Battle of the bulge: Low leptin levels undermine successful weight lossJune 23, 2008Individuals who are obese are at increased risk of many diseases, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease. As 75%-95% of previously obese individuals regain their lost weight, many researchers are interested in developing treatments to help individuals maintain their weight loss. A new study, by Michael Rosenbaum and colleagues, at Columbia University Medical Center, New York, has provided new insight into the critical interaction between the hormone leptin and the brain's response to weight loss. Leptin levels fall as obese individuals lose weight. So, the authors set out to see whether changes in leptin levels altered activity in the regions of the brain known to have a role in regulating food intake. They observed that activity in these regions of the brain in response to visual food-related cues changed after an obese individual successfully lost weight. However, these changes in brain activity were not observed if the obese individual who had successfully lost weight was treated with leptin. These data are consistent with the idea that the decrease in leptin levels that occurs when an individual loses weight serves to protect the body against the loss of body fat. Further, both the authors and, in an accompanying commentary, Rexford Ahima, at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, suggest that leptin therapy after weight loss might improve weight maintenance by overriding this fat-loss defense. Journal of Clinical Investigation Science News and Science Current Events Tag Cloud This tag cloud is a visual representation of term frequencies of random science news topics with common terms grouped together and emphasized by their display size. Mathematics Immunotherapy Electronics Saturns Rings Phytophthora Computer Chip Bacterial Infection Embryonic Development Ozone Layer Tumor Growth Circadian Rhythms Diarrhea HIV prevention Ecstasy Skin Cancer CPAP Mars Express Phosphorylation Antiretroviral Therapy Tumor Body Fat Inflammatory Bowel Disease Threatened Species Intestinal Bacteria Chronic inflammation
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Related Weight Loss Current Events and Weight Loss News Articles Lap-band weight-loss surgery can reverse metabolic syndrome in obese teens A new study of obese adolescents has shown that laparoscopic gastric banding surgery -- the "Lap-Band" procedure -- not only helps them achieve significant weight loss but can also improve and even reverse metabolic syndrome, reducing their risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Mayo Clinic study finds celiac disease 4 times more common than in 1950s Celiac disease, an immune system reaction to gluten in the diet, is over four times more common today than it was 50 years ago, according to findings of a Mayo Clinic study published this month in the journal Gastroenterology. Meckel's diverticulum masked by intermittent recurrent subocclusive episodes Meckel's diverticulum (MD) is the most frequent congenital abnormality of the small bowel and it is often difficult to diagnose. Three to six months to lose weight gained in pregnancy is normal Once the baby arrives, many new mothers want to return to their former weight quickly - just like film stars who appear in the media in bikinis just weeks after giving birth. Roux-en-Y weight loss surgery raises kidney stone risk The most popular type of gastric bypass surgery appears to nearly double the chance that a patient will develop kidney stones, despite earlier assumptions that it would not, Johns Hopkins doctors report in a new study. Benefit of glinides is not proven The benefit of glinides in the treatment of type 2 diabetes is not scientifically proven. Nor do they perform better than other antidiabetics available in tablet form, such as metformin and sulfonylureas. Researcher explores why smoking increases the risk of heart disease and strokes Researchers at Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles and Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona have discovered a reason why smoking increases the risk of heart disease and strokes. Appetite-stimulating hormone is first potential medical treatment for frailty in older women Older women suffering from clinical frailty stand to benefit from the first potential medical treatment for the condition, according to a study presented today by Penn Medicine researchers at ENDO, The Endocrine Society's 91st Annual Meeting. Physiological response may explain why some severely obese patients overeat Don't feel like you are getting full when eating a large meal? New research from The Miriam Hospital suggests that a physiological response may partially explain why severely obese individuals may not feel satisfied after eating and often have difficulty controlling the amount of food they consume during a meal. Brain molecule reduces food intake Researchers at Imperial College London have identified a new appetite suppressant for promoting weight loss that they say works in rodents and may one day be used to develop an effective anti-obesity treatment. More Weight Loss Current Events and Weight Loss News Articles |
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