Eating fatty foods seems to trigger the urge to consume more calories and store fat, new research from the University of Cincinnati shows.
UC researchers identified a stomach enzyme that kicks off the hormonal drive to eat.
The discovery could explain why gastric-bypass surgery is so effective at curing morbid obesity and, in some cases, type 2 diabetes, said lead researcher Matthias Tschöp.
The risks to an individual struggling with obesity are well-known: heart and endocrine issues, joint problems, psychological well-being, and more. A new study from Advanced Plan for Health shows that obesity is also risky to an employer’s bottom line, costing more than double to provide employee health insurance to those considered obese.
The study looked at a population of 128,000 employees and, of those, found that 2,000 were given a diagnosis of “obesity, unspecified,? as defined by the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD codes), which can include individuals with a body mass index greater than 30.
Our food and drink actually become part of us. They determine how our body functions, feels and looks. After ingesting the food, the body breaks it down, uses what it can and excretes the rest. The problem is, the body uses whatever it can – not whatever it needs. This leads to imbalances in the body and its functions, which eventually leads to discomfort, disease or obesity. Fortunately, fresh, wholesome food is abundant and we can use our own judgment, knowledge and restraints in selecting our foods.
Childhood obesity may have yet another dangerous consequence: disordered breathing during sleep.
Researchers had 700 children spend a night in a sleep lab where they were evaluated using a polysomnograph, an instrument that measures sleep quality and breathing function. They also underwent a physical examination by an ear, nose and throat specialist. The children were randomly selected from the community, and none were being treated for sleep problems.
Exercise: It’s cheap, readily available, and the single most effective step people can take to avoid chronic and potentially fatal diseases. If it were being hawked on late-night TV, you’d think the phone lines would be tied up for hours.
The experimental, scar-free procedure creates a narrow passage that slows the food as it moves from the upper stomach into the lower stomach, helping patients feel full more quickly and eat less.
Building on research first done in Canada, human experiments are underway to test using jolts of electricity to the brain to keep obese people from overeating.
Deep brain stimulation involves boring through the skull and implanting tiny electrodes in regions of the hypothalamus believed to control hunger and satiety, or feelings of fullness.
A new report issued on Wednesday shows how current economic turmoil is causing US parents to feed their children cheaper, fast food meals rather than healthy ones. This tactic has apparently resulted in an increase in childhood obesity.
"There is concern with 'recession obesity' apart from the general trend toward an increasing number of obese American children," said Kenneth Land, project director of the Child Well-Being Index.
Some kids gain weight because they overeat or do not eat well. But for Ariel David-Robinson, 13, of Harrisburg, weight issues were partly the result of reading a lot.
Not that her parents are complaining about Ariel's love of books. But lack of physical activity -- whether it's because of reading, computer use, television or text messaging -- can fuel weight gain, even when a child, such as Ariel, is neither a big eater nor a snacker.
