The newly discovered molecule, called Interleukin-6, has apparently paved way for inventing new drugs to combat diabetes and obesity. This was concluded in an international project where researchers from Vitagenes, a company that is a part of the Campus program promoted by the University of Granada (UGR).

The technical director, Jose Luis Mesa, of Vitagenes (situated in the Technological Park of Health Sciences (PTS)), collaborated in this project in conjunction with other distinguished scientists of the University to Melbourne and the Baker Heart Research Institute (Australia). Jose Luis Mesa was among the main authors of this study. The most pertinent result of the project that corroborated the statement ‘a potential treatment to prevent diabetes and obesity’ found a place for itself in the international scientific journal of Endocrinology.

The misconceived molecule

The amazing aspect about this study is that, erstwhile the evidence showed that the molecule Interleukin-6 that was chronically high in diabetic and obese people was considered a threat to diabetes and obesity, but this study negated that evidence completely.

In the words of Jose Luis Mesa, "No study had tried to inject interleukin-6 directly to analyse if this molecule was really harmful or, to the contrary, could help to prevent obesity and diabetes". He further states, “our hypothesis was that interleukin-6 was naturally high in diabetic and obese persons precisely to combat such diseases. In order to prove it, we injected human recombinant interleukin-6 daily for two weeks and analysed its behaviour and its effects on the metabolism".

The statement of Mark Febbraio, scientific director in the Baker Heart Research Institute and a member of the Advisory Scientific Committee of Vitagenes, further confirms the validity of this study. He stated, “…we obtained surprising results. The exogenous administration of interleukin-6 improved insulin sensitivity and the absorption of glucose, essential for diabetics".

In connection with obesity, Jose Luis Mesa points out that “interleukin-6 also increased the expression of important genes related to fats metabolism, such as PPAR and UCP2. This suggests that interleukin-6 could be involved in the metabolic control of body weight".

Vitagenes, though managed to find a better use of the molecule Interleukin-6, still maintain that this is a preliminary study conducted in animal models and that further studies are required to be conducted in humans to establish definite conclusions.

A new chemical entity has been tested on mice at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in France that has shown tremendous potential to provide protection against diet-induced obesity.  The enzyme known as SIRT1 very effectively enhances glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. It succeeded in accumulation of fat for strengthening specific body tissues and thus resulted in an increase in exercising stamina.

The study papers are presented in the latest issue of Cell Metabolism by the lead author Johan Auwerx, MD a professor at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne.

Earlier studies have revealed that the occurrence of aging effects can be slowed down while developing endurance capabilities, if the caloric consumption is reduced by about 20%. It also helped in providing adequate protection against diet-induced obesity and related problems like diabetes etc. Some earlier studies also successfully demonstrated the ability of Resveratrol to give similar metabolic benefits if consumed in large doses. The researchers in the present study focused on the activation of enzyme SIRT1, which they believed, was responsible for managing the population and efficiency of mitochondria, the energy boosters in our cells.

The present research concentrated on finding the role of activated SIRT1 enzyme in controlling diet-induced obesity. SIRT1 also promoted utilization of fat in liver, skeletal muscles and brown adipose tissue and thus effectively curb the negative impacts of fat-rich diet on metabolism.

Johan Auwerx said "These results show that new synthetic SIRT1 activators can reproduce the positive metabolic effects that were previously demonstrated using resveratrol, a naturally occurring SIRT1 activator found in red wine. But unlike resveratrol, these new chemical entities target only the SIRT1 pathway, making them more selective and potent for achieving these metabolic benefits."

There is a huge interest in the people to check the occurrence of obesity and other metabolic disorders though the use of SIRT1 due to ineffectiveness of diet management plans and physical exercises.

A new study in animals confirmed the effectiveness of a new way to treat obesity and resulting diabetes by planting a resistant lining on the upper portion of small intestine and stomach. This procedure of putting in the lining sleeve produced the similar results in the animal as is derived from gastric bypass surgery in humans. With this procedure, the animal’s diet as well as the diabetes symptoms reduced significantly. Investigators from the Massachusetts General Hospital Weight Center and Gastrointestinal Unit carried out the study, which is being considered a new procedural approach to treating obesity.

"This is a clear proof of principle that the human version of this device may be an effective treatment for obesity and diabetes. The clinical device would be placed endoscopically, making it far less invasive than surgical therapies," says the lead investigator, Lee Kaplan, MD, PhD, director. "The next step will be to complete large-scale controlled trials of this procedure in human patients. We also need to learn more about how this device affects the complex interplay between receptors that line the stomach and intestine which are stimulated by ingested food and the brain, pancreas, liver and other organs involved in metabolism and in eating behavior."

A 10 centimeter long impermeable sleeve was used to secure the stomach outlet and outlet of the duodenum and upper jejunum in the animals. This device prevented the area from sensing and absorbing the nutrients and also facilitated the flow of undigested nutrients to the lower jejunum.

"A key finding of this study is that the device induced a decrease in food intake as part of its effect and does not act by reducing absorption of nutrients," Kaplan says. "Like gastric bypass, it appears to change the way that neural and endocrine signals stimulated by nutrients act on their target organs. We still don’t know much about the mechanisms underlying these effects, but we and several other groups are working hard to improve our understanding."

Have you ever wondered how susceptible you are to obesity? Don’t you think it would be terrific to know in advance if you have a tendency to get obese so that you can take required precautions and avoid being in a situation? You will be glad to know that a recent study in Monell Center, Philladelphia revealed that by measuring the changes in the blood triglyceride levels post a fatty meal may now indicate an individual’s susceptibility towards obesity because of the dietary factors. According to researchers, a simple blood test would be needed to observe the degree of change in the triglyceride levels after a fatty food intake. This would open the doors to facilitate the identification of people who are at obesity risk in future.

Senior author and researcher Mark Friedman quoted "These findings suggest we may someday be able to use a simple blood test to identify those at risk for obesity," Mark, a PhD who works as a behavioral physiologist at Monell Center added "The ability to identify more susceptible individuals would make it possible to target obesity-prevention resources on those who need them most."

The bases of research, triglycerides, are a part of fat cells that are stored in the fat zones of the body and are transported to these zones through the bloodstream. These cells are a part of the fatty food items and are manufactured within our bodies as well.

Obesity is a problem faced by people worldwide. A high fat and carbohydrate diet that promotes weight gain is blamed mostly for obesity. Since two different people may gain different weight while they consume similar diet it is considered that the genetics of the people is the main factor that drives weight gain behavior in individuals due to high-fat food intake.

At present the world has nothing to predict vulnerability of the individuals towards diet induced obesity. Physicians do not rely on any clinical tests for identifying individuals that may become obese in future. The findings of these current tests coupled with the future studies to thoroughly test the mechanism that brings changes in the blood triglyceride levels do indicate towards the possibility of a blood test becoming a useful tool for the said purposes in future.

"The differences in weight gain associated with high-fat diets indicate that genetically-determined factors contribute to obesity," Friedman says and adds "We have shown that these genetic factors are related to the body’s ability to burn fat. We now need a better understanding of how this relates to blood triglyceride levels."

In a recent development, scientists from Germany found during lab tests that an extract from a traditional herb Tabebuia impetiginosa reduced dietary fat assimilation in the animals’ bodies. The researchers firmly believe that the herbal remedy, if taken as a food supplement, may prove to be as effective in humans. It may not only reduce the incidence of obesity but also of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. The development can prove to be a major achievement as the spread of obesity and related diseases is a cause of concern worldwide. The research results were presented by Dr Nils Roos of Max Rubner Institute and associates in the month of July 2008.

The research indicated that the rats that were induced Tabebuia extract showed reduced triglycerides (a by-product of fat) count after intake of fat-filled meal. Dr Roos observed "This result shows the extract may have a potential use in treating obesity. However, as coronary heart disease and diabetes have also been shown to be associated with higher triglyceride levels after eating, we believe a food-supplement based on Tabebuia could reduce the incidence of these diseases as well. What is more, as obesity in developing countries is also on the increase, such extracts, taken as a capsule or added to food, may be a cheaper alternative for the rural population to pharmaceuticals."

While there is no doubt that extract of Tabebuia does restrict the absorption of dietart fats, further researches are on to identify the exact compound in the extract that is responsible for it. Once that identification is done, the identified substance in itself may be more active than the extract. According to Dr Roos. "We are currently in the process of identifying these compounds, and will then test long-term efficiacy and safety in miniature pigs whose physiology is closer to that of humans than rat physiology is, before moving onto human trials. At this point, we hope to be able to develop the extract, either as a food supplement or in a medicinal context."

We may be on our way to have an herbal remedy in our hand to fight back the menace of obesity soon!

In a recent study conducted at Penn State College of Medicine among the rats it has been confirmed that the obese rats developed insensitivity towards sweetened eatables because of which they ate bigger and sweeter meals. This eating behavior induced further obesity in them and thus created a never ending cycle to get rid of excess weight. The study focused on the criticality of the link between the body weight and taste sensitivity especially towards sugary eatables.

The lead researcher and associate professor of neural and behavioral sciences, Andras Hanjal said "When you have a reduced sensitivity to palatable foods, you tend to consume it in higher amounts. It is a vicious circle."

There have been studies earlier that suggested the insensitivity to sugary eatables in obese being the reason of their consuming the same in larger quantities as compared to the lean. However the specifics of this taste behavior between the lean and obese is not known largely.

The professor along with a colleague tried getting to the root of this difference in OLETF and LETO species of rats and found that the sensitivity in the OLETF rats was much more similar to humans. These species of rats with a normal weight ate more than required because the signaling system of satiation malfunctioned in them. These rats gain weight to get obese and also develop diabetes. The obese preferred to eat more sugary food and were ready to put in more efforts to get access to such food. However their response to the salt was similar in both the varieties. 

"We found that compared to the LETO rats, the OLETF rats had about 50 percent fewer neurons firing when their tongues were exposed to sucrose, suggesting that obese rats are overall less sensitive to sucrose," explained Hajnal, whose findings appeared in a recent issue of the Journal of Neurophysiology. The response to salt was the same for both strains.

"When you have excess body weight, the brain is supposed to tell you not to eat more, or not choose high caloric meals" said Hajnal. "But this control apparently fails and thus the obesity epidemic is rising, and we want to find out how the sense of taste drives up food intake."

A recent study conducted in US revealed that people who are regular with their breakfast are less likely to suffer from obesity, diabetes, or heart disease. This study was conducted in the Children’s Hospital, Boston and researchers found that people who ate breakfast regularly had 30-35 percent lower rate of obesity and insulin resistance syndrome than people who missed their morning breakfast.

Insulin resistance syndrome is a condition where the patient suffers from obesity, high abnormal body fat, and high blood pressure. Further, Insulin resistance syndrome is a disorder where patients do not manage the required level of ‘good’ cholesterol. This results in inefficient processing of glucose in the body whereby type 2 diabetes is developed. Not just type 2 diabetes, but heart disease also surface because of this Insulin resistance syndrome.

In the year 1999-2000, a study was conducted to assess the breakfast habits and the associated risk factors for heart disease. This study included 1,198 black and 1633 white participants. Out of the participants, 47 percent whites and 22 percent blacks were those who had regular morning breakfast. In this study, the lead researcher, Mark Pereira, stated that eating breakfast most likely has a benefiting effect on appetite, insulin resistance, and energy metabolism. Reasoning the statement, Mark Pereira, extends by saying that when the stomach is filled the chances of binging throughout the day is quite unlikely. Even the tendency to over eat during morning meals or lunch is far reduced if regular breakfast is followed as a routine.

Further revelation pointed out a possible hormonal link to these benefiting effects because insulin controls blood sugar, which in turn is related to the feeling of hunger or energy. Insulin controlling the blood sugar makes a person to feel hungry or energetic. Additionally, researchers added that eating whole-grain cereal everyday resulted in 15 percent reduction of the insulin resistance syndrome.

The crux of the whole study then leads to one affirmative statement – if you want to stay away from problems of obesity, diabetes, or heart disease all you need to ensure is regular healthy breakfast.

Do you have a tendency to overeat at times? When you overeat do you realize that you are eating more than you should have? If the answers to these are yes, then the chances are that you are one among many that are suffering from a most common disorder which is known as binge eating disorder. The chances are that if you are suffering from this disorder then you may be eating large amount of food even when you are not hungry. It can be embarrassing for you to have food with others because of the quantities that you consume.

Binge eating disorder is a very common eating disorder especially in women as compared to men. Not only obese people suffer from this disorder, many people with normal weight may also be victims of binge eating disorder. People indulging in binge eating may have gained weight early in life and may also gain and lose weight cyclically.

It is observed that binge eating disorder leads to depression in people and they become susceptible to most of the stress related problems and may even develop suicidal instincts.

There is yet another eating disorder called Bulimia Nervosa of which binge eating disorder is a part. People suffering from bulimia nervosa however try to control their body weight by throwing up what they consumed and / or exercising extensively. Though this manages to keep the weight under control, it is not an appropriate way to lose weight.

People eating excessively especially when they are not hungry should seek the advice of a heath professional to find out if they are a victim of this disorder. If the disorder is confirmed it can be cured with the help of drugs and psychological assistance from psychiatrist, psychologist, or clinical social counselor.

The latest researches on older adults show a tendency in them to gain abdominal fat in case they suffer from depression. However such people do not necessarily tend to gain weight in the overall body.

Depression has been found to be associated with the onset of many diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases etc. It may sometimes lead to cardiac arrest and to the untimely death of the suffering person as well. The need was to gain more insight and effectively understand the modus operandi of depression. Since the older genre is more susceptible to anxiety or depression (10% to 15% suffer from it), the researchers chose older adults for the study.

"Depression has been associated with the onset of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cardiac mortality [death]," the authors write. "To better prevent occurrence of these major disabling and life-threatening diseases, more insight into underlying mechanisms relating depression to these disorders is needed."

The study was conducted by Nicole Vogelzangs and colleagues at University Medical Center, Amsterdam, on Two thousand Eighty-eight adults aged between 70 to 79 years. The researchers recorded depression level, overall obesity (using BMI and Body Fat %) and abdominal obesity (using waist circumference, sagittal diameter and visceral fat) for all the participants at the beginning as well as at the end of a five year research period.

Measures of overall obesity included body mass index and body fat percentage, while abdominal obesity was assessed using waist circumference, sagittal diameter (distance between the back and the highest point of the abdomen) and visceral fat (fat between the internal organs) measured by computed tomography. The results at the end of the research period showed that increase in depression level also resulted in an increase in sagittal diameter and visceral fat in the people under study. However it did not show signs of increase in overall obesity in them.

"Such an association was not found for an increase in overall obesity and also appeared to be independent of changes in overall obesity, suggesting that depressive symptoms are rather specifically associated with fat gain in the visceral region," the authors write.

The researchers observed that depression led to generation of hormone cortisol which is responsible for fat buildup in the abdomen area. The increased anxiety levels also result in bad dietary habits and noxious way of life resulting in abdominal obesity.

"Our longitudinal results suggest that clinically relevant depressive symptoms give rise to an increase in abdominal obesity, in particular visceral fat, which seems to be stronger than and independent of overall obesity," the authors conclude. "This could also help explain why depression is often followed by diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Future research should further disentangle these mechanisms because this will yield important information for prevention or treatment of depression-related health consequences."

George Mason University researchers designed an online nutritional game and named it “Color My Pyramid”. This game was designed to test its effectiveness with regard to fighting childhood obesity. The game intends teaching students how to assess their dietary consumption and physical activity. This program integrates an interactive computer game called Kids Blast-Off game from the Department of Agriculture’s MyPyramid.gov – a game that encourages kids to use nutritious food and adequate physical activity as fuel in their rockets for winning the game.  

This “Color My Pyramid” game is taught over a period of three months to cover all the six classes of this program. Analysis revealed that this program significantly enhanced kid’s eating habits and increased physical activity. Further, there has been a marked reduction in blood pressure, weight, and body mass index (BMI).

According to Lisa Pawloski, co-designer of this program, "With 35 to 40 percent of children’s daily calorie consumption occurring during the school day, it is quite appropriate that a comprehensive nutrition intervention in school would assess, prevent and reduce the number of overweight and obese children. We hope that this pilot study provides a clearer understanding of effective approaches to nutrition interventions for school age children.” Lisa Pawloski is an associate professor and chair of the Department of Global and Community Health in the College of Health and Human Services.

More than 50% of the participants aged between 9 and 11 were either overweight or obese, which is an alarming revelation and is observed in children belonging to lower-income families and living in urban areas. In the words of Pawloski, “As a researcher, it was very eye opening to see the number of local children affected by this epidemic. It was also different from other research projects because we both designed the education program and tested its effectiveness.”

Though childhood obesity is rapidly increasing in the United States, it is highly hoped that this epidemic can be tackled with the help of parental intervention and such educational programs as “Color My Pyramid”.

Attempting to understand the root cause for childhood obesity, Pawloski says, “One of the major issues underlying obesity is selecting the right foods. By educating children about making healthy eating choices and educating parents and teachers on how to encourage those behaviors, children may have better success in sustaining a healthy weight.