Category: News
Are Babies of Obese Moms Hardwired for Obesity? – Tracking Obesity Through Stem Cells
A study presented here may shed some light on why children of obese parents are at a high risk of obesity and metabolic disorders themselves. Researchers, led by Kristen Boyle, PhD, at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, looked at fetal stem cells and found that in utero, an obese mother may “program” a child’s cells to accumulate extra fat or develop different metabolic patterns that could later lead to insulin resistance. “We’ve known for awhile that the offspring of mothers who have diabetes during pregnancy have long-term effects on development and metabolism, but more recently these findings have … Read More »
Categories: News Tags: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAppetite-Regulating Neural Pathway Identified
A team including NIDDK (and Boston NORC) researchers discovered a neural circuit that controls appetite in the brains of mice. Using a wide array of multidisciplinary techniques, the team found that neurons interacting with a specific receptor in a part of the brain called the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus and the signals of those neurons to another part of the brain – the lateral parabrachial nucleus – regulate food consumption. Temporarily switching off these neurons in mice that are full makes the mice eat as though they were hungry, while turning them on reduces food consumption in hungry mice as though … Read More »
Categories: News Tags: BostonPennington Study Tests What Role Diet, Exercise Play in Infertility, Ovarian Cysts
One of the most common causes of infertility in women may be cured with exercise or a healthy diet. Researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center are testing whether walking on a treadmill and eating better work as a treatment for polycystic ovarian syndrome, a disorder that causes cysts to form on a woman’s ovaries and raises the risk of type 2 diabetes and other diseases. The disorder is usually treated with expensive medications or fertility treatments, said Leanne Redman, an associate professor at Pennington. “Most women cannot afford fertility treatments, which is what’s needed for many couples affected by … Read More »
Categories: News Tags: Pennington Biomedical Research CenterPennington STARCH Study
Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge is always working on some way to improve your diet. Their latest is known as the ‘STARCH Study’. The goal of the clinical trial is to determine the effect of slowly digesting starch on gut bacteria, sugar and fat metabolism, hunger hormones and body fat in people with pre-diabetes. Participants eat two servings of blueberry yogurt each day, while researchers measure changes to bacteria levels in the large intestine. Those who’ve participated say it works. “I was pre-diabetic, so I wanted to take precautions before anything else happened in my life that would … Read More »
Categories: News, Videos Tags: Pennington Biomedical Research CenterWeighty Issues: Pennington’s Kid-Focuses Clinic Finds Fun Ways to Tackle the Obesity Trend
By now, many New Year’s resolutions of weight loss and healthy living have gone by the wayside thanks to a decadent Mardi Gras season, weak resolve or poor planning. And it’s no help that many festivities in south Louisiana revolve around food and drink. Long-term weight loss here is hard. But after 20 years of intense study, researchers and physicians know how to help adults lose weight. And it’s no big secret. Winning the battle of the bulge requires adhering to tried-and-true behavioral modifications in exercise and diet. But while researchers have focused on satisfying the demand for adult weight-loss … Read More »
Categories: News Tags: Pennington Biomedical Research CenterSignature: Dr. Amanda Staiano
Dr. Amanda Staiano’s surprising prescription for fighting adolescent obesity? Video games. Staiano completed a study, aptly named Klub Kinect, where teen girls played Xbox Kinect dance “exergames” as a way to get fit. Exergames are active video games that require full body movement, such as Just Dance and Dance Central. While they played, Staiano monitored the participants from behind two-way mirrors. While the official report will be published later this year, the preliminary results were encouraging: Almost all participants completed the trial, and many were in much better shape when they left than when they started. It’s no coincidence that … Read More »
Categories: News Tags: Pennington Biomedical Research CenterPennington Biomedical Discovery Changes Way of Looking at Hormone Linked to Weight Loss
Researchers at Pennington Biomedical Research Center have discovered a new pathway that controls how our bodies respond to a diet that’s low in protein. This finding could improve treatments for obesity and diabetes. Data collected by Chris Morrison, PhD and his team of researchers at Pennington Biomedical provides a new explanation for why protein intake profoundly influences metabolism and body weight. They found that in both mice and humans the amount of protein in the diet affects a hormone known as FGF21. If protein consumption is restricted, the body increases production of FGF21. Mice lacking the FGF21 hormone did not … Read More »
Categories: News Tags: Pennington Biomedical Research CenterMutation in Fat-Storage Gene Appears to Increase Type 2 Diabetes Risk
Abstract A mutation in a fat-storage gene has been identified that appears to increase the risk for type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders, according to a study. Type 2 diabetes is a complex disease whose susceptibility is often determined by interactions between genetics and lifestyle factors, such as overeating and physical inactivity. Susceptibility genes for diabetes may be involved in several different metabolic pathways in the body, including storage and release of fat for energy. Read More: Science Daily Research Details Research Center: Mid-Atlantic, Maryland
Categories: News Tags: Mid-Atlantic Maryland