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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...

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...

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...

SNIP “I had to make some changes because when COVID hit, in the words of Richard Pryor, ‘I went in the House,'” he continued. He explained that he “had a lot of the dangerous” high-risk conditions, telling Live, “When they made that list of, you know, ‘overweight, Type 2 diabetes, smoker, asthma,’ I’m like check, check, bingo.” After Consuelos deemed it a “wake-up call,” Gardell added, “I said to my wife, I said, ‘If they just find some medicine where this thing won’t kill us, I’m going to change everything.'” “And as soon as they did, I went and got...

An experimental study, released today, looks into whether apple cider vinegar could be effective for weight loss, reduce blood glucose levels and reduce blood lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides). The results suggest it could reduce all three—but it might not be as simple as downing an apple cider vinegar drink a day. A group of scientists did a double-blinded, randomized, clinical trial in a group of overweight and obese young people aged from 12–25 years. Researchers randomly placed 30 participants in one of four groups. The participants were instructed to consume either 5, 10 or 15ml of apple cider vinegar diluted...

In a major breakthrough, scientists have identified a rather elusive protein involved in the production of ‘good’ fat, brown fat, and found it can even boost the formation of these cells in white fat. Understanding how to ‘switch on’ the creation of this type of energy-burning cell opens the door to novel weight-loss treatments that have eluded researchers to date. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is essential for producing heat from blood sugar and fat molecules, through a process called thermogenesis. It also requires a lot of energy (or calories) to fuel this. Unfortunately, by the time we reach adulthood, most...

The founder of Lululemon is blasting the athleisure apparel company's push to include diversity, equity, and inclusion in its marketing— specifically by featuring overweight, plus-size women to model their clothes. Billionaire Chip Wilson is taking swings against Lululemon's DEI programs, saying they are destroying the company he created that once featured fit, healthy women in its ads. "I think the definition of a brand is that you're not everything to everybody. You've got to be clear that you don't want certain customers coming in," Wilson said, adding that the brand is trying to "become like the Gap, everything to everybody."...

An Australian mom who wanted to slim down in time for her daughter's wedding has died after taking anti-diabetic drugs known for inducing dramatic weight loss. Trish Webster started taking Ozempic—the trade name of an injectable medication called semaglutide developed to treat type 2 diabetes—after struggling to lose weight through traditional means, her husband Roy Webster told "60 Minutes Australia." The 56-year-old, who did not have diabetes, saw a TV ad for Ozempic and obtained a prescription from her doctor in 2022 after learning that significant weight loss was one of the drug's side effects. "Her daughter was getting married,...

Obesity often involves hyperlipidemia (high concentrations of fats/lipids in the blood), diabetes, hypertension, chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, which increase susceptibility to CVD. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is a nanoparticle that transports cholesterol in blood. Cholesterol, which is good in moderation, is essential for normal cellular function. "Our results showed that in obesity, it is not the quantity but the quality of LDL that contributes to disease: 'bad cholesterol' becomes worse due to obesity-associated inflammation. As a result, cholesterol delivery is shifted from normal to abnormal, so more cholesterol is retained in the arterial wall, ultimately forming plaques that occlude the...

Experiencing discrimination may change how the brain and the gut communicate with each other, a new study has found. The disruption, the researchers say, could promote behaviors that increase people’s risk of obesity. The study, published Monday in the journal Nature Mental Health, included more than 100 participants, mostly women, who filled out questionnaires to gauge their experiences of discrimination in their day-to-day lives. The participants then underwent brain scans as they were being shown pictures of sugary and fatty foods, such as cake and ice cream, along with pictures of lower-sugar and low-fat foods like fruit and salad. They...

Joy Behar told her co-hosts Tuesday on ABC’s “The View” that former President Donald Trump lied about his weight in the paperwork for his Georgia indictment. Behar said, “Just before we leave and you’ll do a legal note, this is the first president we’ve ever had who has a mug shot.” Co-host Sunny Hostin said, “Yes.” Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin said, “Who also lied about his weight.” Behar said, “And also lied about being 215. Where is there a guy in this room who is 215 pounds?”

Chris Stewart, 37, used to drink 12 cans of Mountain Dew a day and eat large McDonald’s meals for lunch — until he saw a photo of himself at his dad’s funeral that made him feel “sick.” “Who is going to carry my casket?” Stewart recalled to SWNS. “I thought if I didn’t change something I’m going to die.” The Illinois forklift driver weighed 400 pounds at his heaviest, wearing a size 5XL. He would consume two cans of Mountain Dew each morning when he woke up and two McDonald’s cheeseburgers, a McChicken sandwich and fries for lunch.

Researchers have found a link between chemotherapy-induced changes to gut bacteria and the unhealthy weight gain seen in breast cancer patients, pointing the way to potentially help survivors avoid obesity-related illness later in their lives. In newly published research, a team found that the patients treated with chemotherapy lost muscle mass and gained abdominal fat, which has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and even cancer recurrence. The chemo patients also exhibited signs of inflammation and significant changes to the number and variety of bacteria in their guts. Obesity has been linked with several kinds of cancer, including breast cancer,...

In the world of all things wonderful and green, the biggest push has been to hasten the demise of the internal combustion engine and the chirpiest assessments have been how EVs will save the planet. From California to New York state to the federal government and internationally, the powers that be have been on a tear to declare the ICE deadly and obsolete, while the EV in all its incarnations is the future. Perhaps the bloom is coming off of that overly optimistic and premature rose. Some EV business models aren’t motoring along as well as previously anticipated, even with...

New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) signed a bill into law on Friday to ban discrimination based on someone’s weight or height in employment, housing and public accommodations. Adams said in a release that the law will “level the playing field” for residents and create more inclusive workplaces. The New York City Council overwhelmingly voted to pass the bill in a 44-5 vote earlier this month to have the city’s anti-discrimination policies cover both actual and perceived height and weight.

Adults with hypertension, prediabetes, or type 2 diabetes, and who are overweight or obese, are at an increased risk of serious health complications. However, experts disagree about which dietary patterns should be recommended. Researchers randomized 94 adults with the aforementioned conditions, using a 2 x 2 diet-by-support factorial design, comparing a very low-carbohydrate (VLC) or ketogenic diet versus a Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. Additionally, they compared results with and without extra support activities, such as mindful eating, positive emotion regulation, and cooking education. Using intent-to-treat analyses, the VLC diet led to greater improvement in estimated mean systolic...

Scientists found that microbe fragments called endotoxin enter the blood stream and directly impact how well fat cells function, including their capacity to be metabolically active. The normal gut contains microorganisms that have essential roles in human health. In obesity, however, the wall of the gut can become impaired and leaky, allowing release of these bacterial fragments into the blood, where they go on to travel through the body to different tissues. Dysfunctional body fat is known to contribute to metabolic disease, including type 2 diabetes. Using a series of experiments they found that fat cells are significantly damaged by...

As a growing number of overweight Americans clamor for Ozempic and Wegovy — drugs touted by celebrities and on TikTok to pare pounds — an even more powerful obesity medicine is poised to upend treatment. Tirzepatide, an Eli Lilly and Co. drug approved to treat type 2 diabetes under the brand name Mounjaro, helped people with the disease who were overweight or had obesity lose up to 16% of their body weight, or more than 34 pounds, over nearly 17 months, the company said on Thursday. The late-stage study of the drug for weight loss adds to earlier evidence that...