Deborah Tate wants not only to help people battle obesity but those just trying to stay healthy. She works at the intersection of diet, exercise, research and technology. Dr. Tate is the Core Director for the UNC NORC’s CHAI Core. … Read more

Abstract This paper queries the causal links between systemic inflammation and aging, and details a mechanism by which the Nlrp3 inflammasome controls systemic low-grade age-related “sterile” inflammation. Ablation of Nlrp3 inflammasome protected mice from age-related increases in the innate immune … Read more

Abstract It has been hypothesized that a greater decline in circulating branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) after weight loss induced by Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery than after calorie restriction alone has independent effects on glucose homeostasis, possibly by decreased signaling … Read more

Abstract Data from studies in animal models indicate that certain lipid metabolites, particularly diacylglycerol, ceramide, and acylcarnitine, disrupt insulin action. We evaluated the relationship between the presence of these metabolites in the liver (assessed by mass spectrometry) and hepatic insulin … Read more

This is a video abstract of the expert opinion paper “Nutrition in pregnancy: the argument for including a source of choline” published in the open access International Journal of Women’s Health by Dr. Steven H. Zeisel, co-director of the UNC … Read more

Part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a collaborative partner of the UNC Nutrition Obesity Research Center, the UNC Nutrition Research Institute (NRI) seeks to understand the variance in people’s DNA, metabolism and nutrient requirements and … Read more

Abstract This study tested the efficacy of two school-based programs for prevention of body weight/fat gain in comparison to a control group, in all participants and in overweight children. The Louisiana (LA) Health study utilized a longitudinal, cluster randomized three-arm … Read more

Abstract The concept of “metabolic inflexibility” was first introduced to describe the failure of insulin-resistant human subjects to appropriately adjust mitochondrial fuel selection in response to nutritional cues. This phenomenon has since gained increasing recognition as a key component of … Read more

Abstract This publication demonstrates that the Nlrp3 inflammasome senses obesity–associated ‘danger–signals’ and contributes to obesity–induced inflammation and insulin resistance. Citation Vandanmagsar B, Youm YH, Ravussin A, Galgani JE, Stadler K, Mynatt RL, Ravussin E, Stephens JM, Dixit VD. The NLRP3 … Read more

Abstract Pregnancies complicated by diabetes have a higher risk of adverse outcomes for mothers and children, including predisposition to disease later in life, e.g. metabolic syndrome and hypertension. This paper details the changes in the mouse placenta as a consequence … Read more