Teens get fit for free this summer

Teens get fit for free this summer

Olive Oil: A Natural Painkiller?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leo-galland-md/olive-oil-painkiller-natural-painki_b_850299.html

Need For Increased Surveillance Of Obese Adolescents Lacking Vitamin D

A new study from Hasbro Children's Hospital has found that most obese adolescents are lacking in vitamin D. The researchers call for increased surveillance of vitamin D levels in this population and for further studies to determine if normalizing vitamin D levels will help to lower the health risks associated with obesity. The study is published in the May edition of the Journal of Adolescent Health and is now available online in advance of print.

Obesity in children and adolescents has reached epidemic proportions, with a prevalence of 16.4 percent among 10 to 17 year olds as of 2007. The increased prevalence of obesity may lead to increased risk of diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease, as well as to an increased risk of cancer. Some of these health consequences of obesity have also been associated with vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency. In addition, vitamin D status is significantly associated with muscle power/force, and therefore, a deficiency may interfere with the obese adolescent's ability to increase physical activity.

Lead author Zeev Harel, M.D., a pediatrician specializing in adolescent medicine at Hasbro Children's Hospital, reports that screening obese adolescents for vitamin D status by measuring their blood 25 OH D level has become a routine protocol at the Adolescent Health Center of Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence, R.I. since 2007.

For this retrospective study, Harel and his co-authors explored the prevalence of low vitamin D status among 68 obese adolescents, and examined the impact of treatment of low vitamin D status in these patients.

The study found that low vitamin D status was present in all of the girls (72 percent deficient and 28 percent insufficient) and in 91 percent of the boys (69 percent deficient and 22 percent insufficient). Of those with vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency, 43 patients had a repeat measurement of vitamin D level after treatment. While there was a significant increase in vitamin D levels following treatment, serum vitamin D levels normalized in only 28percent of these patients. Repeat multiple courses of vitamin D treatment in the patients who did not normalize their vitamin D levels after initial course, failed to normalize their low vitamin D status.

Harel says, "The prevalence of low vitamin D status among obese adolescents in this study is greater than previously reported for this age group. It is concerning to us that only 28 percent of the adolescents were able to reach normal vitamin D levels through one course of treatment of the recommended dose of vitamin D, while the other 72 percent failed to normalize their levels even with repeat treatments". Vitamin D may be sequestered in body fat and this likely is the major reason for the lack of response.

The main source of vitamin D is production in the skin; a process that is stimulated by exposure to sunlight. In addition, small amounts are derived from certain foods like oily fish, eggs, and from fortified foods such as dairy products and breakfast cereals. The researchers state, "It is possible that the association between obesity and low vitamin D status is indirect, arising from obese individuals having fewer outdoor activities than lean individuals, and therefore, less exposure to sun. Likewise, is it also possible that obese individuals do not consume enough foods that contain vitamin D".

The researchers question whether a higher daily vitamin D intake than the one recently recommended by the Institute of Medicine (600 international units of vitamin D/day) may be required as part of treatment in obese adolescents, in an attempt to increase their vitamin D status. Harel says, "It also remains to be determined in future studies whether certain conditions such as obesity require a higher cut-off of vitamin D blood levels in an attempt to prevent health consequences of obesity."

"Based on the findings from this study, we are calling for increased surveillance of obese adolescents whose vitamin D levels do not normalize after initial course of treatment. In addition, prospective studies are needed to evaluate whether normalizing vitamin D levels in obese adolescents will help lower the health risks associated with obesity," says Harel.

Source:
Nancy Cawley Jean
Lifespan

Vitamin E Helps Diminish a Type of Fatty Liver Disease in Children, Study Suggests

A specific form of vitamin E improved the most severe form of fatty liver disease in some children, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Results appear in the April 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. A previous study found vitamin E effective in some adults with the disease.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease among U.S. children. NAFLD ranges in severity from steatosis (fat in the liver without injury) to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH (fat, inflammation, and liver damage). Fatty liver increases a child's risk of developing heart disease and liver cirrhosis. The only way to distinguish NASH from other forms of fatty liver disease is with a liver biopsy. Weight loss may reverse the disease in some children, but other than dietary advice, there are no specific treatments. Excess fat in the liver is believed to cause injury by increasing levels of oxidants, compounds that damage cells.

Most children with fatty liver disease are overweight and resistant to insulin, a critical hormone that regulates energy. Boys are more likely affected than girls, as are Hispanic children compared to African-Americans and whites.

Using liver biopsies, researchers found that after 96 weeks of treatment, 58 percent of the children on vitamin E no longer had NASH, compared to 41 percent of the children on metformin (a diabetes drug), and 28 percent on placebo. Vitamin E was better than placebo because it significantly reduced enlargement and death of liver cells.

"These results suggest that vitamin E improves or resolves NASH in at least half of children, which we previously showed to be true in adults," said Stephen P. James, M.D., director of the digestive diseases and nutrition division at NIH's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), which funded the study. While the results are encouraging, patients using vitamin E for NASH should be under a doctor's care. "We hope to build on these results by looking for other therapies and reliable, non-invasive ways to monitor the disease and response to therapy."

The Treatment of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Children (TONIC) trial studied whether vitamin E (an antioxidant) or metformin could improve fatty liver disease. The endpoint to measure success was either a sustained reduction in the liver enzyme alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or improvements in the liver as shown by biopsies. A total of 173 children, mostly whites and Hispanics ages 8 to 17, were recruited into three treatment groups. The children received either 500 milligrams of metformin or 400 international units of a natural form of vitamin E or placebo twice a day for two years.

Neither vitamin E nor metformin were significantly better than placebo in reducing ALT levels. Twenty-six percent of patients on vitamin E, 16 percent on metformin, and 17 percent of those on placebo had reduced liver enzyme levels. Interestingly, ALT levels improved more rapidly among patients on vitamin E (within six months) compared to those on placebo. The ALT levels among the children on placebo improved over the two years.

"We believe all children in the trial benefited from the frequent diet and exercise advice provided throughout the study," said Joel E. Lavine, M.D., Ph.D., a TONIC principal investigator and professor of pediatrics at Columbia University, New York. "Now we have information on the natural history of a placebo group over time, which will help us design future trials."

Using biopsies in children with liver disease is unique. "TONIC is ground-breaking on two fronts. It is the first study to use liver biopsy to evaluate potential treatments for any liver disease in children," said Patricia Robuck, Ph.D., M.P.H., the project scientist at NIDDK. "It is also the first multi-center, randomized, controlled trial to use a liver biopsy to evaluate a therapy for fatty liver in children, considered the most rigorous design for studies of liver disease."

Canada Faces Obesity Epidemic, Legislative Changes Are Vital

With the increase in numbers of overweight children and young adults, Canada and other developed countries are facing an obesity epidemic and legislative approaches are required to address this issue, states an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Canadians have become heavier and less fit over the last three decades; people aged 20-39 years have the BMI (body mass index) that people aged 40 or older had thirty years ago. The 2007-2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey found more than 60% of adults were overweight or obese, with 24% being overweight, and 37% obese. If such a trend is to continue, over the next 25 years, half of Canadians over age 40 will be obese.

"Obesity is expected to surpass smoking as the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality," writes author Dr. Mark J. Eisenberg, Jewish General Hospital, Divisions of Cardiology and Clinical Epidemiology, with coauthors. "Obesity reduces life expectancy by more than 10 years as a comorbidity with coronary artery disease, osteoarthritis, dyslipidemia, hypertension, stroke and type 2 diabetes. Thus, obesity causes considerable morbidity and mortality and represents a burden of $3.96 billion on the Canadian economy each year."

The consumption of high calorie foods, especially junk food, and decreases in activity levels are helping to fuel this increase in obesity. While it is viewed as a medical condition to treat, a variety of legislative approaches and public health interventions could help combat obesity.

Suggested government-level interventions include taxing junk food, improving serving size and nutritional labeling, banning certain foods and ingredients, and regulating sodium consumption. Corporate and school level solutions such as limiting access to junk food in schools are other approaches.

"Although obesity has traditionally been conceptualized as a physical problem for physicians to treat, there is increasing awareness of the role that governments, corporations and educators can play in preventing and reducing obesity," write the authors.

"The growing problem of obesity in Canada can be reversed only with an integrated approach involving both the public health and medical models," conclude the authors. "Stakeholders at all levels must be involved to achieve the greatest overall impact."

Reasonable Quantities of Red Pepper May Help Curb Appetite, Study Suggests

ScienceDaily (Apr. 25, 2011) — Spicing up your daily diet with some red pepper can curb appetite, especially for those who don't normally eat the popular spice, according to research from Purdue University.

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"We found that consuming red pepper can help manage appetite and burn more calories after a meal, especially for individuals who do not consume the spice regularly," said Richard Mattes, distinguished professor of foods and nutrition who collaborated with doctoral student Mary-Jon Ludy. "This finding should be considered a piece of the puzzle because the idea that one small change will reverse the obesity epidemic is simply not true. However, if a number of small changes are added together, they may be meaningful in terms of weight management. Dietary changes that don't require great effort to implement, like sprinkling red pepper on your meal, may be sustainable and beneficial in the long run, especially when paired with exercise and healthy eating."

Other studies have found that capsaicin, the component that gives chili peppers their heat, can reduce hunger and increase energy expenditure -- burning calories. The amounts tested, however, were not realistic for most people in the U. S. population, Mattes said.

The current study measured the spice's effects using quantities of red pepper -- 1 gram or half a teaspoon -- that are acceptable for many consumers. Other studies also have looked at consumption via a capsule, but Ludy and Mattes' study demonstrated that tasting the red pepper may optimize its effects. The findings are published in Physiology & Behavior.

This study used ordinary dried, ground cayenne red pepper. Cayenne is a chili pepper, which is among the most commonly consumed spices in the world. Most, but not all, chili peppers contain capsaicin.
Twenty-five non-overweight people -- 13 who liked spicy food and 12 who did not -- participated in the six-week study. The preferred level of pepper for each group was determined in advance, and those who did not like red pepper preferred 0.3 grams compared to regular spice users who preferred 1.8 grams. In general, red pepper consumption did increase core body temperature and burn more calories through natural energy expenditure.

This study found that those who did not consume red pepper regularly experienced a decrease of hunger, especially for fatty, salty and sweet foods.

"The appetite responses were different between those who liked red pepper and those who did not, suggesting that when the stimulus is unfamiliar it has a greater effect. Once it becomes familiar to people, it loses its efficacy. The finding that there is a difference between users and non-users is novel and requires further study to determine how long it will be effective and how to adjust the diet to improve continuous effectiveness."

The failure to account for individual differences in liking the burn of chili peppers may explain why some previous studies varied on capsaicin's impact on appetite suppression and thermogenic response, which is an increase in body heat produced when digesting food.

Mattes said the findings also show that red pepper should be consumed in non-capsule form because the taste -- the sensory experience -- maximizes the digestive process.

"That burn in your mouth is responsible for that effect," he said. "It turns out you get a more robust effect if you include the sensory part because the burn contributes to a rise in body temperature, energy expenditure and appetite control."

Mattes, who specializes in taste and directs Purdue's Ingestive Behavior Research Center, studies the role taste plays in feeding and digestion.

"Taste works on two very different levels," he said. "First, it determines the palatability of foods, and that influences food choice. Second, it influences physiology, so it alters how you digest foods and the efficiency with which you absorb the nutrients from them and use them throughout the body."

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health under the Ruth Kirschstein National Research Service Award and by the McCormick Science Institute.

Limiting carbs, not calories, reduces liver fat faster, researchers find

Limiting carbs, not calories, reduces liver fat faster, researchers find

Low Carb Diet Better For Cardiovascular Health Than Low Fat Diet

Researchers from of the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University, Philadelphia have revealed that after a two-year comparison, a low-carb diet fares about as well as a low-fat diet with regards to weight loss, but low-carb improves cardiovascular risk factors more.

The study, published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Annals of Internal Medicine, explained that cardiovascular risk factors, such as blood pressure and lipid (cholesterol) levels responded better with the low-carb diet. Both diets produce identical weight loss when coupled with comprehensive behavior treatment

Put simply - it appears that both diets are equally good for losing weight, but the low-carb diet protects you from potential coronary heart diseases more effectively.

The findings may come as a surprise to many people who instinctively link low-carb with worsening cardiovascular risk factors.

Three hundred and seven patients were randomly assigned to either a low-carbohydrate (n=153) or low-fat (n=154) diet with behavior treatment. Weight at two years was the primary outcome, but other effects were measured throughout the study period.

At 3, 6 and 12 months, the participants were evaluated for:

• Weight
• Serum lipid concentrations
• Blood pressure
• Urinary ketones
• Bone mineral density
• Body composition

Among the participants in the two diet groups, the researchers found:

• Weight - no differences at any point during the study. About 7% loss of weight at two years in both groups.
• Body composition - no differences at any point during the study
• Bone mineral density - no differences at any point during the study
• Good cholesterol levels - double the increase among the low-carb group compared to the low-fat group at two years. 23% and 11% respectively.

Gary Foster, PhD, director of the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University, Philadelphia, said:

I think an important outcome from a study like this is to think about which diets fit best for which people. This study would suggest that perhaps for those with low HDL-cholesterol levels to begin with, that a low-carbohydrate approach to weigh loss may have some dvantages.

Foster added:

"At the end of the day, behavior interventions are key. Dieters should be less concerned about what diet they follow, and more concerned with employing effective behavioral strategies, such as recording what they eat, logging their exercise, and limiting the triggers for overeating, like watching TV or eating in the car.

"Weight and Metabolic Outcomes After 2 Years on a Low-Carbohydrate Versus Low-Fat Diet - A Randomized Trial"
Gary D. Foster, PhD, Holly R. Wyatt, MD, James O. Hill, PhD, Angela P. Makris, PhD, RD, Diane L. Rosenbaum, BA, Carrie Brill, BS, Richard I. Stein, PhD, B. Selma Mohammed, MD, PhD, Bernard Miller, MD, Daniel J. Rader, MD, Babette Zemel, PhD, Thomas A. Wadden, PhD, Thomas Tenhave, PhD, Craig W. Newcomb, MS, Samuel Klein, MD
Annals of Internal Medicine August 3, 2010 vol. 153 no. 3 147-157

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today

US meat and poultry is widely contaminated with drug-resistant Staph bacteria, study finds

US meat and poultry is widely contaminated with drug-resistant Staph bacteria, study finds

If you’re young and fat, you’re probably deficient in testosterone By Jerry Brainum

http://www.ironmanmagazine.com/blogs/jerrybrainum/?p=237

If you’re young and fat, you’re probably deficient in testosterone

May 26, 2010 · Posted in Bodybuilding Pharmacology 

The prevalence of men lacking testosterone is far more widespread than is believed by most doctors. The usual test for measuring testosterone levels is the total testosterone blood test. The problem with this test is that it measures the level of testosterone bound to a protein called sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG). The significance of this is that the 98% of testosterone bound to this binding protein is inactive. Only the 2% not bound to SHBG can interact with steroid cell receptors. Testosterone also binds to another protein in the blood called albumin, and this bind is much looser than that of SHBG, and as such, the testosterone bound to albumin can also be considered an active form of the hormone. But the primary problem of the usual total testosterone blood test is that you can show normal levels, yet still be deficient in free testosterone, or the active form of the hormone. Conversely, you can show low total testosterone levels, yet have normal levels of free testosterone, but you won’t know this unless you’re tested for free testosterone. The question arises: why don’t doctors just measure free testosterone levels? The answer is that until recently, tests that measure free testosterone levels in the blood have been notoriously inaccurate. But there is an accurate test called the equilibrium analysis test that does accurately gauge free testosterone levels, but it is rarely ordered by most physicians, who have been taught not to trust tests that measure free testosterone levels, even though these same doctors have been taught in medical school that only free testosterone levels represent the active form of testosterone in cells.
The extent of lack of free testosterone in men is illustrated by a recently published study. The study analyzed free testosterone levels in 1,849 men, with 1,451 of them being nondiabetic and 398 being diabetic. All the men in the study were under age 45. Testosterone is thought to drop significantly past age 40 in most men. The study used the equilibrium analysis technique to measure free testosterone levels in the men. The results showed that below normal free testosterone levels were common. Specifically, 26% of the lean men, 29% of the overweight men, and 40% of the overweight diabetic men showed low free testosterone levels. Diabetic men showed the lowest levels of free testosterone. The older the subject, the lower the free testosterone level was, along with higher levels of SHBG that bind testosterone in the blood. Thus, 40% of obese nondiabetic men, and 50% of obese diabetics under age 45 show low free testosterone levels. What’s interesting about this study is that prior studies of diabetic men that measured total testosterone levels found higher than normal levels of total testosterone in the men, indicating just how inaccurate tests of total testosterone are in relation to the true picture of active or free testosterone in men.
Dhindsa S, et al. Testosterone concentrations in diabetic and nondiabetic obese men.Diabetes Care 2010;33:1186-92.

Short-term, high-fat diet may initiate protection during heart attack

Short-term, high-fat diet may initiate protection during heart attack

Adipose Cells And Breast Cancer, A Dangerous Combination

Apart from its direct effect on health (such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes), obesity is increasingly suspected of playing a role in the prognosis of breast cancer and, in particular, its propensity to spread. However, no direct cause and effect relationship had been demonstrated until now. This breakthrough has finally been made through the collaborative work of two teams of researchers from Inserm, CNRS and the Université Paul Sabatier. Their research has made it possible to highlight, both in vitro and in vivo, the presence of adipose cells (known as adipocytes) near breast tumors. These adipocytes have specific biological characteristics. When associated with tumors, they are capable of modifying the characteristics of cancerous cells, making them more aggressive. The results of this work are published in Cancer Research of 1st April 2011.

Numerous statistical studies have already established a link between obesity and the "aggressiveness" of breast cancer in women, without ever succeeding to explain this phenomenon. In order to find an explanation, the researchers studied the cross-talk between adipose cells and tumor cells.

The external part of the breast essentially contains fat tissue, mainly composed of adipose cells. Apart from storing/releasing fats, these cells are capable of secreting numerous proteins. The researchers therefore attempted to find out whether these proteins play a role in the development of breast cancers.

To do so, the teams headed by Philippe Valet at the Institut des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires (Inserm/Université Paul Sabatier) and Catherine Muller at the Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (CNRS/Université Paul Sabatier) used an original co-culture system between mammary tumor cells and adipocytes. In the presence of tumor cells, the adipocytes exhibit a modification in the secretion of some of their proteins, including inflammatory proteins such as interleukin-6 (IL-6). Adipose cells progressively establish a real interaction with the tumor, which leads to an increase in its "colonization potential" and thus its aggressiveness.

Indeed, when injecting mice with tumor cells co-cultivated beforehand with adipocytes, the researchers observed that the tumor was more likely to form metastases. A significant factor is that these specific modifications in adipocytes have been observed in human tumors, confirming the importance of the phenomenon. In addition, the researchers observed that the adipocytes near large human tumors, with ganglionic invasion, contained more IL-6. The protein could thus play an important role in the adipocyte-induced spread of breast cancer.

This works shows that adipocytes undoubtedly play an unexpected role in the spread of such tumors. "Our results now demonstrate how adipocytes actively participate in the progression of breast cancer, orchestrated by tumor cells. They suggest that in the case of obesity, the adipocytes associated with breast cancer could be more likely to amplify the 'aggressive' effect of tumors", the researchers say. "This hypothesis still needs to be verified both in mice and humans."

The study targets the development of specific strategies for overweight patients suffering from the most aggressive cancers. For example, identifying the signals supplied by the adipocytes to stimulate the invasive properties of tumor cells could represent a new lead for treating these patients.

Sources: CNRS (Délégation Paris Michel-Ange), AlphaGalileo Foundation.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/221401.php

Americans struggle with long-term weight loss

Only about one in every six Americans who have ever been overweight or obese loses weight and maintains that loss, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.
While that number is larger than most weight-loss clinical trials report, the majority of Americans are still unable to lose weight and keep it off. Identifying those who lose weight and successfully maintain that loss may aid health professionals in developing approaches to help others maintain weight loss, the researchers say.
Two-thirds of the United States adult population is overweight, defined as a body mass index (BMI) of at least 25, or obese, a BMI of at least 30. Obesity rates, which doubled between 1980 and 2004, increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. The recommendation is often to lose at least 5 to 10 percent of initial body weight with these conditions.
Weight loss and weight maintenance programs need significant changes in their effectiveness and availability to affect these numbers, note the researchers.
"It is important for health professionals to understand the true prevalence of long-term weight loss, as it may help to change the underlying beliefs and influence clinical practice," said Jennifer Kraschnewski, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of medicine and public health sciences. "Studies have shown that physicians may not believe offering weight loss advice and counseling is a worthwhile activity in clinical practice. An awareness of our findings may encourage health professionals to pursue weight loss counseling for overweight patients."
Previously, data came from either published clinical trials or the National Weight-Control Registry, comprised only of those able to lose at least 30 pounds and keep it off for a year. The registry does not represent the entire population, so it is not useful for providing estimates of long-term weight loss in the country.
Penn State College of Medicine researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999-2006, a nationwide survey evaluating the health and nutrition of a representative portion of the population. Participants of this survey self-reported weight status and history.
Researchers calculated BMI for each individual and determined if they achieved 5, 10, 15 or 20 percent long-term (long than one year) weight loss maintenance. The sample included 14,306 people: 52.3 percent men and 47.7 women. One-third stated a current goal of losing weight, with 82.6 percent classified as overweight or obese.
Thirty-six percent of the sample had maintained a weight loss of at least 5 percent of their initial body weight. This is a higher rate than clinical trials, which have shown only 10 to 20 percent of individuals able to maintain a loss of at least five percent. This difference may be that while those who participate in clinical trials are a selected population, the numbers in the current study include unintentional weight loss, or the current study captures temporary weight gain that is typically lost at specific instances, such as the so-called "freshman 15."
In the sample, women, adults age 75 to 84, non-Hispanic whites and those with less than a high school education showed stronger longer-term weight management.
"Identifying a significant percentage of the population that is succeeding in some weight loss may be an important target population for weight maintenance programs," Kraschnewski said. "Although the amounts lost are modest, if a substantial number of individuals achieved such losses, it would have a significant public health effect. Particularly, those individuals who have lost at least five percent and kept it off -- one in three Americans who have ever been overweight -- may represent a unique opportunity to reach a target population who has had some success but could benefit from greater weight loss efforts."
Other key findings of this study:

• Women had a higher prevalence of a long-term weight loss of at least 10 percent than men; married or partnered individuals had a lower prevalence.
• A quarter of those reporting having diabetes experienced long-term weight loss maintenance, compared to 16.5 percent for those who didn't have diabetes.
• Sixty-nine percent of those who reported losing at least 10 pounds the previous year said it was intentional. Intentional weight loss was more likely to be in younger individuals, females, non-Hispanic whites, those with greater than high school education, and those with a history of diabetes or better overall health.

Researchers published their findings in the International Journal of Obesity.

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Other members of the research team are Jarol Boan, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor of medicine, Christopher Sciamanna, M.D.,M.P.H, professor of medicine and public health sciences, and Jolene Esposito, research coordinator, Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, all from Penn State College of Medicine; Nancy.E. Sherwood, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota and HealthPartners Research Foundation; Erik Lehman, M.S., biostatistician, Department of Public Health Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine; Donna Kephart, M.H.A., senior instructor, Department of Public Health Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine.

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http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-09/ps-asw090310.php

'Dual switch' regulates fat formation: Discovery points to new obesity and diabetes drugs

'Dual switch' regulates fat formation: Discovery points to new obesity and diabetes drugs

Latest Findings On The Effects Of Caffeine In Diabetes

A growing body of research suggests that caffeine disrupts glucose metabolism and may contribute to the development and poor control of type 2 diabetes, a major public health problem. A review article in the inaugural issue of Journal of Caffeine Research: The International Multidisciplinary Journal of Caffeine Science, a quarterly peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. publishers, examines the latest evidence, contradicting earlier studies suggesting a protective effect of caffeine. The entire issue is available free online.

James Lane, PhD, Duke University, describes numerous studies that have demonstrated caffeine's potential for increasing insulin resistance (impaired glucose tolerance) in adults that do not have diabetes, an effect that could make susceptible individuals more likely to develop the disease. In adults with type 2 diabetes, studies have shown that the increase in blood glucose levels that occurs after they eat carbohydrates is exaggerated if they also consume a caffeinated beverage such as coffee. This effect could contribute to higher glucose levels in people with diabetes and could compromise treatment aimed at controlling their blood glucose.

"More than 220 million people worldwide have diabetes, says Editor-in-Chief Jack E. James, PhD, School of Psychology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland. "The links that have been revealed between diabetes and the consumption of caffeine beverages (especially coffee) are of monumental importance when it is acknowledged that more than 80% of the world's population consumes caffeine daily. Dr. Lane's review of the topic gives the clearest account to date of what we know, what we don't know, and what needs to be done - urgently!"

Journal of Caffeine Research provides a much-needed authoritative source and central forum to advance knowledge of caffeine science and caffeine's effects on human health. It strives to be inclusive with respect to the diversity of research methodologies used to investigate caffeine, and the diversity of views and opinions regarding its mechanisms and effects, and will combine scientific research and clinical studies on caffeine, with an impact across many fields.

The inaugural issue of the Journal captures the broad scope of debate and research in this emerging clinical and scientific arena. Included are an interview on "Caffeine Consumption and Combat Stress amongst Military Personnel," a provocative roundtable discussion on "Caffeine, Alcohol, and Youth: A Toxic Mix," and articles on "Effects of Caffeine Consumption by Women and Men on the Outcome of In Vitro Fertilization," "The 'Buzz' on Caffeine: Patterns of Caffeine Use in a Convenience Sample of College Students," "Gender Differences in Subjective and Physiological Responses to Caffeine and the Role of Steroid Hormones," "Loss of Coronary Dilation to N6-2-(4-Aminophenyl) Ethyladenosine in Isolated Hearts from Chronic Caffeine- and Nifedipine-Treated Rats," "Energy Drink Use and Substance Use among Musicians," and more.

Source:
Vicki Cohn
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/221819.php

Are Carbohydrates Killing You? New Book

When it comes to feeding a body well, we've all been told we need proteins, fats and carbohydrates. For years, many of those we trust for health information have told us that the foundation of our diet should primarily consist of carbohydrates, namely, grains, breads and pastas.

Yet, according to boomer-generation brother and sister authors Dian Griesel, Ph.D. and Tom Griesel, there is plenty of scientific literature that proves there is no actual requirement for carbohydrates. More so, they claim that this flaw in established dietary thinking is the reason that every well-known diet to date continues to contribute to our growing obesity epidemic.

In their new book, TurboCharged: Accelerate Your Fat Burning Metabolism, Get Lean Fast and Leave Diet and Exercise Rules in the Dust (BSH, 2011), the Griesel's point out that our bodies are perfectly capable of manufacturing any glucose we might need from a combination of protein and fat in the diet.

Dian Griesel, who has spent the past 15 years working with drug development companies states, "The rise of modern diseases, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, high triglycerides, obesity and hypoglycemia to name a few, are the end result of too many grains and refined carbohydrates in our daily diets."

Elaborating on the issue Tom Griesel says, "The fact that refined carbohydrates are so often a manufactured product made with fats and often trans fats, unnaturally high amounts of dietary omega-6 fatty acids from vegetable and manufactured oils, a cornucopia of artificial chemicals and additives makes these packaged items more detrimental to our health."

It is a well-known fact that packaged carbohydrate food items are the highest profit items in a grocery store, consequently, they are allotted the most space. The result of this according to Tom is "We are bombarded by manufacturers whose interests lie in shelf-life and profits, not our health."

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/221697.php

Manufacturers would like us to believe that all carbs are created equal. Unequivocally, say the Griesels, they are not. "The overall carbohydrate message has been a big part of the carbohydrate conundrum," Dian says.

"Lumping these grain based and refined products in the same category as nutrition packed fruits and vegetables, that are loaded with vitamins, minerals and ample water to aid in transportation along with healthy fiber is a crime."

Their conclusion: Refined carbohydrates are creating an ill and obese population. Get your carb cravings fulfilled with plenty of succulent, fresh, raw fruits.

Source:
Business School of Happiness

Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010 Sep 24. [Epub ahead of print]

Creatine in Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Gualano B, de Salles Painneli V, Roschel H, Artioli GG, Junior MN, Lúcia de Sá Pinto A, Rossi da Silva ME, Cunha MR, Otaduy MC, da Costa Leite C, Ferreira JC, Pereira RM, Brum PC, Bonfá E, Lancha AH Junior.

1University of Sao Paulo, School of Physical Education and Sports - Laboratory of Applied Nutrition and Metabolism 2University of Sao Paulo, School of Medicine - Division of Rheumatology 3University of Sao Paulo, School of Medicine - Division of Endocrinology Laboratory of Medical Investigation - LIM18 4University of Sao Paulo, School of Medicine - Division of Radiology - LIM44.

Abstract

Creatine supplementation improves glucose tolerance in healthy subjects.
PURPOSE: The aim was to investigate whether creatine supplementation has a beneficial effect on glycemic control of type 2 diabetic patients undergoing exercise training.
METHODS: A 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed. The patients were allocated to receive either creatine (CR) (5g/d) or placebo (PL) and were enrolled in an exercise training program. The primary outcome was glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Secondary outcomes included the area under the curve of glucose, insulin and C-peptide, and insulin sensitivity indexes. Physical capacity, lipid profile, and GLUT-4 protein expression and translocation were also assessed.
RESULTS: Twenty-five subjects were analyzed (CR: n=13; PL: n=12). HBA1c was significantly reduced in the creatine group when compared to the placebo group (CR PRE: 7.4±0.7, POST: 6.4±0.4; PL PRE: 7.5±0.6, POST: 7.6±0.7; p=0.004; difference: -1.1%, 95% confidence interval: -1.9 to -0.4). The delta area under the curve of glucose concentration was significantly lower in the CR group than in the PL group (CR: -7790±4600; PL: 2008±7614; p=0.05). The CR group also presented decreased glycemia at the time 0, 30, and 60 minutes during a meal tolerance test and increased GLUT-4 translocation. Insulin and C-peptide concentrations, surrogates of insulin sensitivity, physical capacity, lipid profile, and side effects were comparable between the groups.
CONCLUSIONS: creatine supplementation combined with an exercise program improves glycemic control in type 2 diabetic patients. The underlying mechanism seems to be related to an increase in GLUT-4 recruitment to the sarcolemma. ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT00992043.

Limiting fructose may boost weight loss, UT Southwestern researcher reports

		IMAGE: Dr. Elizabeth Parks Click here for more information.

DALLAS – July 24, 2008 – One of the reasons people on low-carbohydrate diets may lose weight is that they reduce their intake of fructose, a type of sugar that can be made into body fat quickly, according to a researcher at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Dr. Elizabeth Parks, associate professor of clinical nutrition and lead author of a study appearing in a current issue of the Journal of Nutrition, said her team's findings suggest that the right type of carbohydrates a person eats may be just as important in weight control as the number of calories a person eats.
Current health guidelines suggest that limiting processed carbohydrates, many of which contain high-fructose corn syrup, may help prevent weight gain, and the new data on fructose clearly support this recommendation.
"Our study shows for the first time the surprising speed with which humans make body fat from fructose," Dr. Parks said. Fructose, glucose and sucrose, which is a mixture of fructose and glucose, are all forms of sugar but are metabolized differently.
"All three can be made into triglycerides, a form of body fat; however, once you start the process of fat synthesis from fructose, it's hard to slow it down," she said.
In humans, triglycerides are predominantly formed in the liver, which acts like a traffic cop to coordinate the use of dietary sugars. It is the liver's job, when it encounters glucose, to decide whether the body needs to store the glucose as glycogen, burn it for energy or turn the glucose into triglycerides. When there's a lot of glucose to process, it is put aside to process later.
Fructose, on the other hand, enters this metabolic pathway downstream, bypassing the traffic cop and flooding the metabolic pathway.
"It's basically sneaking into the rock concert through the fence," Dr. Parks said. "It's a less-controlled movement of fructose through these pathways that causes it to contribute to greater triglyceride synthesis. The bottom line of this study is that fructose very quickly gets made into fat in the body."
Though fructose, a monosaccharide, or simple sugar, is naturally found in high levels in fruit, it is also added to many processed foods. Fructose is perhaps best known for its presence in the sweetener called high-fructose corn syrup or HFCS, which is typically 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose, similar to the mix that can be found in fruits. It has become the preferred sweetener for many food manufacturers because it is generally cheaper, sweeter and easier to blend into beverages than table sugar.
For the study, six healthy individuals performed three different tests in which they had to consume a fruit drink formulation. In one test, the breakfast drink was 100 percent glucose, similar to the liquid doctors give patients to test for diabetes – the oral glucose tolerance test. In the second test, they drank half glucose and half fructose, and in the third, they drank 25 percent glucose and 75 percent fructose. The tests were random and blinded, and the subjects ate a regular lunch about four hours later.
The researchers found that lipogenesis, the process by which sugars are turned into body fat, increased significantly when as little as half the glucose was replaced with fructose. Fructose given at breakfast also changed the way the body handled the food eaten at lunch. After fructose consumption, the liver increased the storage of lunch fats that might have been used for other purposes.
"The message from this study is powerful because body fat synthesis was measured immediately after the sweet drinks were consumed," Dr. Parks said. "The carbohydrates came into the body as sugars, the liver took the molecules apart like tinker toys, and put them back together to build fats. All this happened within four hours after the fructose drink. As a result, when the next meal was eaten, the lunch fat was more likely to be stored than burned.
"This is an underestimate of the effect of fructose because these individuals consumed the drinks while fasting and because the subjects were healthy, lean and could presumably process the fructose pretty quickly. Fat synthesis from sugars may be worse in people who are overweight or obese because this process may be already revved up."
Dr. Parks said that people trying to lose weight shouldn't eliminate fruit from their diets but that limiting processed foods containing the sugar may help.
"There are lots of people out there who want to demonize fructose as the cause of the obesity epidemic," she said. "I think it may be a contributor, but it's not the only problem. Americans are eating too many calories for their activity level. We're overeating fat, we're overeating protein; and we're overeating all sugars."

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-07/usmc-lfm072308.php

john.easton@uchospitals.edu
773-702-6241
University of Chicago Medical Center

Sleep loss limits fat loss

This release is also available in Chinese on EurekAlert! Chinese.
Cutting back on sleep reduces the benefits of dieting, according to a study published October 5, 2010, in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
When dieters in the study got a full night's sleep, they lost the same amount of weight as when they slept less. When dieters got adequate sleep, however, more than half of the weight they lost was fat. When they cut back on their sleep, only one-fourth of their weight loss came from fat.
They also felt hungrier. When sleep was restricted, dieters produced higher levels of ghrelin, a hormone that triggers hunger and reduces energy expenditure.
"If your goal is to lose fat, skipping sleep is like poking sticks in your bicycle wheels," said study director Plamen Penev, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago. "Cutting back on sleep, a behavior that is ubiquitous in modern society, appears to compromise efforts to lose fat through dieting. In our study it reduced fat loss by 55 percent."
The study, performed at the University of Chicago's General Clinical Resource Center, followed 10 overweight but healthy volunteers aged 35 to 49 with a body mass index ranging from 25, considered overweight, to 32, considered obese. Participants were placed on an individualized, balanced diet, with calories restricted to 90 percent of what each person needed to maintain his or her weight without exercise.
Each participant was studied twice: once for 14 days in the laboratory with an 8.5-hour period set aside for sleep, and once for 14 days with only 5.5 hours for sleep. They spent their waking hours engaged in home- or office-like work or leisure activities.
During the two-week, 8.5-hours-in-bed phase, volunteers slept an average of 7 hours and 25 minutes each night. In the 5.5-hour phase, they slept 5 hours and 14 minutes, or more than two hours less. The number of calories they consumed, about 1,450 per day, was kept the same.
The volunteers lost an average of 6.6 pounds during each 14-day session. During weeks with adequate sleep, they lost 3.1 pounds of fat and 3.3 pounds of fat-free body mass, mostly protein. During the short-sleep weeks, participants lost an average of 1.3 pounds of fat and 5.3 pounds of fat-free mass.
Getting adequate sleep also helped control the dieters' hunger. Average levels of ghrelin did not change when dieters spent 8.5 hours in bed. When they spent 5.5 hours in bed, their ghrelin levels rose over two weeks from 75 ng/L to 84 ng/L.
Higher ghrelin levels have been shown to "reduce energy expenditure, stimulate hunger and food intake, promote retention of fat, and increase hepatic glucose production to support the availability of fuel to glucose dependent tissues," the authors note. "In our experiment, sleep restriction was accompanied by a similar pattern of increased hunger and … reduced oxidation of fat."
The tightly controlled circumstances of this study may actually have masked some of sleep's benefits for dieters, suggested Penev. Study subjects did not have access to extra calories. This may have helped dieters to "stick with their lower-calorie meal plans despite increased hunger in the presence of sleep restriction," he said.
The message for people trying to lose weight is clear, Penev said. "For the first time, we have evidence that the amount of sleep makes a big difference on the results of dietary interventions. One should not ignore the way they sleep when going on a diet. Obtaining adequate sleep may enhance the beneficial effects of a diet. Not getting enough sleep could defeat the desired effects."

###

The National Institutes of Health funded this study. Additional researchers include Dale Schoeller, PhD, of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI; plus Jennifer Kilkus, MS, and Jacqueline Imperial, RN, of the University of Chicago's General Clinical Resource Center; and Arlet Nedeltcheva, MD, at the University of Chicago at the time of the study but now at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-10/uocm-sll092810.php

'Yo-Yo' Effect of Slimming Diets Explained

ScienceDaily (Jan. 17, 2011) — If you want to lose the kilos you've put on over Christmas, you may be interested in knowing that the hormones related to appetite play an important role in your likelihood of regaining weight after dieting. A new study confirms that people with the highest levels of leptin and lowest levels of ghrelin are more likely to put the centimetres they lost back on again.

---

Doctors often have to deal with patients who, after sticking to a slimming diet, have regained the kilos lost in just a short time -- or weigh even more than they did before they started the diet. This is called the 'yo-yo' effect, and it is noted in some people who follow such weight-loss programmes.
"There are patients who are susceptible to and others who are resistant to the benefits of a diet," Ana Belén Crujeiras, lead author of the study and a doctor at the University Hospital Complex of Santiago (CHUS), said. "It seems that the way each patient responds to treatment is predetermined by their own characteristics."
The researchers analysed the role of the plasma levels of hormones such as ghrelin, leptin and insulin on weight recovery in 104 overweight people following a hypocaloric diet. After eight weeks, the group that had regained more than 10% of the weight lost was found to have higher levels of leptin and lower levels of ghrelin. No differences were observed in their insulin levels.
The results, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, also show that ghrelin has a specific impact on men and leptin on women.
"Some obese or overweight patients who gain more weight following a diet could even be identified before they embark on their weight-loss therapy, just by looking at their plasma levels of these hormones," Crujeiras stresses.
A very useful dietary weapon
According to the authors, this study opens the door to more exhaustive studies on appetite-related hormones as tools for developing individually-tailored weight-loss programmes that would guarantee success for obese and overweight patients in keeping the weight lost off.
"Endocrinologists and nutritionists should design a special programme for patients with the highest plasma levels of leptin and the lowest ghrelin levels before they start on a hypocaloric diet, knowing that these patients are the most likely to regain the weight they have lost over the short term," concludes the expert.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110111132215.htm

Too Many Hours at Work Might Harm the Heart

Study of British workers found 11-hour days raised heart disease risk 67%

By Ellin Holohan
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, April 4 (HealthDay News) -- It may be time to add a long workday to the list of risk factors for heart disease.
A new study has found that office workers in England significantly increased their chances of having a heart attack by working more hours than their peers.
The study, conducted by researchers at University College London, found that employees who regularly worked 11-hour days or longer were 67 percent more likely to develop heart disease than those who worked seven- or eight-hour days.
One U.S. expert said many factors could account for the rise in risk among those tied too long to the office.
"Those working long hours may have less time for exercise, healthy eating and physicians visits," said Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, associate chief of cardiology at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine. "They may be exposed to more stress, get less sleep and engage in other behaviors which contribute to cardiovascular risk."
The study, published in the April 5 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, followed a low-risk population of almost 7,100 British civil servants from 1991 until 2004, screening out those with signs of heart disease.
About 70 percent of the workers were men, and most (91 percent) were white. Roughly 2.7 percent developed coronary heart disease by the end of the study, the researchers found.
Participants reported how many hours they spent on the job, including work they took home with them. More than half (54 percent) put in between seven and eight hours a day, while 21 percent worked a nine-hour day, and 15 percent spent 10 hours on the job daily, the study found. Slightly more than 10 percent labored 11 hours or more.
Besides bumping up the risk for heart disease by 67 percent compared to people working an eight-hour day, working 11-plus hours a day also put some people into a whole other risk category, the team found.
"Adding working hours to the Framingham risk score improved identification of persons who later developed heart disease," explained study co-author Mika Kivimaki. The Framingham risk score, aimed at gauging heart disease risk, is developed from data that includes age, sex, blood pressure level, cholesterol levels, and whether or not a patient smokes, said Kivimaki, a professor of social epidemiology at University College London.
Still, Kivimaki stressed that her team could not confirm a direct cause-and-effect relationship between putting in lots of overtime and getting heart disease.
Looking at "lifestyle factors," such as time spent working, is an increasing part of heart disease research, noted Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a preventive cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
"Incorporating long working hours into the [Framingham] model resulted in reclassifying low-risk patients about 4.7 percent of the time," said Steinbaum, who is also director of Women and Heart Disease at the hospital's Heart and Vascular Institute.
An example, said Steinbaum, would be a 55 year-old woman. She might be at low risk for a heart attack using the Framingham score alone, but then might be "bumped up into a higher risk category" if she worked especially long hours, Steinbaum said.
"This is important because patients in a higher-risk category would be treated more aggressively for prevention of coronary heart disease," she said.
Longer working hours are becoming more common in developed countries, the study authors noted, and that could possibly increase workers' odds for coronary heart disease. They added that prior research in Europe and Japan has shown similar links between long work hours and heart attacks, and Kivimaki said "the new information may improve decisions regarding lifestyle interventions and medication for heart disease."
While no changes should be made to patient care at this time, Kivimaki said that if findings were supported by further research, adding questions about working hours to physical exams would be "simple and cost-free."
The kind of work performed can also be important, said Steinbaum. Other research has shown that workers who have little decision-making power or sense of control over their work have a higher risk of getting heart disease, she said.
But this study is just the beginning of the story, said Steinbaum.
Considering new risk factors that are "adding stress to peoples' lives may be well worth contemplating," she said. In that sense, the study is "not the end of the conversation, it's the beginning of one."
More information
For more on the link between work and health, go to Job Stress Network.
SOURCES: Mika Kivimaki, Ph.D., professor, epidemiology, University College London; Suzanne Steinbaum, M.D., preventive cardiologist and director, Women and Heart Disease, the Heart and Vascular Institute of Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; Gregg Fonarow, M.D., associate chief, cardiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA; April 5, 2011, Annals of Internal Medicine
Last Updated: April 04, 2011
Copyright © 2011 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=651527

Compulsive Eaters May Have 'Food Addiction,' Study Finds

Exposure to food 'cues' might trigger same brain reward circuitry involved in drug and alcohol addiction

By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, April 4 (HealthDay News) -- People who are compulsive eaters show similar activity in the same brain regions as people who are addicted to drugs or alcohol, according to new research.
In particular, exposure to certain food "cues" -- in this case, pictures of a chocolate milk shake -- activated the brain's reward circuitry.
"This confirms that addiction to food is tied into reward centers," said Bonnie Levin, associate professor of neurology and director, division of neuropsychology at the University of Miami School of Medicine. "It's a biologically driven process, not just a behavioral problem."
Levin was not involved with the study, which appears online today and in the August issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.
This isn't the first time scientists have seen clues that certain people may have a food addiction similar to substance dependence, especially since both drugs and food trigger the release of dopamine. However, this is the first time the correlation has been noted in people who actually qualify as "food addicts" on an accepted measurement of food addiction.
Here, about 40 healthy young women with body sizes ranging from lean to obese were first tested with the Yale Food Addiction Scale, then monitored with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
Each woman was first shown a picture of a chocolate milkshake and an image of a glass of water.
They then were asked to actually taste the milkshake (four scoops of vanilla ice cream, 2-percent milk and 2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup) or a solution which tasted like natural saliva (plain water would have activated parts of the brain related to taste).
The researchers picked milkshakes not only because they have a high fat and sugar content (sugar has been most consistently linked with food addiction), but also because they could be consumed relatively smoothly through a small tube in the mouth. In contrast, chewing associated with candy bars or other forms of sweets would have caused the participants to move their head during the scan.
One hypothesis was borne out almost immediately: Women with higher food-addiction scores showed more activity in the parts of the brain associated with addiction when exposed to pictures of delectable chocolate milkshakes.
But, unexpectedly, when sampling the actual food, women showed less activation, which could be because "the brain just gets flooded all the time, which shuts down some of reward reactors," explained study lead author Ashley N. Gearhardt, a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at Yale University's Rudd Center in New Haven. "You may think it's going to be the best thing you ever tasted but it doesn't meet expectations. That's maybe why they eat more."
In the study, the authors noted that one-third of American adults are now obese and obesity-related disease is the second leading cause of preventable death. They also explained that further research was necessary to clarify their results, pointing out, for example, that their study did not measure hunger (which could have an impact on the scores) and was confined only to females.
Despite some limitations, the researchers felt the specific nerve patterns of brain activation in some subjects suggested addiction, and were especially worried by the finding that mere images of food could start the brain racing.
"What I see as a bigger concern is really our food environment. If you think of these cues as starting to trigger the problem, the worst environment you could possibly be in is the one we have," said Gearhardt. "All the billboards, all the vending machines. If you changed each of these into an alcohol cue and you were trying to recover from alcoholism, it would be impossible."
"Advertising is everywhere and it exerts a powerful influence over our behavior. But it can have a positive impact, too, by helping people develop more successful self-control strategies, modulate food cravings and make healthier choices," Levin said.
Another concern was that about 10 percent of people who didn't necessarily qualify as food addicts also showed some activation in the related brain regions.
"Even though a small percentage might be full-blown food addicts, some may be showing subclinical symptoms like a lot of cravings," Gearhardt said. "This could have a widespread cost on public health."
Gearhardt is hoping that the study will spur the scientific community to accept food addiction as a disease, thereby reducing stigma among heavier people and leading to more effective ways for them to lose weight.
"We beat ourselves up in this society: 'This is my fault,'" Gearhardt said. "When we finally decided to see alcohol having the potential to cause an addictive process, we stopped blaming people and started helping people."
More information
For more on compulsive eating, visit Overeaters Anonymous.
SOURCES: Ashley N. Gearhardt, M.S., M.Phil., doctoral candidate, department of clinical psychology, Rudd Center, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Bonnie Levin, Ph.D., associate professor of neurology and director, division of neuropsychology, University of Miami School of Medicine; August 2011 Archives of General Psychiatry, online, April 4, 2011
Last Updated: April 04, 2011
Copyright © 2011 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=651597

Consumers Misled By Low-Carbohydrate Claims

Consumers Misled By Low-Carbohydrate Claims