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Scientists have discovered a key biological reason why obesity increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, and it boils down to size—specifically the size of fat cells. While researchers have known that obesity disrupts the body's ability to make new fat cells, they haven't been able to pin down why. The findings shed new light on this link, establishing for the first time that obesity limits the body's ability to produce crucial cellular building blocks called ribosomal factors. Without sufficient ribosomal factors, fat stem cells lack the machinery to differentiate to produce functioning fat cells. Instead, energy gets trapped and...

The Biden administration's eleventh hour move to expand Medicare coverage for anti-obesity drugs is likely to be popular among seniors, putting the Trump administration — which would ultimately decide whether to carry out the expansion — in the hot seat. Why it matters: The buzzy class of drugs known as GLP-1 agonists have been hailed as game changers amid an obesity crisis tied to chronic diseases. But the drugs are pricey, and insurers, advocacy groups and policymakers warn that opening up coverage for them could be a recipe for runaway costs in an already financially taxed system. Driving the news:...

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have identified a new drug target for weight loss that curbs appetite, boosts energy use, and enhances insulin sensitivity without causing nausea or muscle loss. This discovery may pave the way for effective treatments for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Millions worldwide benefit from weight loss drugs derived from the incretin hormone GLP-1. These medications not only aid in weight management but also enhance kidney function, lower the risk of fatal cardiac events, and show potential in protecting against neurodegeneration. However, many individuals discontinue these medications due to common side effects such as nausea...

In most OECD countries that collect self-reported weight data, more than half of adults are overweight or obese (2023 or latest available data).However, as Statista's Anna Fleck reports, obesity prevalence was particularly high in the United States, with just over a third of respondents saying that they are obese in 2023.You will find more infographics at StatistaIn Chile and the United Kingdom rates were just above one in four, while Korea had the lowest share of people with obesity of the countries studied at just 4.9 percent.According to the World Health Organization, a body mass index (BMI) of over 25...

An international study has confirmed that semaglutide, a diabetes drug, effectively treats chronic kidney disease and improves overall health. ============================================================================= A new study revealed that semaglutide reduces kidney damage markers in chronic kidney disease patients, sparking interest in further research. The diabetes medication semaglutide, commonly known as Ozempic, benefits patients with chronic kidney damage and obesity. It reduces protein levels in their urine, lowers kidney inflammation, and decreases blood pressure. This was shown in an international study led by clinical pharmacologist Hiddo L. Heerspink of the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands. This is the first time that it...

We are getting destroyed and it's very recent and it's accelerating. The stats speak for themselves. You know this very well. 74% of Americans are overweight or obese. 50% now of American adults have type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes. These were diseases where there was 1% of Americans in 1950 had type 2 diabetes. Now it's 50% of Americans have pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes. Alzheimer's dementia are going through the roof. Young adult. Dementias have increased like three times since 2012. So early on that dementia is we're seeing, you know, this one in two Americans are expected to...

Among cancer survivors, excess body weight is associated with an increased risk for a second primary malignant neoplasm, according to a study. Clara Bodelon, Ph.D. and colleagues examined whether excess body weight is associated with the risk for a second primary malignant neoplasm among cancer survivors using data from the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition cohort. Eligible participants had received a diagnosis of first primary nonmetastatic invasive cancer between 1992 and 2015 (26,894 participants; mean age at first cancer diagnosis, 72.2 years). At the time of first diagnosis, 42.8 and 17.2% of the participants had overweight and obesity, respectively. The...

Recent statistics have unveiled a growing health crisis in Costa Rica, with an alarming 31.5% of children and adolescents aged 5-19 being overweight and 12.3% classified as obese. This troubling trend has sparked significant concern among health professionals across the country, prompting calls for immediate action. Dr. Nydia Amador, a public health specialist and founder of the Healthy Costa Rica Association, emphasizes the gravity of the situation. “We are witnessing our children on a path to chronic illness, and we must act swiftly to prevent this dire outcome,” she warns. Dr. Amador’s concerns are echoed by nutritionists and other health...

Research on the gut microbiome has triggered a 'revolution' in nutritional science, and in the last few years, dietary fiber has become the "new protein" – added to foods in abundance to feed our gut and boost our health. A recent study on mice, however, suggests not all fiber supplements are equally beneficial. A form that is readily found in oats and barley, called beta-glucan, can control blood sugar and assist in weight loss among mice fed a high-fat diet. Researchers at the University of Arizona (UA) and the University of Vienna say it is the only type of fiber...

An international study has found that inadequate vitamin C status is significantly linked to increased body weight. The results show that heavier people require a substantially higher recommended daily allowance (RDA) of the essential vitamin to maintain good health. "Current international vitamin C recommended daily allowances for men, women and children are all extrapolated from calculations for a healthy, young, 70-kilogram male," Professor Carr says. New Zealand has a current daily vitamin C recommendation of 45 milligrams per day as recommended by the World Health Organization. She says these new findings estimate that an additional 17 mg to 22 mg...

Findings from a new mouse study indicate that elenolic acid, a natural compound found in olives, can significantly lower blood sugar levels and promote weight loss. This research suggests the potential for developing safe, inexpensive natural products for managing obesity and type 2 diabetes. Obese diabetic mice treated with elenolic acid showed improved blood sugar regulation and weight loss comparable to, or better than, current diabetic medications. The study highlights the compound’s ability to induce metabolic hormone release in the gut, promoting satiety and reducing food intake. Researchers are now investigating the compound’s absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion to ensure...

Smoking is to blame for 20% of US cancer cases and nearly 30% of cancer deaths, the American Cancer Society (ACS) warns in new research. In fact, the organization insists that 4 in 10 cancer cases and nearly half of cancer deaths in American adults 30 and older may have been prevented with a lifestyle change like stopping smoking or losing weight. Dr. Farhad Islami, who penned the Thursday report, said he was “alarmed” that more than 169,800 Americans died in 2019 from smoking. He is calling for tobacco control policies in each state — the ACS finds that raising...

A team of researchers has identified specific bacteria in the gut that are associated with both mice and humans developing an addiction to food that can lead to obesity. They have also identified bacteria that play a beneficial role in preventing food addiction. Prof. Martín-García used the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS 2.0) to diagnose food addiction. She and her colleagues investigated the gut bacteria in mice who were and were not addicted to food and found an increase in bacteria belonging to a group called the Proteobacteria phylum and a decrease in bacteria belonging to the Actinobacteria phylum in...

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen contends that "all the caterwauling folks are doing over the high cost of food is unwarranted. Over 40% of the population is obese. Being obese is unhealthy. If high prices cause these people to miss a few meals that is a good thing." "Trump's libertarian idea that people ought to eat what they want will be the downfall of the nation," the Secretary opined. "I implore voters to look in the mirror and see how fat they've become by indulging themselves with all the fat and sugar laden food that the obese Donald Trump wants to...

An obesity group determined to destigmatize obesity on behalf of Big Pharma is akin to Big Tobacco funding projects to destigmatize smoking.The world’s top pharmaceutical companies raking record profits from the latest generation of obesity drugs are bankrolling a group behind the contemporary phenomenon of “health at every size.”A new report and database published by Baron Public Affairs last month outlines pharmaceutical sponsorships for trade organizations promoting obesity as a chronic disease warranting health care coverage rather than a preventable symptom of underlying metabolic dysfunction. One such group with funding from major drug manufacturers Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, and Boehringer...

Researchers are investigating the effects ellagic acid, an antioxidant found in some fruits and vegetables, could have on halting and potentially reversing the damage caused by fatty liver disease. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the physiological manifestation of obesity in the liver. The prevalence of NAFLD has increased from 25.24% in 2015 to 29.38% in 2021, and this condition now accounts for 45.8% of all cases of chronic-liver-disease-related deaths worldwide. There currently exists no treatment for the long-term management of NAFLD; however, dietary interventions have been investigated for the treatment of this disease, including several polyphenolic compounds such as...

While GLP-1 agonists help people lose weight, different drugs could help them retain muscle at the same time. Anti-obesity drugs cause people to lose more than just fat. More than 73% of American adults are overweight, according to the CDC. This puts them at increased risk of death and many serious health issues, but losing weight and keeping it off through diet changes and exercise — the standard approach — is notoriously difficult. That made the FDA’s 2021 approval of Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide (Wegovy) as an obesity treatment seem like something of a miracle. The drug is in a class...

A “plus-size” travel influencer claimed a Washington airport worker refused to push her in a wheelchair up the jet bridge because of her size, which left her gasping for air when she was forced to walk off the plane. Jae’lynn Chaney, 27, revealed on TikTok that she requested “wheelchair assistance” during her trip to Sea-Tac International Airport in Washington. “I’m a plus-size wheelchair user and on a recent flight to the Sea-Tac airport, I requested wheelchair assistance, as I always do,” a narrator said on Chaney’s post. “When it came time for me to deplane, I saw the employee who...

Surgery patients on blockbuster weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy could be at risk of choking to death, a study warns. Researchers in California looked at nearly 1 million Americans who had an endoscopy, which examines the upper digestive tract. They found that patients who underwent the procedure - which involves inserting a tube with a camera on the end down the throat while the patient is sedated- were 33 percent more likely to suffer aspiration pneumonia. This causes food, liquids, or saliva to get sucked into the airway, which could lead to choking and kills nearly 60,000 Americans a...

High consumption of soybean oil has been linked to obesity and diabetes and potentially autism, Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, and depression. Add now to this growing list ulcerative colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, characterized by chronic inflammation of the large intestine. Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, examined the gut of mice that were consistently fed a diet high in soybean oil for up to 24 weeks in the lab. They found beneficial bacteria decreased and harmful bacteria (specifically, adherent invasive Escherichia coli) increased — conditions that can lead to colitis. Soybean oil is the most...