Scientists discover brain mechanism that regulates body weight A neurotransmitter in the brain affects whether we gain or lose weight, a new study in mice suggests.
Gut bacteria keeps bears healthily obese Brown bears are obese. They have to be to survive months of hibernation. And yet they do not experience the complications that we do when we pile on the pounds. So what can they teach us?
Greenlandic gene could be key to beating obesity The Inuit people carry a genetic variant, which increases their risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Mouth bacteria linked to obesity Amount of oral lactic acid bacteria could influence your propensity to gain weight.
Gut bacteria could one day combat obesity New research shows that the right combination of gut bacteria plays a role in whether people are fat or thin.
Gastric bypass surgery halved the risk of heart failure A new study shows that obesity links to a higher risk of heart failure.
Do you have a sweet tooth? Blame it on your liver New research shows that a certain hormone produced in the liver could explain your sweet tooth and help produce new treatments to reduce people’s cravings for sugar.
Birth weight linked to diabetes and obesity A large international study has discovered 60 genetic variants that link low birth weight to an increased risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
Four years later: is CO2 making us fat? In 2012 a group of scientists proposed a hypothesis that CO2 in the atmosphere is making us fat. We’ve checked in with the scientists to see what developments they’ve made.
Why some experience serious side effects from bariatric surgery What happens during bariatric surgery can be just as important as the health of the patient before the operation takes place.
19th century undertaker introduced the world to dieting Historical studies of obesity contradict the myth that being fat was a sign of health in days gone by. The first evidence of modern dieting did not emerge until the 1860s, say researchers.
Gut bacteria sends signals to the brain to make us fat Our gut bacteria send signals to the brain and encourage us to eat more, and may cause us to put on weight.
Antipsychotics can make you fat Psychosis medications can also lead to an increased appetite, shows new research. It could explain why some people react so dramatically to treatment.
Scientists find gene switch for “bad” fat New study shows that targeting a certain gene can lower fat levels in the blood and reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes, and fatty liver disease.
Why bears can be obese and healthy Bears put on huge amounts of fat, but don't suffer from heart problems and diabetes. Researchers think that the animals’ gut microbes might provide an explanation.
Weight loss does not prolong the lives of diabetes patients New study shows that the prescribed weight loss has no effect on cardiovascular disease and mortality among patients with type-2 diabetes.
Ninety per cent of gastric bypass patients suffer side effects Many patients end up back at the doctor’s office with abdominal pain and other symptoms after gastric bypass surgery. But health researchers still recommend the procedure.
Obese people more susceptible to infection Obese people are more likely to suffer from throat or lung infections, shows new research.
Obesity can be passed on through the father’s sperm Overweight men may pass obesity on to the children via their sperm, according to new research.
Research project will search for links between childhood and mental illnesses A long-running European health study has the go-ahead to continue ground-breaking research into mental disorders and obesity.
Diabetics greatly benefit from short bursts of high intensity exercise A group of diabetics lost 18 per cent belly fat and improved their sugar regulation, after just 8-weeks of short but high intensity exercise sessions. No drug has the same effect.
Can cheese help keep heart disease at bay? The French diet is heavy on wine and cheese, but despite that fact heart disease is uncommon in France. A new study suggests that cheese may be the reason why.
Obesity epidemic is not caused by genes or lifestyle Neither genes nor lifestyle are responsible for widespread obesity. Instead, it may be entirely down to our environment during childhood.
Diabetes diagnosis leads to weight loss New study challenges conventional views by showing that people lose weight in the years after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Special gene is causing some smokers to stay slim Heavy smokers are slimmer than smokers who lack a specific gene, shows new study with 80,000 participants.
New study strengthens link between genes and obesity Multiple regions in your genome help determine how much you weigh and how fat is distributed in your body.
Smoking gene could be causing weight increase in non-smokers New study suggests relationship between smoking genes and increased weight.
Scientists reprogram fat cells to increase fat burning Scientists discover how fat cells can be reprogrammed to burn fat instead of storing it.
Nordic fare slims you as well as a Stone Age diet Official Nordic dietary recommendations help elderly, overweight women to lose weight just as well as if they were on Palaeolithic diets.
Abused children risk adult obesity A large-scale Swedish study shows that persons who were subjected to physical, emotional or sexual abuse during childhood are more prone to becoming overweight as adults.
Making fat people slim with modified DNA Genetically designed cells, which release hormones telling the humane body that it is full, could be a solution to worldwide obesity.
Dietary calcium prevents weight gain Dietary calcium keeps the weight down, according to a new study, which also suggests that calcium may be particularly good for people genetically predisposed to a high waist circumference.
How dietary fibres fight obesity and diabetes Scientists have found an explanation to why dietary fibres keep us healthy. The discovery may lead to new treatments of metabolic diseases.
Paleo diet better for weight loss than nutrition recommendations Obese people lose more weight, have less blood fat and get a more slender waist if they follow a Paleolithic-type diet rather than following the official Nordic Nutrition Recommendations, new study shows.
Pregnant women who eat fish get chubby daughters When an expectant mother gets the environmental toxins PCB and DDE into her bloodstream from eating fish, her daughters are likely to become overweight, new Danish/Faroese study reveals.
Genes determine effect of diet and exercise Your genetic makeup helps determine how much you get out of dieting and exercising. A researcher now aims to identify the genes that determine the effect that diabetes patients get from diet and exercise.
New food to speed up satiety in overweight people Scandinavian scientists aim to find out how the structure of food is related to satiety. The objective is to develop new foods that can help overweight people as well as people who eat too little.
Another obesity myth debunked Cardiovascular disease is caused exclusively by overweight and obesity, major new study reveals.
Low birth weight can increase hunger in adulthood Foetuses that receive insufficient nutrition risk ending up as adults who overeat without satisfying their hunger. This is due to a faulty central mechanism in their fat stem cells.
New report: Weight loss increases mortality Losing weight does not guarantee improved health in overweight people. On the contrary, a new Danish report shows that their mortality rates are increased by 15 percent if they lose weight.
What’s so great about wholegrain bread? Wholemeal bread has become generally accepted as the healthy alternative to bread made from refined white flour. A new study with pigs, bread-baking and fancy technology brings us closer to an answer to why this is so.
Overweight children more likely to get liver cancer Comprehensive new study finds a correlation between childhood body size during school ages and the risk of developing primary liver cancer as adults.
Childhood obesity gene identified Defects on a special ’satiety gene’ may constitute a rare but important cause of early childhood obesity.
High risks for babies of obese mothers despite C-sections Caesareans provide no reduction in risks of serious complications when very heavy women give birth.
Exercise does not work wonders for everyone Some people can lose weight and gain muscle without improving their ability to regulate blood sugar, new study reveals.
Big EU obesity study is lightweight A major European study of child obesity failed to include a representative number of kids whose parents are single, immigrants, undereducated or have low incomes. That means the results provide an inaccurate picture of obesity rates in the next generation of Europeans, a group of Swedish researchers says.
Fat-burning fat cells found in the neck Brown fat cells are great at burning fat and sugar. They have so far only been spotted in infants, but now researchers have found them in the necks of adult patients. The discovery may prove crucial to future obesity research.
Seven new genetic causes of obesity identified A comprehensive research project has discovered seven new flaws in the human genome that may cause obesity.
Possible new cause of diabetes, obesity and poor growth Scientists have discovered a completely new function of a specific protein. This may help explain diabetes, obesity and slow growth.
Slim and healthy people also get type 2 diabetes Researchers have found a way of dividing type 2 diabetes patients into subgroups. Surprisingly, only one in four patients goes through what is considered the most common course of the disease.
Diet soda and no fish can harm mother and baby Artificial sweeteners and a diet poor in fish may harm the pregnant woman and her baby.
Researchers: rapid weight loss is the best Obese people get the best results by losing weight quickly, new study argues. The conclusion challenges traditional views on what obese people need to do to become and remain slim.
Protein can cause lifestyle diseases in fat pigs A special obesity-related protein has been found in an American wild hog, which bears a striking resemblance to humans. The discovery represents a great step forward in international obesity research.
Couch potatoes don’t need to exercise like mad Scientists have studied whether couch potatoes aged between 20 and 40 really need to exercise 60 minutes a day.
Obesity starts in infancy OPINION: Children who gain a lot of weight in the first months of their lives have a higher risk of developing obesity by school age. Perhaps it’s time we realise that obesity prevention should start at the time of birth.
The Maasai keep healthy despite a high-fat diet The Maasai in East Africa consume a high-fat diet, but they don’t seem to suffer from lifestyle diseases. Scientists have now discovered that the Maasai move with a surprisingly low intensity.
Being big isn’t always bad New research backs up claims that many people can be obese without an increased risk of developing or dying of heart disease or cancer.
Thirty minutes of daily exercise is enough The same effect in only half the time: scientists have demonstrated that 30 minutes of daily exercise gives an equally effective loss of weight and fat mass as a full hour’s daily exercise.
Cholesterol can be controlled New research promises greater control over fats, or lipids, occurring in the human body.
Exercise better for health than dietary changes Men should exercise every day and get their heart rate up a few times a week. This makes them healthier than if they change their diet to lose weight.
You're probably not what you eat New study shows that we can never be sure how our bodies react when we for instance eat less meat and more vegetables. It’s probably our genes teasing the nutrition experts.
New theory: CO2 makes you fat Danish researchers have announced a rather wild hypothesis: Perhaps we are getting fatter and fatter because of the increasing CO2 levels in the atmosphere.
Oxidised LDL is bad news for unfit overweight young men Young men should be alerted to the dangers of excess waist fat and declining physical fitness, which despite their young age increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Hormone-impairing substances make daughters fat Pregnant women with high levels of hormone-impairing substances in their blood have a three times higher risk than other women of giving birth to daughters who will be overweight at the age of 20.
Men say women weigh too much Men are fatter than they think, and they perceive women as being fatter than they really are. These distorted body images can also apply to how we view our children and could cause serious problems for both sexes.
A single protein controls our metabolism A certain type of cell in our body controls our metabolism and helps decide whether we are hungry or not. This could lead to a drug for controlling obesity.
Nuts good for fighting obesity and diabetes Special amino acids in nuts reduce obesity and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, shows new research which can lead to dietary pills.
We buy healthier food than in previous generations Obesity is reaching epidemic proportions. But although we are getting larger and heavier, our diet has become healthier over the last 100 years.
A big butt can be a great asset Fat on the hips and thighs is not unhealthy – it helps you live longer. It’s the belly fat you should worry about, say scientists.
Weight loss without exercise – really? A newly discovered hormone could lead to a drug that can raise the body's energy conversion and minimise the risk of type 2 diabetes – without exercise.
Injections cut fat A new slimming product can help grossly overweight people lose weight through a daily injection. Their weight loss persists after two years and there are very few side-effects, trials show.
Unhealthy Danes have less and poorer sex Scientists have found a link between unhealthy living and problems beneath the sheets. People should use the discovery to live healthier lives, they suggest
