obesity – Page 2 – Shamskm: A site to exchange knowledge and solutions

Discovery spotlights key role of mystery RNA modification in cells

By Guest PostJanuary 16, 2014Sciencecell differentiation, cells, chuan he, demethylation, deoxyribonucleic acid, diabetes, discovery, DNA, exact function, healthy cells, infertility, key role, m6a, messenger ribonucleic acid, methyl, methylation, mrna, mrna in question, mystery, n6 methyladenosine, neurobiology, obesity, organic compounds, parameter, peking university, proteins, regulating mrna lifetime, rna modification, san diego, sequence, university of california, university of chicago, xiao wang, ythdf2

Researchers had known for several decades that a certain chemical modification exists on messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), which is essential to the flow of genetic information. But only recently did experiments at the University of Chicago show that one major function of this modification governs the longevity and decay of RNA, a process critical to the development of healthy cells.

The chemical modification on mRNA in question is called N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A). A recent study by UChicago scientists reveals how the m⁶A modification on mRNA could affect the half-life of mRNA that in turn regulates cellular protein quantities. That discovery could provide fundamental insights into healthy functioning and disorders such as obesity, diabetes and infertility. (more…)

Pilot program study finds that pediatric obesity patients like telehealth services

By Guest PostDecember 20, 2013Healthalma guerro, debra lotstein, fit, healthy weight program, kaizeen mody, margaret whitley, nilufar izadpanah, obesity, pediatric patients, teledietitian project, telehealth technology, ucla researcher, venice family clinic, wendy slusser

For youth dealing with obesity who need extra help losing weight, experts suggest a multidisciplinary approach in which care is provided by several health specialists. However, the logistics of traveling to multiple appointments, even if just across town, can be a barrier to receiving care, especially for low-income families.

UCLA researchers who work with this patient population set up a pilot program using telehealth technology — a secure system that allowed patients to see and speak with their health care providers at UCLA over a computer from their local health clinic — to evaluate if such a system could be an effective strategy to help overcome these issues. (more…)

Among Indian immigrants, religious practice and obesity may be linked, study shows

By Guest PostJuly 26, 2013Culture, Healthasian indians, body weight, california, dataset, diabetes, ethnic groups, heart disease, hinduism, hindus, independent factor, indian ancestry, indian immigrants, insulin resistance, islam, marjorie kagawa singer, martin f shapiro, mitchell d wong, muslims, nazleen bharmal, obesity, racial, ramadan, religious practice, sikhism, sikhs, united states

Asian Indians are one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in the United States, and roughly half a million people of Indian ancestry live in California — more than any other state. Individuals from this group are strongly predisposed to obesity-related conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, due in large part to physical inactivity, diets low in fruit and vegetables, and insulin resistance.

Among other racial and ethnic groups, research has shown that religious practices and religiosity have been associated with obesity and greater body weight, but no one had studied this potential link among Indians. (more…)

Vicious cycle: Changes in brain chemistry sustain obesity

By Guest PostJune 25, 2013Sciencealpha msh, amparo romero, bogdan litvinov, brain cells, brain chemistry, breakdown, brown university, calorie burning, cell, change, chemical called tudca, cycle, diet induced obesity, eduardo a nillni, endoplasmic reticulum, er, gene, high calorie diet, hormone, hormone trh, isin cakir, key enzyme, key proteins, leptin, lifespan researcher, mario perello, nicole cyr, normal weight, obesity, pc2, pomc, pro opiomelanocortin, production, protein processing mechanism, rhode island hospital, ronald stuart, vicious cycle

In a new discovery reported in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Brown University and Lifespan researchers show that in the brain cells of rats, obesity impedes the production of a hormone that curbs appetite and inspires calorie burning. The root cause appears to be a breakdown in the protein-processing mechanism of the cells. In the lab, the researchers showed they could fix the breakdown with drugs.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — With obesity reaching epidemic levels in some parts of the world, scientists have only begun to understand why it is such a persistent condition. A study in the Journal of Biological Chemistry adds substantially to the story by reporting the discovery of a molecular chain of events in the brains of obese rats that undermined their ability to suppress appetite and to increase calorie burning. (more…)

Samoan Obesity Epidemic Starts at Birth

By Guest PostFebruary 12, 2013Healthamerican samoa, birth, breastfeeding, brown university, early infancy, epidemiology, gain weight, macrosomia, nicola hawley, obesity, pacific island, pediatric obesity, polynesian populations, population, risk factor, samoan epidemic, samoan obesity epidemic, stephen mcgarvey, united states, us mainland, westernized

Born slightly heavy on average, a sample of hundreds of infants in American Samoa continued to gain weight quickly after birth, achieving high rates of obesity within 15 months. Breastfeeding slowed weight gain in boys. Findings may presage infant obesity in other populations where obesity is increasing population wide.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — As some Pacific island cultures have “westernized” over the last several decades, among the changes has been a dramatic increase in obesity. Researchers don’t understand all the reasons why, but even a decade ago in American Samoa 59 percent of men and 71 percent of women were obese. A new Brown University study finds that the Samoan epidemic of obesity may start with rapid weight gain in early infancy. (more…)

Americans Have Worse Health than People in Other High-Income Countries

By Guest PostJanuary 11, 2013Healthadvantaged american, aids, american, ana diez roux, australia, average, better health, blood pressure, canada, cholesterol level, chronic lung disease, diabetes, die, disability, disease, environmental, factor, gravity, health disadvantage, healthy behaviour, heart disease, high income countries, higher rate, hiv, homicide, injury, Japan, mortality gap, non hispanic whites, obesity, policy factor, rich nation, sexually transmitted infections, steven woolf, teenage pregnancies, united states, university of michigan, western european countries

WASHINGTON — On average, Americans die sooner and experience higher rates of disease and injury than people in other high-income countries, says a new report from the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine.

The report finds that this health disadvantage exists at all ages from birth to age 75 and that even advantaged Americans—those who have health insurance, college educations, higher incomes and healthy behaviors—appear to be sicker than their peers in other rich nations. (more…)

Previous Studies on Toxic Effects of BPA Couldn’t be Reproduced, says MU Research Team

By Guest PostJanuary 9, 2013Environmentagouti, agouti signaling protein, animal numbers, asip, bpa, cheryl rosenfeld, controversial chemical, dietary supplement, equal ratios, estrogenic compound, exposure, famine, fat tissue, frederick vomsaal, gene, genistein, humans, metabolic disorders, mice, obesity, obesity related disease, offspring, pancreas, plants, plastic bottles, replicate, reproduce, soy beans, thrifty genotype, type 2 diabetes, university of missouri, uterine environments, womb, yellow coat color

The MU study is not claiming that BPA is safe, but that the previous series of studies are not reproducible.

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Following a three-year study using more than 2,800 mice, a University of Missouri researcher was not able to replicate a series of previous studies by another research group investigating the controversial chemical BPA. The MU study is not claiming that BPA is safe, but that the previous series of studies are not reproducible. The MU study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also investigated an estrogenic compound found in plants, genistein, in the same three-year study.

“Our findings don’t say anything about the positive or negative effects of BPA or genistein,” said Cheryl Rosenfeld, associate professor of biomedical sciences in MU’s Bond Life Science Center. “Rather, our series of experiments did not detect the same findings as reported by another group on the potential developmental effects of BPA and genistein when exposure of young occurs in the womb.” (more…)

Beliefs on Best Way to Lose Weight Can Torpedo New Year’s Resolutions

By Guest PostJanuary 5, 2013Healthanirban mukhopadhyay, beliefs, body mass, brent mcferran, calorie burn, calorie intake, diet, exercise, hong kong university, java chip frappucino, less food, lose weight, obesity, overestimate, poor diet, predict, setting a goal, starbucks, success, underestimate, university of michigan, us population

ANN ARBOR — People setting a goal to lose weight in 2013 may want to first ask themselves if diet or exercise is more important to success.

Whether a person believes obesity is caused by overeating or by a lack of exercise can predict whether he or she will gain or lose weight, according to University of Michigan research to be published in the journal Psychological Science.

With two-thirds of the adult U.S. population classified as overweight or obese and similar numbers in many developed nations, obesity has become an important health concern. (more…)

Tag Archives: obesity