The main messages are that the liver can directly control the most complex part of the brain.
WeightControl.com Interview with: Tamas L. Horvath, DVM, PhD Jean and David W. Wallace Professor of Comparative Medicine Chair, Department of Comparative Medicine Founding Director, Yale Program in Integrative Cell Signaling & Neurobiology of Metabolism Professor of Neuroscience and Ob/Gyn & Reproductive Sciences Yale University School of Medicine
WeightControl.comWhat is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: We knew from earlier work that this very specific lipid species we studied (lysophospholipids) have an impact on how the most complex part of our brain, the cerebral cortex, functions. What is knew here is that we show that the level of these lipids fluctuate in association with the level of hunger of animals and that this fluctuation of these liver-derived lipid molecules are governed by neurons that control hunger and are in an ancient part of the brain (hypothalamus).
Individuals who are high on food cue responsiveness typically have uncontrolled eating and ruminate (think) about food a lot of the time
WeightControl.com Interview with:
Dr. Kerri N. Boutelle, Ph.D Department of Pediatrics Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, Department of Psychiatry University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
WeightControl.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Behavioral weight loss, which includes nutrition and physical activity education and behavior therapy techniques (also called a lifestyle intervention), is not effective for all adults with overweight and obesity and of those who lose weight, the majority regain the weight back. This suggests that there are unaddressed underlying mechanisms that impact the effectiveness of these interventions.
We developed a novel weight loss model based on appetitive traits, called regulation of cues (roc), that targets improving responsiveness to hunger and satiety cues and decreasing responsiveness to food cues. This is different than behavioral weight loss as it targets these internal control mechanisms while behavioral weight loss targets external control mechanisms.
After bariatric surgery there is a rapid weight loss that may impair an adequate weight gain during pregnancy and may also be associated with nutritional deficiencies
WeightControl.com Interview with: Dr Ana Carreira and Dr Bárbara Araújo Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra Coimbra, Portuga
WeightControl.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Bariatric surgery is increasingly common in women of reproductive age and reduces the risk of obesity-related comorbidities in pregnancy. However, women after bariatric surgery have an increased risk of having a baby who is underweight (small for gestational age, SGA). A shorter bariatric surgery-to-conception interval (BSCI) has been one of the factors associated with a higher risk of SGA neonates, and, as a result, women are generally advised to wait at least 12 months after bariatric surgery before trying to conceive. However, the optimal bariatric surgery-to-conception interval is yet to be determined, and current recommendation differ among scientific societies, with some advocating a minimum of 12months and others 18 or 24 months.
In the Weight Matters podcast, Dr. Katherine Saunders and Dr. Louis Aronne address the many misconceptions associated with weight and how it impacts our broader health.
WeightControl.com Interview with: Louis Aronne, MD Co-Founder and Chief Medical Advisor at Intellihealth The Sanford I. Weill Professor of Metabolic Research Weill Cornell Medicine Medical Director Comprehensive Weight Control Center
Dr. Aronne
WeightControl.com: How does obesity affect health and health care costs?
Response: Obesity is a leading contributor to over 200 diseases: type 2 diabetes, heart disease, many types of cancer, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. All of these diseases and comorbidities have a link to excess weight, and their severity could be reduced by addressing the underlying issue of obesity. According to the World Health Organization, almost 3 million people die as a result of obesity or excess weight each year. And the National Institutes of Health has reported that obesity and overweight are now the second leading cause of death nationally. Perhaps that’s because unlike the more than 80 percent of patients with diabetes who receive treatment for their disease, less than 2 percent of patients with obesity or overweight are treated according to the latest guidelines.
Obesity is also an economic burden, leading to more than $210 billion a year in direct medical costs. Indirect costs, such as employer expenses, absenteeism, and lost productivity add up to as much as $500 billion annually. For adults with obesity, that translates to more than $3,500 in medical care costs per patient each year.
Time-restricted eating combined with calorie restriction offer a viable and sustainable approach for person who wants to lose weight.
WeightControl.com Interview with: Huijie Zhang M.D. & Ph.D Professor and Chief Physician Deputy Director of Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism Nafang Hospital of Southern Medical University Guangzhou, China
WeightControl.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Time-restricted eating is one of the most popular intermittent fasting regimens involving a specific eating period within a 24-hour cycle. Time-restricted eating regimen has gained attention because it reduces weight and enhances adherence. The long-term efficacy and safety of time-restricted eating for weight loss are not clear.
In this randomized clinical trial, among patients with obesity, a regimen of time-restricted eating was not more beneficial with regard to reduction in body weight, body fat, or metabolic risk factors than daily calorie restriction.
Our research suggests that restaurants are bringing lower-calorie options to their menus now that they are required to display calorie labels on their menus.
WeightControl.com Interview with: Anna H. GrummonPhD , Postdoctoral Fellow Department of Nutrition Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health
Dr. Grummon
WeightControl.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response:As of 2018, large chain restaurants in the US are required by law to display calorie information on their menus. A number of researchers have looked at how consumers respond to the new calorie labels. What was not yet known was how the industry responded to the calorie labeling law. Our study is the first to investigate whether nationwide rollout of the calorie labeling law spurred restaurants to change the types of foods they offer. We found that the rollout of the calorie labels appeared to prompt restaurants to introduce lower-calorie items to their menus, but did not spur changes to existing menu items.
WeightControl.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Response:Our research suggests that restaurants are bringing lower-calorie options to their menus now that they are required to display calorie labels on their menus. These new options could help Americans find foods that meet their health goals when they get take-out or dine at restaurants.
At the same time, existing menu items did not change after the labels were rolled out. This suggests that additional policy changes might be needed to nudge restaurants to make these existing items healthier. The calorie labeling law is important in providing consumers with information about menu items that was hard to find previously. Future policies can build on this success.
WeightControl.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work?
Response:Our study examined restaurant menus, not what consumers buy or eat. So we don’t yet know how these changes to menus will affect what consumers eat and drink at restaurants, or ultimately how this policy will affect health outcomes. Future studies can examine how consumers respond to both calorie labels and to changes in the types of items sold by restaurants.
WeightControl.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Response: Mandatory labelling may have spurred restaurants to introduce new, lower calorie items to their menus. These calorie labels also allow consumers to easily view the calorie count of their meal, information which was difficult to find before the law.
No disclosures.
Citation:
Grummon AH, Petimar J, Soto MJ, et al. Changes in Calorie Content of Menu Items at Large Chain Restaurants After Implementation of Calorie Labels. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(12):e2141353. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.41353
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We found that first-year college students’ BMI increased, with an average weight gain being a little over three pounds across the first semester.
WeightControl.com Interview with:
Yangyang Deng Ph.D. Student | Sport Pedagogy Graduate Teaching Assistant Children’s Physical Activity, Fitness lab University of Georgia
WeightControl.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: The idea for this study was to test whether freshman 15 is really a myth or is there some truth to it. Maybe more importantly, we wanted to test what are the main factors that may impact unwanted weight gain. Of course, we also wanted to help college students to improve their health. Previous research has shown that freshman students are especially vulnerable due to the transition to a new environment, and they are more likely to adopt negative health behaviors, e.g., sedentary habits and unhealthy diet. Previous data has shown that less than 50% of college students engage in the recommended minimum of 150 weekly minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA). Moreover, first-year college students’ dietary behaviors are getting unhealthier, students are eating excessive amounts of trans fats/fast food and not consuming the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables, and consuming too much sugar-sweetened beverages.
