Weight Control at WeightControl.com

Increased BMI in Teens Whose Parents were Obese in Adolescence

Knowing that offsprings of parents with obesity are at a greater risk than other children for being overweight at adolescence, the question remains what are the epigenetic factors that affect obesity.

WeightControl.com Interview with:
Gilad Twig, MD, MPH, PhD
Head of the Population Health Research Center
Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel.
Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine
Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel

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

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Response: Heritability of obesity has been widely investigated, but when parental and children’s body weights are compared it is difficult to distinguish between genetic relationship and shared lifestyle. In this study we compared parents and their children’s body weights all measured at age 17.

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Genetic Platform Can Allow Some Meds to Be Repurposed for Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes

In the current project we developed genetically informed repurposed medications to tackle obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D)

WeightControl.com Interview with:
Professor Murray Cairns.
Sahar El Shair, PhD student
University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia

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

Response: The background is that we want to improve global health by making a significant impact on chronic disease. Many of these complex disorders have a substantial genetic risk but this risk involves hundreds of genes (unlike the simple genetic disorders that people are more familiar with caused by a single gene) and manifests differently in different people.

To break through this problem we developed a platform for aggregating and scoring an individual’s risk for complex disorders in gene networks that can be modulated by drugs. This includes new drugs, existing drugs and those that are currently used for other conditions.

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Study of Childhood Obesity Finds “Patients Are Not Doomed by their Genes”

The readers should take away that lifestyle factors are most important regarding successful weight-loss strategies.

WeightControl.com Interview with:
Melanie Heitkamp, PhD
Department of Prevention and Sports Medicine
Centre for Sports Cardiology, University Hospital
Technical University of Munich
Munich, Germany

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

Response: There are genetic loci influencing obesity risk in children, which have been identified by large genome-wide association studies. However, the current knowledge about associations between these obesity related genes and obesity treatment success is scarce and the results of previous studies are inconsistent. However, it is an important question as there is a wide inter-individual response to obesity treatment.

Efficacy and Safety of Setmelanotide For Patients with a Rare form of Genetic Obesity

The severe hyperphagia and the feeling of permanent failure due to the situation of being unable to reduce body weight with conservative treatment options (increase exercise, reduce caloric intake) may affect the relationship within the family

WeightControl.com Interview with:
Prof. Dr. Peter Kühnen
Institute for Experimental Pediatric Endocrinology
Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Berlin, Germany

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

Response: The leptin melanocortin signaling pathway plays a pivotal role for central appetite regulation. Gene mutations in this pathway are leading to severe hyperphagia and early onset obesity. We present the data of two phase 3 trials, in which patients with POMC/PCSK1 or LEPR deficiency received treatment with the MC4R agonist setmelanotide. In the past, there were centrally acting obesity drugs, like the cannabinoid receptor inhibitor rimonabant, whose use was associated with depression. Therefore, here we present the data about suicidality and depression of the participants during the treatment with the MC4R agonist setmelanotide.

The main finding was that there was no consistent increase in depression or suicidal ideation / behavior of the treated patients. However, in all cases depressive episode or increase in suicidal ideation was related to the medical history of the participants.