalamic TCPTP didn’t become obese when overfed.

How did the researchers interpret the results?

The researchers concluded: “Our studies indicate that the energy expenditure specifically associated with feeding in chow-fed lean mice is reduced in diet-induced obesity.

“The promotion of feeding-induced energy expenditure may provide an approach by which to combat obesity.”

Conclusion

This early-stage research suggests there is potentially a mechanism by which energy expenditure and storage is controlled in normal-weight mice versus obese mice.

Removing a protein called hypothalamic TCPTP, which acts as the “switch” for fat storage, promoted weight loss in obese mice.

This might give us some insight into how weight loss could be promoted in obese humans by turning this switch off.

But at this stage, this is just a hypothesis – we can’t assume the same is true for humans. Many therapies and procedures that appear promising at the outset aren’t always successful in humans.

Given the major disease burden caused by obesity, finding ways to reduce its prevalence is a crucial area of research.

For now, the best way to achieve a healthy weight is to stay activeand eat a balanced diet.