Tag Archives: obesity

Apple cider vinegar – can it help with diabetes & how is it taken?

Posted on by

For many years, apple cider vinegar has been linked with an array of health benefits, according to an article in Medical News Today.

These have ranged from aiding weight loss to relieving cold symptoms. But does taking it help people with diabetes?

The majority of the health claims around apple cider vinegar have yet to be supported by clinical research. However, evidence has been emerging to suggest that apple cider vinegar may have certain benefits for the management of type 2 diabetes.
This article will discuss the research behind this claim and how apple cider vinegar should be taken, if at all.


What is apple cider vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar derives from cider or fresh apples and is produced after a slow process that breaks down sugars.
Vinegar can be made from nearly any carbohydrate. Apple cider vinegar is derived from cider or freshly pressed apple juice.

Like most vinegars, apple cider vinegar is produced after a slow process spanning several weeks or months in which sugars are broken down.

Mother of vinegar is a cobweb-like substance made from yeast and bacteria that builds up during this period. Mother of vinegar gives the vinegar a cloudy appearance and it is only present in unfiltered apple cider vinegar. It is thought to boost the vinegar’s nutritional value.

However, most vinegar is pasteurized. This heating process kills bacteria but prevents mother of vinegar from forming.

Apple cider vinegar and diabetes
In 1980, there were around 108 million people with diabetes worldwide. Its prevalence has increased greatly over the past few decades to an estimated 422 million. Diabetes is a chronic condition marked by an inability to manage blood sugar levels appropriately.

The hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels is called insulin. People with type 1 diabetes are unable to produce this hormone. People with type 2 diabetes are unable to produce enough insulin or respond appropriately to the hormone.

People can also develop a related condition known as prediabetes. This is where an individual may have blood sugar levels that are high, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes.

Developing methods that help the body to regulate blood sugar levels efficiently is the most effective strategy in managing diabetes. Maintaining a healthful, balanced diet and regular exercise are crucial lifestyle factors that can help to achieve this.

Some evidence also suggests that consuming apple cider vinegar may be useful in helping people with diabetes to control their blood sugar levels.

One study demonstrated that apple cider vinegar reduced blood sugar levels and had a positive impact on cholesterol in rats with and without diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes
Studies suggest that a small amount of apple cider vinegar may help to reduce blood sugar levels after a spike following a meal high in carbohydrates.
In humans, researchers have looked at how consuming apple cider vinegar alongside a meal high in carbohydrates affected blood sugar levels in participants who had type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, or neither condition.

Meals high in carbohydrates typically cause a spike in blood sugar levels immediately after eating. However, less than an ounce of apple cider vinegar significantly reduced blood sugar levels across all three groups following the meal, compared with the consumption of a placebo drink.

Another study in patients with type 2 diabetes compared apple cider vinegar with water. The authors found that consuming 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with a cheese snack before bedtime was enough to significantly lower blood sugar levels the following morning.

This finding suggests that apple cider vinegar could also help to reduce fasting blood sugar levels. This refers to blood sugar levels after 8 hours without eating or drinking anything except water. Fasting blood sugar levels serve as a baseline measure of a person’s blood sugar levels.

It is thought that a component of apple cider vinegar called acetic acid may slow down the conversion of complex carbohydrates into sugar in the bloodstream.

This provides more time for sugar to be removed from the bloodstream, allowing the body to keep blood sugar levels constant and limit spikes. This is also a theory underlying the effects of several different diabetes drugs.

Type 1 diabetes
While consuming apple cider vinegar could help people with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar levels, it could be harmful to those with type 1 diabetes.

The inadequate digestion of food is a common complication for people with diabetes. Called gastroparesis or delayed gastric emptying, it means that food can remain in the stomach for an abnormally long period of time without being digested.

These delays in the digestive process make it harder for the body to consistently control blood sugar levels. A team of Swedish researchers found that apple cider vinegar increased the time in which food remains undigested in stomach of people with type 1 diabetes.

It is important to note that a majority of the studies within this area have been conducted using small sample sizes and findings have not always been consistent.

A large-scale, randomized control trial to find out how apple cider vinegar affects blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes has yet to be conducted.

Any impact that apple cider vinegar might have on the regulation of blood sugar levels is likely to be relatively small compared with maintaining a healthful, balanced diet and regular exercise.

Based on the available evidence, apple cider vinegar could help people with type 2 diabetes to control their blood sugar levels. More research is needed for large-scale recommendations. Its consumption in moderation has yet to be linked with any significant harms or side effects.

How is it consumed?
Apple cider vinegar may be consumed diluted in water or used in marinades and salad dressings.
People who wish to consume apple cider vinegar are best diluting 1 to 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a large glass of water. It should be consumed before meals and there may be benefits associated with consuming it just before bedtime.

As with most vinegars, it is not recommended to consume undiluted apple cider vinegar. When drunk on its own, it can cause stomach irritation or damage to tooth enamel.

Apple cider vinegar can also be used as a versatile cooking ingredient. It is suitable for use in salad dressings, marinades, sauces, and soups. It works well with many meats and fish.

People are most likely to see the distilled varieties of apple cider vinegar on sale, which has a clear, see-through appearance. However, it is better to search for the unfiltered, cloudier varieties as they contain mother of vinegar and are more nutritious.

Summary
People with type 2 diabetes may want to consider diluted apple vinegar cider given that it is safe to consume and may provide some benefit to blood sugar level control. However, the evidence behind its benefits is still lacking.

It is important for people to note that apple cider vinegar should not be considered a quick fix for diabetes. Eating a balanced diet low in carbohydrates, high in fiber, and exercising regularly are the most effective methods of controlling diabetes.

Prunes help to combat obesity and curb hunger, new research reveals

Posted on by

Eating a small portion of prunes daily can help weight loss and decrease appetite, according to new findings from the University of Liverpool.

The research also reveals that prunes contain no more sugar than a plum, its fresh fruit equivalent.

The study showed that including a modest portion of prunes as part of a weight loss diet, produced significant changes in body weight and waist size. There was also a trend for the prune eaters to achieve greater weight loss during the last four weeks of the study and long term effects on appetite were also observed.

CA Dried Plum finals

The researchers concluded that including prunes into weight control diets may be of benefit to long-term success, by tackling hunger and satisfying appetite.

CA Dried Plum finals

Natural dried fruits
Dieters have tended to shy away from dried fruits believing them to be higher in sugar than fresh. This perception has been reinforced by the introduction of dried fruits with added sugar, such as cranberries and fruit juice infused dried fruits. But traditional dried fruits, such as prunes, are simply dried plums, with the same natural sugar content as their fresh counterparts and no added sugar. One plum becomes one prune, water removed, so the calorie content remains the same.

Plums beneficial to teeth and gums
Another concern about snacking on dried fruit, is dental health. Cariogenic bacteria utilise sucrose to produce harmful acids and dental plaque, yet sucrose is minimal in prunes (0.15g/100g), the main sugars being fructose and glucose. California prunes also contain 26.5% carbohydrate as non-fermentable sorbitol, which is used widely in chewing gums for its low cariogenicity. Research on prunes is confirming that they contain certain bioactive compounds with antimicrobial properties, capable of inhibiting the growth of bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease

Professor Jason Halford and Dr Jo Harrold, Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, Liverpool University, presented initial results at the 2014 European Congress on Obesity , having assessed the effects of prunes on weight and appetite by studying 100 overweight and obese low fibre consumers – 74 women and 26 men; 43 years; BMI 29.8 in a 12-week study. All subjects received the same standard dietetic weight loss advice, plus the prune intervention group were provided with 140g/d (171g for men) prunes for snacks, whereas the active control group were advised on healthy snacks.

The study showed that including prunes as part of a weight loss intervention, produced significant changes in body weight (1.99kg/2.4%; p<0.000) and waist circumference (2.5cm/2.3%; p<0.000) from baseline. There was a trend for the prune eaters to achieve greater weight loss during the last four weeks of the study and enduring effects on appetite were also observed with AUC (area under the curve) analysis demonstrating increased fullness in the prune group after week 8 (p=0.05). It is worth noting too that study compliance was good and, despite the high daily doses, the prunes were well tolerated. The researchers concluded that including prunes into weight control diets may be of benefit to long-term success, by tackling hunger and satisfying appetite.

Win the must-have diet book that helps you Talk Yourself Slim – now closed!

Posted on by

This is the book for anyone fed up with diets that don’t work.  So if you want to lose weight and keep it off – enter our competition at the end of this page.  We have three copies of this bestseller, each worth £9.99 to give away.All you need to do is answer the simple question below.

Talk Yourself Slim with the Self-Chatter Diet was written from John Richardson’s childhood observations of his grandfather and mother. His grandfather was slim, and a naturally healthy weight, whereas his mother was not, and this was the true cause of her early disablement.

Talk Yourself Slim by John Richardson

Diets don’t work, do they? Not conventional, out-of-date, orthodox, restrictive diets – these are one of the fundamental instigators of obesity in the world today, fueled by the same diet industry that masquerades as a ‘solution provider’. It is not food that makes people overweight, but the behavioural manner in which food is eaten, and until obesity is addressed and treated behaviourally, no solution will ever be found.

In this book you will discover the true cause of obesity: beliefs, habits and associations. Richardson first provides a way in which these rogue behaviours can be identified. He then questions them and challenges them, allowing readers to form a general understanding of a method through which they can be changed.

Talk Yourself Slim was written to facilitate permanent weight-loss success, and nothing more. This simple yet highly effective method is uniquely innovative in its approach, ideal for anyone fed up of diets that don’t work, who wants to lose weight and keep it off!

John Richardson is founder and owner of The Feelbetterfast Clinic, home of the original Dr Rocket’s Hypno-Gastric Band Procedure. He gained his diploma in Holistic Hypnotheray under the guidance of one of the UK’s leading analytical holistic hypnotherapists, and was also taught the secrets of the stage hypnotist by David Knight, principal of The British Academy of Hypnosis, of which he became Master Hypnotist.

THE WINNERS OF THIS COMPETITION ARE: Helen Dooher, from Chesterfield; Tom Bains, from Liverpool.


Win competitions at ThePrizeFinder.com – See more at: http://www.theprizefinder.com/content/3-copies-talk-yourself-slim-diet-book-worth-%C2%A3999-each#sthash.dPFsZWtk.dpuf

Dr Rocket’s Talk Yourself Slim with The Self-Chatter Diet by John Richardson

Posted on by

Talk Yourself Slim with the Self-Chatter Diet was written from John Richardson’s childhood observations of his grandfather and mother. His grandfather was slim, and a naturally healthy weight, whereas his mother was not, and this was the true cause of her early disablement.

Diets don’t work, do they? Not conventional, out-of-date, orthodox, restrictive diets – these are one of the fundamental instigators of obesity in the world today, fueled by the same diet industry that masquerades as a ‘solution provider’. It is not food that makes people overweight, but the behavioural manner in which food is eaten, and until obesity is addressed and treated behaviourally, no solution will ever be found.

In this book you will discover the true cause of obesity: beliefs, habits and associations. Richardson first provides a way in which these rogue behaviours can be identified. He then questions them and challenges them, allowing readers to form a general understanding of a method through which they can be changed.

Talk Yourself Slim was written to facilitate permanent weight-loss success, and nothing more. This simple yet highly effective method is uniquely innovative in its approach, ideal for anyone fed up of diets that don’t work, who wants to lose weight and keep it off!

John Richardson is founder and owner of The Feelbetterfast Clinic, home of the original Dr Rocket’s Hypno-Gastric Band Procedure. He gained his diploma in Holistic Hypnotheray under the guidance of one of the UK’s leading analytical holistic hypnotherapists, and was also taught the secrets of the stage hypnotist by David Knight, principal of The British Academy of Hypnosis, of which he became Master Hypnotist.

Buy at Amazon for £8.20 by clicking on this image:

Talk Yourself Slim by John Richardson

Obese knee burden as replacement ops hit all time high

Posted on by

Overweight people are not only a burden on the NHS but on their own knees.

overweight knees

There has been a surge of 150% in knee replacement surgery with more than 9,500 people, including teenagers having knee replacement surgery last year because their joints could not cope with their weight, according to new NHS figures. And the cost to the NHS of repairing crumbling knees over a 4-year period is estimated at around £50 million.

Obesity costs the NHS £5.1 billion each year with 40,000 people dying as a result of being overweight or obese.

Now one in 10 patients given new knees is obese, up from one in 20 just four years ago. In 2009-10, there were 3,787 operations carried out in England and Wales where obesity was listed as a main or secondary diagnosis.
But by 2012-13, the number had leapt to 9,438, figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) reveal.

Over the last four years there have been a total of 28,000 cases where obesity was regarded as a major trigger for knee replacements. It includes one boy aged between 10 and 14 who went under the knife in 2010-11. 
Also in the last four years, knee replacements have been carried out on two boys and two girls aged 15-19. 

The majority of knee operations are carried out on older people, aged 60+ but recently there has been a tripling of knee replacements among obese under-40s.

Each knee replacement operation costs around £5,500, and should last for around 15 to 20 years. But the obese may have to have more than one replacement because of the strain caused by weight.

A knee replacement is classed as ‘major surgery’ by the NHS and is only offered after other treatments, such as physiotherapy or steroid injections have failed to help. 
 

Alcohol causes weight gain and high blood pressure, with no benefit to heart, claims new study

Posted on by

Reducing consumption, even among light drinkers, can improve heart health, reduce body mass index, and bring down blood pressure.

According to a large new international study, even moderate drinking may not be good for the heart.
Red wine glass small-thumb-192x313-1136

The study defines light to moderate drinking as consuming 0.6 to 0.8 fluid ounces of alcohol a day, or 17 to 23 ml, which is roughly what a 175 ml glass of wine contains.

The 155 researchers – from the UK, continental Europe, North America, and Australia – analysed data about links between drinking habits and heart health from 56 epidemiological studies covering more than 260,000 people of European descent.

They found that people with a particular gene consumed 17% less alcohol per week, were less likely to binge drink, and were more likely to abstain from alcohol altogether, than non- carriers.

These lower alcohol consumers typically had a 10% average reduced risk of coronary heart disease, lower blood pressure and a lower body mass index (BMI).

The researchers conclude that reducing alcohol consumption across all levels of consumption – even light to moderate drinking – is beneficial for heart health.

Co-author Michael Holmes, a research assistant professor in the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine’s department of Transplant Surgery, says, “Contrary to what earlier reports have shown, it now appears that any exposure to alcohol has a negative impact upon heart health.”

He added that observational studies have suggested only heavy drinking is bad for the heart, and that light drinking might even provide some benefit, and this has led some people to believe moderate consumption is good for their health, even lowering their risk of heart disease.

“However, what we’re seeing with this new study, which uses an investigative approach similar to a randomized clinical trial, is that reduced consumption of alcohol, even for light-to-moderate drinkers, may lead to improved cardiovascular health,” says Prof. Holmes.

The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation and the UK’s Medical Research Council, examined the heart health of people who carry a particular version of the gene “alcohol dehydrogenase 1B” which is a protein that helps to break down alcohol more quickly than in non-carriers.

The rapid breakdown causes nausea, facial flushing, and other symptoms, and is linked to lower levels of alcohol consumption over time.
The team used the gene as an indicator of lower alcohol consumption, and from there found the links between lower consumption and improved heart health.

Hormone derivative reverses age-related metabolic decline

Posted on by
Advancing age causes a significantly decreased resting metabolic rate.This can lead to age-related increases in body fat along with increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and dementia. Ageing individuals often find themselves overweight or obese which means a reduced life expectancy.
belly fat.jpg
Dieting can trigger a further meta- bolic slowdown. In several studies, scientists have found that replenishing the levels of a DHEA metabolite known as 7-Keto reverses the age-related decrease in metabolic rate in just 7 days.This translates into reductions in weight and body mass index in just 8 weeks!
How 7-Keto Works
Scientists are beginning to uncover the mechanisms of action behind the remarkable ability of 7-Keto to reverse the age-related decrease in resting metabolic rate and to produce various anti- ageing benefits.
Liver Enzymes
Scientific studies indicate that 7-Keto power- fully boosts levels of three liver enzymes that result in stimulation of fatty acid oxidation:
  • Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase
  • Malic enzyme
  • Fatty acyl CoA oxidase
These enzymes accelerate a heat-generating process called thermogenesis, which promotes the burning of fat reserves. Because this thermo-genic effect reverses the age-related decrease in resting metabolic rate, this may explain 7-Keto’s ability to decrease weight and body fat.
Thyroid Hormone
Supplementing with 7-Keto results in elevated levels of the T-3 thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormones regulate metabolic activity, which declines with age.This explains another potential mechanism by which 7-Keto triggers reductions in body weight and body fat.
Interleukin-2
7-Keto has been shown to enhance the production of interleukin-2 in human lymphocytes.When interleukin-2 reacts with its corresponding receptor sites on cell surfaces, it stimulates production and differentiation of various T-lymphocytes, which in turn trigger production of other immune agents.
The result is a broad enhancement of the immune system, which is normally weakened by advancing age.
Study participants experienced decreased immune suppressor cells and increased immune helper cells.Supplementation with 7-Keto may fortify defenses against numerous conditions, including killers such as cancer and AIDS.
DHEA versus 7-Keto
 
DHEA is the body’s most abundant hormone, but its production peaks in the 20s and steadily declines, leading to age-related hormonal imbalances.
DHEA is converted by the body into androstenedione, which is then converted into the male and female sex steroid hormones, estrogen and testosterone. This conversion is highly individualised and some people could end up with excess levels of these sex hormones–which could pose a risk if any of those individuals have a hormone-dependent disease, such as prostate or breast cancer.
Unlike DHEA however, 7-Keto does not trigger higher sex hormone levels.That means that supple- menting with 7-Keto may be a safer way for some peo- ple to benefit from these anti-aging effects including enhancing the immune system, reducing age-related memory loss, and improving cholesterol profiles.
 
Report Reference
 
Colker CM, Torina GC, Swain MA, Kalman DS. Double-Blind Study Evaluating the Effects of Exercise Plus 3-Acetyl-7-oxo-dehydroepiandrosterone on Body Composition and the Endocrine System in Overweight Adults. Abstract presented at 2nd ASEP Annual Meeting, October 14-16, 1999, and published in Journal of Exercise Physiology online, Volume 2 Number 4 October 1999.
Enhanced by Zemanta

Skipping breakfast – the new rules on fat loss and staying younger!

Posted on by
Let’s get one thing straight….skipping breakfast is fine!!!In fact it is more than fine, it’s the starting point to actually getting you the body you have always dreamed of, according to the authors of a new book.

Ripped to Shreds cover small.jpg

Co-authors, Shaun Petafi and Dean Connor BSc, a top fitness trainer and male model, have analysed the latest research on fat, fitness and longevity and come up with a formula that has literally Ripped to Shreds all the diet myths.
The report includes a number of controversial key elements designed to help people achieve their goals.
These include:
• Forget about breakfast – The new law on fat loss
• The amazing benefits of fasting
• Why only fools spend longer than 3 hours a week in the gym
• How to put your fat burning on autopilot 24/7
“I know you have all been brainwashed by the food industry about how important breakfast is and how it ‘kick starts’ your metabolism for the day, this is not actually true,’ writes Shaun in an exclusive article for Elixir.
The latest research shows your metabolic rate is determined by your lean mass (how much muscle you have). Not by how many meals you consume throughout the day.
Eating first thing, especially the usual grains and dairy will certainly put your fat burning on hold for a few hours. This coupled with breakfast bars for your elevenses, before your typical lunch all causing rising and falling levels of insulin.
Instead give your body a break, allow it to process the food from the day before. 
Waiting say for example 14-16 hours after your last meal the night before will allow your body to become a master of controlling Insulin (the key to fat loss), reset the hormone Ghrelin (hunger hormone) and re-programme the hormone Leptin 
(the carbohydrate sensitive hormone). You will now become a fat burning machine when you do eat.
I’m sure you would all love some more time in the morning to yourselves too, an extra half hour in bed perhaps?
Shaun Petafi and Dean Connor BSc, fat loss experts and co-authors of the groundbreaking Ripped To Shreds report have used the latest scientific literature behind rapid body transformation. In their e-book they claim short fasts can actually accelerate fat loss and make you considerably healthier in the process.
Although intermittent fasting research is still only in its infancy and it may well be another 5 years before it reaches the masses and becomes a mainstream nutritional idea, its benefits have already reached almost legendary proportions within many nutritional and dieting circles around the world.
So what is it exactly? Well the term Fasting refers to going long periods without food followed by a period of eating. It is basically what we did as cavemen and women all those years ago. The invention of breakfast is only very recent in terms of human time on this planet, and our greed along with the greed of the food industry has driven this change.
Why do it? Here is a list of all the benefits of following the anabolic fasting approach
NO HUNGER WHEN DIETING
This is a typical criticism of most diets, the person feels hungry all the time. Due to the effect the approach has on the hormone ghrelin (hunger hormone), your body becomes a very stable environment. Plus you get to eat really large meals when you do actually eat, certainly something that was lacking in many other protocols.
ELEVATED LEVELS OF FAT BURNING HORMONES
Intermittent fasting has been shown to produce elevated levels of human growth hormone (HGH). This hormone regulates metabolism, allows us to build muscle, burn fat and reduce the negative effects caused by stress.
INCREASED FATTY ACID OXIDATION
During the fasting hours your body produces a great deal of fat burning hormones, by prolonging this time (to a certain extent) you are prolonging the body’s ability to use fat as fuel.
Now imagine training at this time when all these fat burning hormones are going wild and you can see why the results are so epic.
REDUCED BLOOD GLUCOSE AND INSULIN LEVELS
Both key in setting your body up to be a fat burning machine.
By maintaining low levels of insulin throughout the day, your body becomes very sensitive so when you do feed it with the dreaded carbs of other diets, your body is very sufficient at storing them in the muscle cells. Low levels of both of blood
glucose and insulin are also markers of improved health.
LARGE MEALS – BETTER COMPLIANCE
Gone will be the days of feeling deprived whilst dieting to get lean, you will look forward to your large meals and feel perfectly fine when not eating. This will lead to an easy integration into your normal daily life, you will feel that these 
methods are so easy and you won’t be thinking “I can’t wait to finish this diet.”
INCREASED LIFE SPAN 
The health markers of fasting are also very profound, reduced risk of cancer, Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease, diabetes etc. Additionally the increase in Growth Hormone production further stimulates cell development, cell reproduction and regeneration, which in turn assists with the anti-aging process.
Ok so you’re sold…what next?
THE STRUCTURE
Typically The R2S (Ripped To Shreds) report promotes an 8 hour feeding window and a 16 hour fast, bearing in mind you will likely be sleeping for around half of the fasting time, it basically equates to skipping breakfast. For most people this set up is quite controversial, however its works best in terms of compliance, fat loss and weight training.
For example feeding window is 12 midday – 8pm, and the fast from 8pm – 12 midday.
The eating period falls into either an 8 hour window (for men) or a 10 hour window (for women) with a 16 and 14 hour fasting period respectively.
For more information about fasting and rapid fat loss visit www.rippedtoshreds.co.uk
The full ripped to shreds report is available for download for just £9.99 
Enhanced by Zemanta

Peachy foods protect against a cluster of ageing diseases

Posted on by
Philadelphia: Fruits with stones, such as peaches, plums and nectarines, help protect against several ageing diseases, according to new research from the US.

peach.jpg

The findings of research scheduled for presentation at the 244th American Chemical Society meeting, to be held August 19-23, 2012 in Philadelphia, reveal a protective effect from consuming these fruits, against against metabolic syndrome–a cluster of factors that predict obesity-related diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease.
Texas AgriLife Research food scientist Dr Luis Cisneros-Zevallos said:  “In recent years obesity has become a major concern in society due to the health problems associated to it.
“In the US, statistics show that around 30 percent of the population is overweight or obese, and these cases are increasing every year in alarming numbers.
“The major concern about obesity is the associated disease known as metabolic syndrome,” he observed.
“Our studies have shown that stone fruits – peaches, plums and nectarines – have bioactive compounds that can potentially fight the syndrome, ” Dr Cisneros-Zevallos reported.” Our work indicates that phenolic compounds present in these fruits have antiobesity, anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic properties in different cell lines and may also reduce the oxidation of bad cholesterol LDL.
“Our work shows that the four major phenolic groups–anthocyanins, clorogenic acids, quercetin derivatives and catechins–work on different cells –fat cells, macrophages and vascular endothelial cells,” he continued. “They modulate different expressions of genes and proteins depending on the type of compound. However, at the same time, all of them are working simultaneously in different fronts against the components of the disease, including obesity, inflammation, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
“Each of these stone fruits contain similar phenolic groups but in differing proportions so all of them are a good source of health promoting compounds and may complement each other,” he concluded.
Enhanced by Zemanta

The 10 Best – Weightloss Kickstarts

Posted on by

SKINNY SPRINKLES
Skinny Sprinkles.jpgFULFILL PLUSFulfilDIGESTIVE MIXDigestive Mix 

FULLfastFullFastresized.jpg

GREEN TEA DIET BLENDGreen Tea Blend Diet.jpgFIBRETRIMFibretrim.jpgSANAFILSanafilcropped.jpegZUCCARINZuccarin

KLAMATH BLUE GREEN ALGAES
Klamath Green AlgaeSUPER OMEGA-3Super Omega-3

British women are fattest in Europe

Posted on by

Women in the UK are the fatest in Europe, according to the findings of three major global studies on obesity.

fatpeople.jpgResearchers compared statistics on three major health indicators – Body Mass Index (BMI), choleserol and blood pressure over the past 28 years.

While British females are now the most obese in Europe, American woman are even fatter.

According to the World Health Organisation, a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is healthy; 25 to 29.9 is overweight and 30+ is clinically obese.

The average BMI, for a British woman, which measures height and weight, was 26.9 in 2008 – which is up from 24.2 in 1980.

Other high scoring countries were Russia (27.2), Israel 27.3 and Malta (27),

For British men, the average BMI was 27.4 – the same as in Cyprus and Luxembourg. This is up from 24.7 in 1980. They also were found to have the the joint fourth highest fat levels, behind Ireland in top place, according to the report published in The Lancet.

 

 

 

What’s good for the planet is good for us….

Posted on by

burger.jpgA low carbon lifestyle means better health for all of us. Eating less meat could save 45,000 lives in the UK each year.

Experts have banded together to point out the connection between climate change and our bad health.  They believe our meat-heavy diets and obsession with cars is leading us to a sticky end.

An article published simultaneously in the BMJ, the Lancet and the Finnish Medical Journal today, warns that the links between climate policy and health policy must not be overlooked.

The environmental organisation, Friends of the Earth, agree; they told us that 45,000 UK deaths could be prevented each year with lower meat diets, saving the NHS £1.2 billion. Celebrities such as Paul McCartney and Helen Baxendale have also given their support to campaigns aiming to reduce meat consumption. For more meat facts see the end of this article.

Written by Robin Stott and Ian Roberts on behalf of the Climate and Health Council, it is a call to action for health professionals across the world to help tackle the health effects of climate change.

Failure to agree radical reductions in emissions spells a global health catastrophe, they say.

Later this month, representatives from countries around the world will meet at the 2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Mexico.

Stott and Roberts stated that “The planet is getting hotter, its people are getting fatter, and the use of fossil fuel energy is the cause of both.”

They argue that moving to a low carbon economy “could be the next great public health advance.” For example, a low carbon economy will mean less pollution and a need for more physical activity. A low carbon diet (especially eating less meat) and taking more exercise will mean less cancer, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and even depression.

A reduction in car use and meat consumption would also cut world food prices, they add.

They believe that health professionals everywhere have a responsibility to put health at the heart of climate change negotiations. “Responding to climate change could be the most important challenge that health professionals face,” they say.

Meat facts from Friends of the Earth

18 per cent of climate changing emissions occur as a result of the meat and dairy industry[i]

An area twice the size of Greater London deforested in Brazil to grow meat and animal feed for export to the UK in 2009[ii]

45,000 UK deaths could be prevented each year with lower meat diets, saving the NHS £1.2 billion[iii]

80 kg of meat eaten each year by the average Brit – equivalent to 4 sausages each day[iv]

2.7 times as much fat in the average supermarket chicken as 40 years ago – and 30 per cent less protein[v]

4 times as much meat produced around the world now as 50 years ago[vi]
It takes around 3.5 x times more land to produce a low-meat diet than a high-meat diet [vii]

Meat and dairy production uses 70 per cent of the world’s available agricultural land.[viii]

£700 million public money spent on factory farming in the UK each year[ix]

3 – optimum number of times to eat meat each week, according to Friends of the Earth’s ‘Healthy planet eating’ report.[x]

——————————————————————————–

[i] UN’s Livestock’s Long Shadow 2006 http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/a0701e/a0701e00.HTM
[ii] Friends of the Earth’s Forest to Fork research, October 2010
[iii] Friends of the Earth’s Healthy Planet Eating research October 2010
[iv] Friends of the Earth’s Healthy Planet Eating research October 2010
[v] Simopoulos AP, Omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acid ratio and chronic diseases, Food Rev Intl, 2004; 20(1): 77-90.
[vi] Friends of the Earth’s Healthy Planet Eating research October 2010
[vii] Cornell University, October 2007 http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/oct07/diets.ag.footprint.sl.html
[viii] UN’s Livestock’s Long Shadow 2006 http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/a0701e/a0701e00.HTM
[ix] Friends of the Earth’s Feeding the Beast research, April 2009
[x] Friends of the Earth’s Healthy Planet Eating research October 2010

 

Do we need yet another weight loss pill?

Posted on by

Smaller waist circumference neededResearchers have recently found a direct connection between the ‘fat’ gene and increased body weight. But how will this improve our health?

The researchers, at Oxford University, have found a direct connection between the ‘fat’ gene (fat mass and obesity-associated gene) and increased weight. The research was published in Nature Genetics.

This gene was found to have multiple variants in 2007 – meaning that its variance in the population could provide an explanation for obesity – so scientists have been searching for its precise connection with obesity since then.

The leaders of the research project have said that the new findings could be used to develop an anti-obesity pill, but any pill resulting from these new findings wouldn’t be available for a long time yet.

The important question is – what would this pill be? Would we take it at birth to make sure we didn’t suffer from obesity? Would it turn into another vaccine we had to line up for at school?

Do we need another magic ‘lose all your ugly fat’ pill?

The diet industry is growing as quickly as obesity levels, which would indicate that something is not quite working.

In 2008, nearly a quarter of adults (over 16 years of age) in England were obese (had a BMI over 30). Just under a third of women, 32%, were overweight (a BMI of 25-30), and 42% of men were overweight.

Amongst children (2-15 years of age), one in six boys and one in seven girls in England were obese in 2008. The number of overweight children was also around one in seven. 

The NHS predicts that the number of overweight and obese people is likely to increase.

The Foresight report, a scientific report used to guide government policy, has predicted that by 2025, nearly half of men and over a third of women will be obese. 

Surely this tells us there should be a greater focus on changing the core reasons for obesity – the decrease in physical activity and increased intake of processed foods. We have to change the focus of our lives from convenience and speed – just look at how well convenience has treated the USA if you need any further evidence.

Most of us spend the majority of our day sitting in front of a computer, then fight to get a seat on the train so we can sit in front of the TV with our dinner. Hands up if you have two or more takeaway dinners a week?

Everything is geared towards us having to expend less and less energy, which is very bad news for our weight and health.

The reason for obesity is clearly much more than a greater susceptibility to the smell of food.

Sorry, we cannot blame our genes for this one.

US diet pill ban over heart attack and stroke risk?

Posted on by

The US watchdog, the Food and Drug Administration, has yet to decide whether diet pill, Meridia, should stay on the market after a report revealed that it may cause heart attack and strokes in some individuals.

Merediabig [320x200].jpg

 
Meridia, also known as sibutramine, was first approved in the US in 1997, but a large study released last November shows that people who took the drug had an 11% risk of cardiovascular events, while those who took a placebo had a 10% risk.

The study, called the SCOUT trial, prompted regulators to order the drug off the market in Europe. And demands for it be banned in the US are now being made.

 

Meridia: Risks vs. Benefits

Meridia has been shown to reduce weight in many patients – on average 4% more body weight below what they might lose with a placebo, an amount considered a modest benefit. About one-fifth of patients lose more. But the drug also causes increases in heart rate and blood pressure, both of which pose a danger to patients with cardiovascular disease.

Patients with known cardiovascular disease are not meant to be prescribed teh drug. But experts said they were troubled that many patients with undiagnosed disease could be at greater risk if they use the drug to lose weight.

The FDA’s own monitoring linked 14 deaths to the use of Meridia.The patients who died were in their 40s 71% were women.

Conflicting Viewpoints

The Public Citizen Health Research Group,in the US, which first petitioned FDA to ban Meridia in 2002, says the drug poses a “deadly tradeoff” between modest weight loss and the danger of heart attack and stroke.

Others say Meridia can be made safe by closely monitoring things like patients’ pulses and blood pressure readings.

Abbott, which manufactures Meridia, had pledged step up warnings and educational efforts for doctors and patients if the drug is allowed to stay on the market.

Meridia’s popularity has plummeted in recent years, particularly since the release of the Scout trial’s data in November. Only an estimated 280,000 prescriptions were filled last year in the US.

The FDA now has to decide if the clear benefits of even modest weight loss to most patients is worth a rise in cardiovascular risk in some of them. The FDA will also likely consider what vital signs doctors should monitor, and how often they should monitor them, to minimize the drug’s risks.

 

Get back into those skinny jeans – top tips

Posted on by

image

London: Still got a pair of jeans in the back of the cupboard you can’t wait to get back into? You’re not alone….

A nice pair of jeans ticks both the boxes when it comes to fashion and comfort, and as the years have gone by they’ve remained an enduring style staple in many a closet.

Over a third of women (35%) admit to owning trophy jeans, a pair they used to fit into and aspire to fit into again in the future. These jeans –held on to as physical reminder of when they felt they looked their best – are frequently used as an inspiration to women to lose weight.

There are close to 130m pairs of jeans across the UK, with each woman owning an average of five different pairs. But these perfect jeans have been with many of us for so long that we have celebrated a crystal anniversary with them! One in ten women aged 55+ say they’ve held onto their jeans more than 10-15 years, according to new research.

These trophy jeans are also seen as offering the promise of more happiness than many of life’s seminal moments. One in five women say the elation of fitting into their goal pair could evoke more euphoria than attending their best friend’s wedding (21%) or even winning the lottery (20%). In fact, around one sixth of those women (16%) would forego more than £10,000 just to fit into their slim jeans! 2.3m women said achieving that jean dream would be better than a £25k lottery win.

As fashion is cyclical, chances are many women’s goal jeans will be back in fashion in 2010! On average women have held on to their goal jeans for 3 years with one in six women holding onto their trophy jeans for the length of time they’ve been at their job (18%), and a further one in ten women admitting their perfect jeans have outlasted their longest relationship, according to the research by Kellogg’s Special K as part of their Love Your Jeans Again campaign.

Psychotherapist Elisabeth Wilson said, “For many women having a motivational milestone is absolutely vital to their success and moreover their sense of achievement. 70% of the women surveyed said they would consider fitting back into their goal jeans a considerable achievement they’d be very proud of and it’s well documented that visualising themselves wearing their goal jeans is the kind of positive imaging that will help them achieve great results. This combined with the power of positive thinking, support from others and a plan to kick-start a healthy lifestyle leads to real results.

Find out more here Fit into those jeans

For more information visit www.myspecialk.co.uk

image

Avoid déjà vu dieting – watch this video

Posted on by

image
image

London: This coming year more and more of us are likely to make dieting our New Year’s resolution. However for many of us, this will be a ritual we are all too familiar with. Having tried dieting the year before and been unsuccessful, the process of losing weight and then gaining it is something us women struggle with on a regular basis.

Losing weight and keeping the weight off can give you a better quality of life, not only will you look fabulous in that dress, but the health benefits are astounding, reducing the risk of life threatening diseases such as type-2 diabetes and heart disease, two of the leading causes of death worldwide1.

With all the weight loss programmes and diets that Britons are attempting this New Year, it’s important to know what food and exercise combinations can help you lose weight – consequently reducing visceral fat. Visceral fat which surrounds vital organs in the abdomen can’t be seen or felt, but the metabolically active fat in unhealthy amounts can add to serious health problems.

Show date: Monday 4th January
Show time: 2:30pm

In this live WebTV show, David Haslam, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, and Terry Maguire, Pharmacist of Maguire Pharmacy, Belfast, explain what you can do to avoid the yo-yo dieting pattern and how to get rid of dangerous hidden fat. We also have Paula Keogh talking about her weight loss experiences with alli*. Submit your questions before hand or ask them live.

David Haslam, Terry Maguire and Paula Keogh join us live online at Live Web TV
on Monday 4th January at 2:30pm to discuss visceral fat and weight loss.

*alli is a weight loss aid for overweight adults with a BMI of 28 or over, designed to be used with a comprehensive support programme.

References:

1. World Health Organisation. Fact Sheet – The top ten causes of death. FACT SHEET

Check out how obesity can affect eye health – live TV web chat today

Posted on by

image
image

London: How can your weight affect your eyesight?

Obesity directly affects sight loss, so if you’re overweight or just worried about your sight, log hrs (GMT)

It is common knowledge that expanding waistlines are linked to life-threatening conditions like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. But many of us are unaware that obesity is also linked to blindness and other serious eye health issues.

Excess body weight can cause damage to blood vessels in the eye – linked to the onset of glaucoma and diabetes. Studies have also shown people with a high body mass index (BMI) tend to have low macula pigment density and are therefore at greater risk of suffering diseases such as AMD (age-related macular degeneration). Likewise, too much alcohol, too much smoking, and even too much time at the computer screen contributes heavily to losing your eyesight.

According to official figures almost one in four UK adults are obese (23% in 2006), expected by the government to hit one in three adults next year. However many Brits are unaware that they even class as ‘obese’ and are therefore putting their eyes at risk.

National Eye Week (9th to 15th November), organised by the Eyecare Trust, seeks to promote the importance of looking after your eyes and making regular visits to the optician. If you are worried about how your weight can affect your eyesight, make sure you log onto our live and interactive Web TV show with a director of the Eyecare Trust Rosie Gavzey and David Dickinson, (pictured) for top tips on adjusting your lifestyle to keep your eyes healthy, advice on spotting on the early warning signs and ideas on how to meet the cost of eyecare and eye wear.

Rosie Gavzey, a Director of the Eyecare Trust and David Dickinson, join us live HowObesityaffectsEyehealth on the 9th of November at 14:00 to discuss sight loss and obesity.

Click here to submit questions before the chat HowObesityaffectsEyehealth

For more information visit www.nationaleyeweek.co.uk

New diabetes drug cuts obesity and heart risk

Posted on by

image

New York: Trials of a Danish-made injectable drug called liraglutide (trademark name Victoza) have revealed that it reduces weight and the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in obese people without diabetes.

High doses of liraglutide, were also found to cause greater weight loss than orlistat (marketed over-the-counter as Alli), according to a report in the medical magazine, The Lancet.

In developing countries obesity levels have risen dramtically in the past two decades and in some European countries 30% of the population are overweight. Around 50% of all adults in Europe are classified as overweight.

Obesity increases the risk of degenerative diseases including high blood pressure, diabetes, and atherosclerosis, and all risk factors for heart disease.
Moreover, obesity is associated with a reduced quality of life. Few safe and effective drugs are currently available for the treatment of obesity. Therefore, alternative approaches to weight loss that are safe and well tolerated and that can lower the risks associated with obesity are needed. In this randomised controlled trial, the authors studied the effect of liraglutide on bodyweight and tolerability in obese individuals without type 2 diabetes.

The study, led by Professor Arne Astrup, Department of Human Nutrition, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark, took place in 19 sites in Europe, and analysed 564 people (18-65 years, body-mass index 30-40 kg/m²). Each was assigned to 1 of 4 liraglutide doses (1.2 mg, 1.8 mg, 2.4 mg, or 3.0 mg, n = 90-95) or to placebo (n = 98) administered once a day subcutaneously, or to orlistat 120 mg (n = 95) administered orally 3 times a day. All participants also followed a calorie-restricted diet, which contained approximately 500 calories less than they needed each day. Participants also increased their physical activity throughout the trial, including the 2-week run-in.

Participants on liraglutide lost significantly more weight than did those on placebo and orlistat. Mean weight loss with liraglutide doses 1.2, 1.8, 2.4 and 3.0 mg was 4.8 kg, 5.5 kg, 6.3 kg, and 7.2 kg respectively, compared with 2.8 kg with placebo and 4.1 kg with orlistat. A higher proportion of individuals (76%) lost more than 5% weight with liraglutide 3.0 mg than with placebo (30%) or orlistat (44%).

Liraglutide reduced blood pressure at all doses. At the start of the study, around one-third of patients in each group had pre-diabetes, that is, poor blood glucose control not yet bad enough to qualify as diabetes. Liraglutide reduced the prevalence of pre-diabetes (84%-96% reduction) with 1.8-3.0 mg per day.

Nausea and vomiting occurred more often in individuals on liraglutide than in those on placebo, but adverse events were mainly transient and rarely led to discontinuation of treatment.

The authors say: “Treatment with liraglutide, in addition to an energy-deficit diet and exercise programme, led to a sustained, clinically relevant, dose-dependent weight loss that was significantly greater than that with placebo (all doses) and orlistat (vs liraglutide 2.4 mg and 3.0 mg).”

They conclude: “The results of this study indicate the potential benefit of liraglutide, in conjunction with an energy-deficit diet, in the treatment of obesity and associated risk factors. Liraglutide offers a new mode of action for the treatment of obesity and improved efficacy compared with currently available therapies. Its effect on pre-diabetes suggests that it might be important for treating obese pre-diabetic individuals.”

They add that further studies, with longer follow-up than 20 weeks, are now needed to establish the long-term risk-benefit profile for liraglutide.

In an editorial accompanying the article, George A Bray, MD, Division of Clinical Obesity and Metabolism, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, says: “Today’s important report shows a dose-related reduction of food intake and bodyweight in overweight and obese individuals treated with liraglutide.”

Dr Bray adds that one limitation to the use of drugs such as liraglutide is that they require an injection. He says: “Whether long-term use of an injectable drug is palatable as a treatment for obesity is yet to be established.”

TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher reveals her hourglass figure secret

Posted on by

image
image

London: TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher reveals why the hour glass figure overtakes the perfect 10 in the body aspiration stakes.

Whether you’re twenty or fifty the hour glass figure remains the body shape the majority of us aspire to. With over two thirds of the nation wishing they had the classic Marilyn curves, it would seem that the boyish body personified by Twiggy in the sixties and Kate Moss in the nineties and noughties is somewhat outdated.

In a landmark study, commissioned to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Kellogg’s Special K, over 2,000 women across the UK were surveyed to examine the key influences that have impacted on the female body ideal and the things that have boosted and bruised our confidence over the last five decades.

The results showed that real women are resolutely rejecting perfection and demanding more honesty to inspire better ‘shape’ confidence. Key body shape boosters include seeing shapely women on TV rather than size zero models, curvy celebrities with hunky boyfriends (such as Charlotte Church and Gavin Henson), and older actresses such as Helen Mirren ‘baring all’ for nude scenes.

As well as applauding women in the public eye who are honest about their bodies, British women believe influencers like the media could and should do more to inspire real women. Well someone who knows a thing or two about the pressures of staying in shape is TV presenter and mum Kirsty Gallacher. After almost a decade in the spotlight, the recently engaged star talks frankly about her body and how she maintains her classic hour glass shape.

Click here to watch the video: Kirsty video

For more information about shape management visit www.specialk.co.uk

Grapefruit may hold key to anti-obesity pill?

Posted on by

image

Toronto: A substance found in grapefuit could become a key ingredient in fighting obesity and diabetes, according to a new study.

Naringenin, a flavonoid found in citrus fruit such as grapefruit which gives it its bitter taste , makes the liver burn fat instead of storing it.

But high concentrations, far more than is available in the fruit, would be needed to achieve fat-busting benefits. The chemical also helps balance insulin and glucose levels.

If it could be made into a tablet then it could help treat patients suffering from Type 2 diabetes, a main cause of heart disease.

Successful tests have already been carried out on mice by researchers at the Robarts Research Institute at the University of Western Ontario, in Canada, and published in the journal Diabetes.

Two groups of mice were both fed the equivalent of a Western diet to speed up their ‘metabolic syndrome’ – the process which leads to Type 2 diabetes in humans.

One of the groups ate food that had been treated with naringenin. The non-naringenin mice became obese, their cholesterol levels rose and their bodies became resistant to insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels.
The mice given the chemical did not suffer from these ailments, despite eating identical diets to the others.

Any rise in cholesterol-was corrected by the naringenin which also ‘reprogrammed’ their livers to burn fat rather than store it.

Lead researcher Professor Murray Huff added: ‘Furthermore, the marked obesity that develops in these mice was completely prevented by naringenin.
‘What was unique about the study was that the effects were independent of calorific intake, meaning the mice ate exactly the same amount of food and the same amount of fat.’ The team will now try to develop the chemical into a treatment for humans.

Note: anyone taking medication should be wary of eating grapefruit as it may interfere with the effect of drugs, such as as statins.

Obesity speeds up cartilage loss

Posted on by

image

Boston: Obesity, among other factors, is strongly associated with an increased risk of rapid cartilage loss, according to a study published in the August issue of the magazine Radiology.

“We have isolated demographic and MRI-based risk factors for progressive cartilage loss,” said the study’s lead author, Frank W. Roemer, M.D., adjunct associate professor at Boston University and co-director of the Quantitative Imaging Center at the Department of Radiology at Boston University School of Medicine.

“Increased baseline body mass index (BMI) was the only non-MRI-based predictor identified.”

As obesity is one of the few established risk factors for osteoarthritis, it is not surprising that obesity may also precede and predict rapid cartilage loss. Weight loss is probably the most important factor to slow disease progression.
Risk Factors for MRI-detected Rapid Cartilage Loss of the Tibio-femoral Joint over a 30-month Period: the MOST Study.

Tibio-femoral cartilage is a flexible connective tissue that covers and protects the bones of the knee. Cartilage damage can occur due to excessive wear and tear, injury, misalignment of the joint or other factors, including osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting 27 million Americans, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. In osteoarthritis, the cartilage breaks down and, in severe cases, can completely wear away, leaving the joint without a cushion. The bones rub together, causing further damage, significant pain and loss of mobility.

The best way to prevent or slow cartilage loss and subsequent disability is to identify risk factors early.

“Osteoarthritis is a slowly progressive disorder, but a minority of patients with hardly any osteoarthritis at first diagnosis exhibit fast disease progression,”

Dr. Roemer said. “So we set out to identify baseline risk factors that might predict rapid cartilage loss in patients with early knee osteoarthritis or at high risk for the disease.”

The researchers recruited patients from the Multicenter Osteoarthritis (MOST) Study, a prospective study of 3,026 people, age 50 – 79, at risk for osteoarthritis or with early x-ray evidence of the disease. The study is funded by the National Institute on Aging.

Dr. Roemer’s study consisted of 347 knees in 336 patients. The patient group was comprised of 65.2 percent women, mean age 61.2, with a mean BMI of 29.5, which is classified as overweight. Recommended BMI typically ranges from 18.5 to 25. Only knees with minimal or no baseline cartilage damage were included. Of 347 knees selected for the study, 20.2 percent exhibited slow cartilage loss over the 30-month follow-up period and 5.8 percent showed rapid cartilage loss. Rapid cartilage loss was defined by a whole organ magnetic imaging score of at least 5, indicating a large full thickness loss of 75 percent in any subregion of the knee during the follow-up period.

The results showed that the top risk factors contributing to rapid cartilage loss were baseline cartilage damage, high BMI, tears or other injury to the meniscus (the cartilage cushion at the knee joint) and severe lesions seen on MRI at the initial exam. Other predictors were synovitis (inflammation of the membrane that lines the joints) and effusion (abnormal build-up of joint fluid).

Excess weight was significantly associated with an increased risk of rapid cartilage loss. For a one-unit increase in BMI, the odds of rapid cartilage loss increased by 11 percent. No other demographic factors–including age, sex and ethnicity–were associated with rapid cartilage loss.

“As obesity is one of the few established risk factors for osteoarthritis, it is not surprising that obesity may also precede and predict rapid cartilage loss,” Dr. Roemer said. “Weight loss is probably the most important factor to slow disease progression.”

AT A GLANCE

* Researchers using MRI have identified risk factors for rapid cartilage loss in the knee.
* People with a high body mass index (BMI) may be at increased risk for rapid cartilage loss and osteoarthritis.
* Osteoarthritis affects 27 million Americans.

“Risk Factors for MRI-detected Rapid Cartilage Loss of the Tibio-femoral Joint over a 30-month Period: the MOST Study.” Collaborating with Dr. Roemer were Yuqing Zhang, D.Sc., Jingbo Niu, M.D., John A. Lynch, Ph.D., Michel D. Crema, M.D., Monica D. Marra, M.D., Michael C. Nevitt, Ph.D., David T. Felson, M.D., M.P.H., Laura Hughes, Georges El-Khoury, M.D., Martin Englund, M.D., Ph.D., and Ali Guermazi, M.D., for MOST study investigators.

Radiology is edited by Herbert Y. Kressel, M.D., Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., and owned and published by the Radiological Society of North America, Inc. (http://radiology.rsnajnls.org/)

RSNA is an association of more than 43,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists committed to excellence in patient care through education and research. www.RSNA.org

For patient-friendly information on MRI, visit www.RadiologyInfo.org

Diet pills no substitute for healthy lifestyle

Posted on by

image

London: Pharmaceutical diet pills which go on sale in the UK for the first time later this week are no substitute for a healthy lifestyle, according to medical experts.

One of the drugs, Alli, can help those to take it lose 3lb a week, according to its manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline. This is more than three stones over four months.

The drug, is a milder version of prescription-only Xenical, works by reducing the body’s ability to process fat by about 25 per cent. The fat passes straight through the body, creating a need to go to the toilet frequently.

Professor Gareth Williams, professor of medicine at the University of Bristol and the author of Obesity: Science To Practice, said in the British Medical Journal that the side-effects are so severe that “possibly few users will even finish their first pack of Alli, let alone buy a second”.

More seriously, he said: “The drug may cause only a small and transient downward blip in the otherwise inexorable climb in weight.

“Selling anti-obesity drugs over the counter will perpetuate the myth that obesity can be fixed simply by popping a pill and could further undermine efforts to promote healthy living, which is the only long-term escape from obesity.”

He said that real-life weight loss may not be as dramatic as in clinical trials.

“Dieters in these trials are highly motivated and under medical supervision,” he said. “People … taking it without medical supervision may achieve an average daily energy deficit of only 100kcal – equivalent to leaving a few French fries on a plate, eating an apple instead of ice cream, or (depending on enthusiasm and fitness) having 10 to 20 minutes of sex.”

The second drug is Appesat, which claims to cause weight loss of just under 2lb per week. It is a seaweed extract, which swells in the stomach and tricks the user into feeling that they are full.

Its long-term benefits were even questioned by Dr Jason Halford, the director of the Study of Human Ingestive Behaviour University of Liverpool, who is paid to advise the drug’s manufacturer.

“The cure for obesity and being overweight will never be found in a pill, packet or a wonder drug,” Dr Halford said. “That can only come from enormous changes to our food and physical environment, which are going to take a long time to achieve.

“Drugs don’t necessarily deal with reasons why people become obese, which are largely psychological.”

About two-thirds of adults and a third of children are obese, according to the Health Survey for England. Last year the number of prescriptions for “fat pills” rose 16 per cent to 1.23 million.

Last week a BBC television investigation by Professor Lesley Regan of St Mary’s Hospital in London found that women taking a placebo starch pill, who thought they were taking a diet pill, lost up to half a stone in six weeks.

Scientists discover new weightloss properties in African nut

Posted on by

image
image

Scientists have discovered that an African seed can help weightloss in older adults even if they don’t diet.

Irvingia gabonensis has demonstrated an average weight loss of 28 pounds in 10 weeks in human clinical trials. It also lowers bad (LDL) cholesterol and levels of blood fats.

The herb works on four causes of weightgain by reducing carbohydrate absorption, shrinks fat cells, reduces the amount of sugar in the blood and increases levels of the hormone leptin which helps the brain shut off appetite.

The herb has been made into a vegetarian supplement which encourages weightloss by taking just two tablets a day.

It works by:

1. Inhibiting amylase, the digestive enzyme that coverts starch to sugar in the body – thereby reducing the amount of carbohydrate absorbed.

2. It increases secretion of adiponection, which shrinks fat cells

3. It suppresses the fat-converting enzyme, glylcerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase – this converts sugar to fat in the body.

4. It lowers levels of a substance called C-reactive protein (CRP) in fat cells which encourages levels of the appeite suppressant hormone Leptin.

Find out more about this breakthrough product at www.vitalityshopuk.com

image

Scientists identify “fat” gene

Posted on by

London: Scientists have identified an “obesity gene” which predisposes many people to desire fattening foods.

The obesity gene variant is present in 63% of the population, has been
shown to cause people to eat 100 extra calories, on average, at a single
meal.

A team at the University of Dundee conducted an eating test with 100
schoolchildren aged between 4 and 10 and found that the children with
the common variant on the `obesity gene’ FTO consumed the extra 100
calories. These children chose to eat food types that contained more
sugar and fats as opposed to more healthy options.

Results of the study are published in this week’s edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

The research was led by Professor Colin Palmer at the University of Dundee, and included colleagues who are nowbased at the Universities of St Andrews, Brighton and Glasgow Caledonian.

The study measured the metabolism, adiposity (fat distribution),exercise and eating behaviours in the schoolchildren. They were given a test meal at school, which included a mix of options: ham, cheese, crackers, crisps, raisins, grapes, cucumber, carrot, chocolate buttons,water, orange juice and bread rolls. Investigators recorded the foodthat remained on each child’s tray. Importantly, each child wastested with this meal on three occasions to increase the reliability of the results.

Researchers found the gene had no impact on metabolic rates or measures
of physical activity. There was also no evidence that individuals carrying the obesity-related variant had any problem with satiety (knowing when to stop increased calorific intake from a greater consumption of the more fattening foods as opposed to the more healthy options.

“This work demonstrates that this gene does not lead to obesity without overeating and suggests that obesity linked to this gene could be modulated by careful dietary control,” said Professor Palmer, Chair of Pharmacogenomics in the Biomedical Research Institute at theUniversity of Dundee..

“What it effectively shows is that the people with the relevant variants on the gene have a trait which may lead them to eat more unhealthy, fattening foods. I would stress that this is a trait, and not an absolute occurrence.

“The findings do not change the dietary and lifestyle advice to people, which would be to eat relatively healthily and take regular exercise. Doing this will still have a positive effect whether you carry this gene variant or not.

“But these findings do also reinforce the hypothesis that the increase in obesity seen in children over recent years may be largely attributable to the widespread availability of inexpensive and highly energy dense foods, which may be more attractive to the large proportion of the population who carry this genetic variant,” said Professor Palmer.

The results in the newly-published study are also consistent with studies in animals that have shown that feeding or fasting turns the expression of this gene on and off in the regions of the brain that are known to control eating behaviours.

Professor Palmer was part of the large group of scientists from around the UK that discovered the obesity gene, FTO, in 2007. They found that individuals carrying one copy of the variant (49% of the population) have an approximately 30% increased risk of obesity and individuals carrying two copies of the variant (14% of the population) have almost 70% increased risk of obesity. This effect has since been confirmed in many populations around the world.

Work has been continuing to further explore how the gene works.

“What we are doing with this work is debunking the old myths which are still often repeated in relation to obesity: ‘I have big bones’,or ‘I have a slow metabolism’, or indeed ‘it is in my genes’.

While strong genetic effects have been found in extremely rare cases, most obesity is associated with rather weak genetic tendencies that are modifiable by diet and exercise,” said Professor Palmer.

“The genetics of obesity are complicated and it is likely that there are other genes which will have an effect. But we are now clearly seeing the effects of genetic variants like this one in FTO.”

Diet pill Acomplia banned in EU

Posted on by

image

London: The controversial diet pill Acomplia has been banned by European safety chiefs, over concerns that it may be linked to suicide in vulnerable individuals.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has ordered doctors to stop prescribing Acomplia now following several deaths, including a suicide and reports of other adverse reactions. It is already banned in the US.

The UK’s, National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence approved the drug four months ago. At that time there were warnings on the packet about the increased risk of depression, anxiety and other ‘serious’ side effects. The EMA also warned that Acomplia should not be taken by patients with major depression or on antidepressants.

Now the EMA has suspended the medicine’s licence because the ‘benefits no longer outweigh its risks’.

It said: “New data from post-marketing experience and ongoing clinical trials indicated that serious psychiatric disorders may be more common than in the clinical trials.”

Patients taking Acomplia are advised to see their doctor or pharmacist

Acomplia, also known as rimonabant, was licensed for the treatment of obesity and overweight patients with type 2 diabetes.

In medical trials. the drug demonstrated that it was helpful to two out five patients in loosing up to 10 per cent of their body body weight.

But a scientific review in The Lancet medical journal found a 40 per cent higher chance of being harmed by ‘adverse events or serious adverse events’.

The pill, made by the French firm Sanofi-Aventis, works by interfering with a system in the body which controls energy levels, reducing the cravings for food and helping to prevent fat from being deposited.

Acomplia costs £44 a month in the UK, and is marketed in 18 European countries.