In Obesity, Brain Becomes 'Unaware' Of Fat

Critical portions of the brain in those who are obese don't really know they are overweight, researchers have reported in the March issue of the journal Cell Metabolism, published by Cell Press. These findings in obese mice show that a sensor in the brain that normally detects a critical fat hormone - causing a cascade of events that keeps energy balance in check - fails to engage. Meanwhile, the rest of the metabolic pathway remains ready to respond.

"Obesity is not a failure of will power, it is a biological failure," said Michael Cowley of Oregon Health & Science University of his group's findings in the mice. "The brain is not aware that the body is obese."

If the same is true in humans, he added, people may be consciously aware that they are overweight, but "that's different from the homeostatic circuitry being aware."

The new results also bolster evidence that a suppressor called SOCS-3 may be responsible for the loss of sensitivity to the fat hormone known as leptin.

British public call for obesity discrimination law

77% of British people want it to be illegal to discriminate against obese people in the workplace, provided they are able to carry out important elements of the job, according to new research published by law firm Vizards Wyeth today.

This news follows on from recent changes in the law after a House of Lords ruling which could make it easier for employees to bring claims of harassment in the workplace on grounds of weight, if as a result of inappropriate comments and/or conduct they were to suffer distress or anxiety. It is estimated there are over 9 million obese adults in the UK.

The research, which has been issued on the eve of National Obesity Week (11-17 March 2007), also shows that suspicions run high over bosses intentions when they ask for a photograph to be sent with job applications

Weight loss surgery among teens

The use of surgery to treat obesity has increased greatly among US adolescents, with the number of operations tripling from 2000 to 2003, according to a new study.
The number of young Americans who are obese has skyrocketed in recent decades, and bariatric surgery for weight-loss has emerged as an alternative to diet and behavioural methods.
Researchers at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Brunswick, New Jersey, and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Centre in Ohio tracked the number of people age 10 to 19 who had bariatric surgery.
The figure stayed about the same from 1996 to 2000, but it increased more than three-fold by 2003, a year in which 771 of these operations were performed.
From 1996 to 2003, a total of 2,744 people age 10 to 19 had the surgery, researchers said.

Impact of maternal obesity on the NHS

A new study reveals the true costs of the increase in maternal obesity and how it is impinging on service delivery in the NHS. It was carried out by The Centre for Food, Physical Activity and Obesity Research at the University of Teesside with 33 healthcare professionals based in the North East of England recruited for the study. The results are published in this months BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Previous studies have concentrated on the effects of obesity on pregnant women and the subsequent public health risks. The findings of this study uncover five recurrent themes relating to maternal obesity: booking appointments, equipment, care requirements, complications and restrictions and current and future management of care. The main points are summarised below.
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Obesity Causes Breakdown In System Which Regulates Appetite And Weight

New research led by scientists at the Oregon National Primate Research Center demonstrates how obesity causes the breakdown of a brain system that regulates appetite. The research provides a clear picture of some factors involved in obesity. More than 60 percent of American adults are overweight and more than 30 percent are obese The study results may have also identified possible targets for new drug therapies aimed at assisting individuals in weight loss. The research is published in the March issue of Cell Metabolism. The research provides new understanding of leptin resistance. Leptin is a hormone secreted by fat cells. It can suppress food intake by affecting brain cells that control appetite. However, high levels of leptin which can be found in severely overweight individuals, can lead to leptin resistance.