Fat substitutes may lead to weight gain

Fat substitutes linked to weight gain — Rats on high-fat diet gained more weight after eating low-calorie potato chips made with fat substitutes – Eating food which is naturally low in fat and calories may be a better route than relying on fat substitutes or artificial sweeteners. Synthetic fat substitutes used in low-calorie potato chips and other foods could backfire and contribute to weight gain and obesity, according to a study published by the American Psychological Association.

Low carb, higher fat diets cause no arterial health risks

Low-carb, higher-fat diets add no arterial health risks to obese people seeking to lose weight – Overweight and obese people looking to drop some pounds and considering one of the popular low-carbohydrate diets, along with moderate exercise, need not worry that the higher proportion of fat in such a program compared to a low-fat, high-carb diet may harm their arteries, suggests a pair of new studies by heart and vascular researchers at Johns Hopkins.

Weight loss between pregnancies lowers gestational diabetes GDM risk

Weight gain between first and second pregnancies increases woman’s gestational diabetes risk – Compared with women whose weight remained stable, body mass index gains between the first and second pregnancy were associated with an increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in the second pregnancy.

Turning bad fat into good – A future treatment for obesity

Turning ‘bad’ fat into ‘good’: A future treatment for obesity? — Johns Hopkins researchers transform inert white fat into brown fat to burn off calories and weight – By knocking down the expression of a protein in rat brains known to stimulate eating, Johns Hopkins researchers say they not only reduced the animals’ calorie intake and weight, but also transformed their fat into a type that burns off more energy. The finding could lead to better obesity treatments for humans, the scientists report.

Bariatric surgery better than dieting for glucose control

Bariatric surgery better than dieting for glucose control – Researchers have uncovered a new clue for why bariatric surgery is more effective than dietary remedies alone at controlling glucose levels. The study conducted at Duke University Medical Center and St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospital Center, Columbia University.

New GM-SCF therapy to defeating flu shows promise

New approach to defeating flu shows promise – New research on mice has shown that pulmonary administration of granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) significantly reduces flu symptoms and prevents death after a lethal dose influenza virus.

Obesity not seen to increase risk of depression in teens

Severe obesity not seen to increase risk of depression in teens — Study does find possibly greater vulnerability among white adolescents – According to a new study, severely obese adolescents are no more likely to be depressed than normal weight peers. The study, which has been released in the Journal of Adolescent Health, did find that white adolescents may be somewhat more vulnerable to psychological effects of obesity.

Weight loss may improve memory and concentration

Weight loss improves memory, according to Kent State researcher – John Gunstad, an associate professor in Kent State University’s Department of Psychology, and a team of researchers have discovered a link between weight loss and improved memory and concentration. The study shows that bariatric surgery patients exhibited improved memory function 12 weeks after their operations.

QNEXA for Weight Loss in obesity – CONQUER study

QNEXA? Phase 3 Data in The Lancet Show Significant Weight Loss and Broad Improvements in Co-Morbidities – VIVUS, Inc. (NASDAQ: VVUS) announced that detailed results from the 56-week CONQUER study were published in The Lancet evaluating the efficacy and safety of investigational drug QNEXA in 2,487 patients across 93 sites in the US.