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Penn Researchers Identify Brain Circuits That Increase Risk for Obesity

These findings underscore that some individual’s brains can be fundamentally different in regions that increase the risk for obesity.

WeightControl.com Interview with:

Casey H. Halpern, MD
Division Head, Functional and Stereotactic Neurosurgery
Associate Professor of Neurosurgery
University of Pennsylvania

WeightControl.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: The dorsolateral hippocampus (dlHPC) is located in the region of the brain that processes memory, and the lateral hypothalamus (LH) is in the region of the brain that is responsible for keeping the body in a stable state, called homeostasis. Previous research has found an association with loss of function in the human hippocampus in individuals with obesity and related disordered eating, like BED. However, outside of imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the role of the hippocampus has been difficult to study in humans with obesity and related eating disorders.

Even Small Reductions in Weight Can Reduce Obesity-Related Chronic Diseases

Given the health benefits of clinically meaningful weight reduction at any level of excess weight, 5% or greater weight loss can be a reasonable target for obesity management efforts.

WeightControl.com Interview with:

Dr. Lyudmyla Kompaniyets, PhD
Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

WeightControl.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Overweight and obesity affect more than 70% of US adults and are risk factors for other chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and many cancers. This is one of the only papers to assess the probability of a 5% weight loss or reducing BMI to healthy weight among US adults with overweight and obesity.

This study focused on the probability of weight loss in a healthcare seeking population with overweight or obesity regardless of any individual’s intention to lose weight.

Heart Benefits of Wegovy (semaglutide) Extend Beyond Weight Loss

This trial found that among the participants taking Wegovy the incidence of MACE was 20% lower than those with usual care.

WeightControl.com Interview with:
Shauna Levy MD, MS, FACS. FASMBS, DABOM
Assistant Professor
Department of Surgery
Division of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery
Director of Bariatric Surgery
American Board of Obesity Medicine, Diplomate
Instagram @tulane_bariatric_center
Tulaneweightloss.com

WeightControl.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: The SELECT trial evaluated over 17,000 patients with a history of overweight or obesity and cardiovascular disease. They randomized patients to usual care versus Wegovy (semaglutide), which is an anti-obesity medication. It is important to note that none of the participants had diabetes.

They evaluated the incidence of Major Adverse Cardiaovascular Events (MACE) for up to 5 years for all participants.

Forever Chemicals During Pregnancy May Raise Risk of Childhood Obesity: Steps to Limit Exposure to PFAS

WeightControl.com Interview with:
Yun (Jamie) Liu
Department of Epidemiology
Brown University School of Public Health
Providence, Rhode Island,

WeightControl.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels in the U.S., and can continue into adulthood, increasing the risks of developing cardiometabolic diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, and cancers. While a lack of physical activity and an unhealthy diet do not fully explain the genesis and trends of the obesity epidemic, some research suggests that fetal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), may predispose children to a higher risk of obesity. Studies on this topic have been quite limited.

Study Finds Whole-Body Cryostimulation Useful in the Treatment of Obesity

WeightControl.com Interview with:
Jacopo M. Fontana
Ph.D., M. Sc., Ricercartore
Laboratorio di Ricerca in Biomeccanica, Riabilitazione ed Ergonomia
Ospedale San Giuseppe
IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Italy

WeightControl.com: What is the background for this study? Would you describe the treatment?

Response: Whole-body cryostimulation is a physical treatment that involves exposing the entire body to cryogenic temperatures (-110°C to -140°C) for a short period of time (2-3 minutes).

A growing body of work suggests that whole-body cryostimulation could play a role as an adjunctive therapy in various conditions of rehabilitative interest-such as obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, musculoskeletal inflammation, and long COVID-because it may act as a “training method” for the autonomic nervous system, a novel anti-inflammatory and antioxidant treatment with beneficial effects on body composition and adipose tissue.

Study Examines How Stress Triggers Craving for Sweet Food

If you are experiencing chronic stress be specifically vigilant on what you eat. K

WeightControl.com Interview with:
Prof. Herbert Herzog
Chair in Neuroendocrinology
Lab Leader, Eating Disorders Lab
Garvan Institute of Medical Research

WeightControl.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: We used a systematic, unbiased approach to identify the regions in the brain that specifically respond to either a Prof. Herbert Herzog
(HFD) or a HFD combined with stress. This identified the ‘Lateral Habenular’ (LHb) as the most responsive nuclei to a HFD, while when combining HFD and Stress the neurons in this nuclei were silent.

This indicates that stress can override the HFD induced activation of neurons in the LHb. The LHb is know as the so called ‘anti-reward’ centre, that when activated dampens the reward feeling in this case the pleasure of eating caloric dense food, normally high in fat and sugar. Chronic stress reverts that and brings the pleasure back by blocking the LHb pathway. Not only leads this to an increase of food intake but at the same time specifically promotes the graving for sweet food.

Gender Differences in Core Body Temperature

WeightControl.com Interview with:
Reed Thomas BS and
Dr. Kong Y. Chen PhD
Director, Human Energy & Body Weight Regulation Core
NIH

WeightControl.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Over the last century, many studies have looked at the thermoregulation of both arctic and tropical animals; however, far fewer have rigorously measured variations in human thermal physiology, and even less have compared women and men. This study is a part of our ongoing efforts to fill that gap.

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Variety of Healthy Dietary Patterns can be Recommended to Reduce Risk of Chronic Diseases and Premature Death

These patterns such as the Mediterranean diet, DASH diet, vegetarian diet, or other versions of healthy diets can be adapted to meet individual health needs, food preferences, and cultural traditions.

WeightControl.com Interview with:
Frank B. Hu, MD, PhD
Professor and Chair
Department of Nutrition
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

WeightControl.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) recommend multiple healthy eating patterns. However, few studies have evaluated whether greater adherence to the DGAs-recommended dietary patterns is associated with long-term risk of total and cause-specific mortality. The researchers used health data collected over 36 years from 75,230 women participating in the Nurses’ Health Study and 44,085 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. All participants were free of cardiovascular disease or cancer at the beginning of the study and completed dietary questionnaires every four years.

Their information was scored based on each of the four dietary pattern indexes (Healthy Eating Index 2015, Alternate Mediterranean Diet, Healthful Plant-based Diet Index, and Alternate Healthy Eating Index). All share key components including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes, although other components differ across different eating patterns.

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Small Weight Loss in Older Men Might Signify Increased Risk of Mortality

Older individuals with a weight loss of 5-10% had a higher risk of all-cause mortality: 33% for men and 26% for women.

WeightControl.com Interview with:
Dr Monira Hussain MBBS, MPH, PhD
Senior Research Fellow &
ECF Clinical Research Australian Fellow
Public Health and Preventive Medicine
Monash University
Melbourne Australia

Dr Monira Hussain MBBS, MPH, PhD
Senior Research Fellow &
ECF Clinical Research Australian Fellow
Public Health and Preventive Medicine
Monash University
Melbourne Australia

WeightControl.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: The impact of weight changes on healthy older adults is not fully understood, and the association between weight loss and cause-specific mortality needs to be explored using more reliable methods.

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Hopkins Study finds Weight Loss by Bariatric Embolization Principally from Fatty Tissues

The data from this preliminary study represents a healthy pattern of weight loss in support of bariatric embolization as a valid therapeutic for obesity.

WeightControl.com Interview with:

Daniel Giraldo-Herrera, MD,
Postdoctoral research fellow
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and
Clifford R. Weiss, MD, PI of the study
Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and
Whiting School of Engineering.

WeightControl.com: What is the background for this study? Would you describe the procedure and how it works to reduce obesity?

Response: Bariatric Embolization is a minimally invasive image-guided medical procedure for patients with morbid obesity who seek weight loss. The procedure is performed with tiny catheters through small nicks in the skin, deploying precisely engineered microscopic beads. These are deposited to block blood flow in the upper part of the stomach to reduce appetite by suppressing the release of the hunger-stimulating hormone ghrelin. With less hunger, patients can then more easily restrict excess calories from food intake. Weight loss results as they tap their own caloric energy reserves, ideally from subcutaneous fat (the deposits between the skin and deep muscle tissues) and visceral fat (the deposits surrounding abdominal organs). Protein stored in muscle can also be turned to calories for energy.

The purpose of this study was to understand if weight loss resulting from Bariatric Embolization comes from fat, muscle, or a mix of both. In a pilot trial, we used AMRA Medical’s advanced body composition measurement techniques with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine body composition changes in the abdomen and thighs, where the most significant fat deposits and muscle groups are located. MRI is the reference standard for body composition measurement since it allows for rapid, detailed analysis of anatomic distributions and accurate measurement of fat and muscle tissue volumes.

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