A Common-sense Cure For Obesity (p 473)August 07, 2002In a Seminar in this week's issue of THE LANCET, Cara B Ebbeling and colleagues, from the USA, discuss the public-health crisis that is childhood obesity. Fat children, historically thought of as healthy, are now known to be at risk of many serious physiological and psychological complications. People who are obese are likely to die earlier than those who are not overweight. The authors discuss the complications associated with obesity, outline the extent and causes of the epidemic, and discuss strategies for prevention and treatment. Their conclusion, however, is not an optimistic one-obesity is a common problem that extracts an enormous toll in health-care costs and human suffering, and for which there is no effective cure. The message of this Seminar is clear: "The childhood obesity epidemic can be primarily attributed to adverse environmental factors for which straightforward, if politically difficult, solutions exist." The sobering truth is that no amount of research alone will solve the problem of obesity in children without comprehensive measures to address the "toxic environment". These measures should target the many factors that "promote energy intake and limit energy expenditure in children, undermining individual efforts to maintain a healthy bodyweight". | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Related Obesity Current Events and Obesity News Articles Research in twins defines shared features of the human gut microbial communities: variations linked to obesity Trillions of microbes make their home in the gut, where they help to break down and extract energy and nutrients from the food we eat. Yet, scientists have understood little about how this distinctive mix of microbes varies from one individual to the next. Pediatric obesity may alter thyroid function and structure In addition to its strong associations with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, pediatric obesity may induce alterations in thyroid function and structure, according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM). Cardiovascular disease causing increasing inequity between rich and poor A new paper released today by The George Institute for International Health is warning a cardiovascular disease based epidemic is gaining pace among many low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), exemplified at its worst in the world's largest populated countries - China and India. Bariatric surgery may resolve liver disease Obesity is a growing epidemic in the U.S. with a significant increase in prevalence from 15 percent to 32.9 percent from 1980 to 2004. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an emerging problem related to the obesity epidemic, becoming one of the most common causes of liver disease in the nation. Persistent pollutant may promote obesity Tributyltin, a ubiquitous pollutant that has a potent effect on gene activity, could be promoting obesity, according to an article in the December issue of BioScience. Adiponectin is a metabolic link between obesity and bone mineral density Researchers at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, Canada, have discovered that adiponectin, a protein secreted from adipocytes, is a metabolic link that can explain, in part, the known positive relationship between obesity and both bone mineral density and reduced susceptibility to fractures. Sealing off portion of intestinal lining treats obesity, resolves diabetes in animal model Lining the upper portion of the small intestine with an impermeable sleeve led to both weight loss and restoration of normal glucose metabolism in an animal model of obesity-induced diabetes. Why women should eat less, move more and consider wearing transdermal HRT patches during menopause Weight and appetite experts from around the world met at a conference in Bangkok earlier this year to discuss sex differences in obesity. One line of discussion looked at factors leading to women's weight gain during menopause, and how it might be avoided. Heart patients are often not treated in accordance with guidelines Many patients with cardiovascular disease are not given adequate drug therapy. This is the result of an international study. In the current edition of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, Uwe Zeimer et al. present the German results of this prospective, one-year survey. Scripps research team defines new painkilling chemical pathway Marijuana kills pain by activating a set of proteins known as cannabinoid receptors, which can also regulate appetite, inflammation, and memory. More Obesity Current Events and Obesity News Articles |
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