New Molecule "Eliminates" Obesity
Categories: Diet & Weight Loss
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| Photo: Kirsty Wigglesworth, AP |
Chemists at Indiana University have created synthetic molecules that mimic two natural hormones that help regulate glucose metabolism and appetite. After one week, obese mice that received a single injection saw a 25 percent decrease in weight, and a 42 percent decrease in body fat.
The research, published online in the journal Nature Chemical Biology, could hold promise for humans too. "Remember, even though these are mice, the treatment is affecting two receptor systems that exist in humans," obesity expert Dr. Lou Aronne told ABC News.
The injection contains glucagon and glucagons-like-peptide-1, or simply GLP-1. They both suppress appetite, but while glucagon raises blood sugar, GLP-1 has the opposite effect. The result is keeping blood sugar in check while reaping the advantages of appetite suppression.
Click on the gallery below to see other diet supplements that have been touted as miracle pills.
Story continues after the gallery.
Weight Loss Supplements
By Karen Asp
If you believe the ads, you just need to pop a pill to take off extra pounds. If only it were that easy. There may, however, be a few supplements that can aid your weight loss, keeping in mind, that you still need to eat healthy and exercise regularly. To find out what works and what doesn't we tapped Connie Diekman, R.D., director of university nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., and immediate past president of the American Dietetic Association and Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., board-certified nutritionist and author of 'The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth,' for the scoop on 10 common supplements.
Hydroxycut: Avoid Most Products
In May 2009, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning to consumers to immediately stop using Hydroxycut products because some are associated with a number of serious liver injuries. As a result, the company has agreed to recall 14 Hydroxycut products from the market. For a complete list of recalled products, visit the FDA's website.
AP
Ephedra: Avoid At All Cost
Even though the FDA banned ephedra, this stimulant has been showing up online. Studies have shown that ephedra can aid weight loss, but the side effects, which include high blood pressure, heart rate irregularities, heart attacks, and stroke, can be deadly.
Chromium: Try It
Chromium, which occurs naturally in the body, helps regulate blood sugar and utilize carbohydrate, and although few studies have shown any correlation between chromium supplements and fat loss, chromium may still aid weight loss. That's because chromium helps keep insulin levels down. High levels of insulin, after all, make fat burning almost impossible. Although chromium may not cause weight loss, by lowering insulin, it may remove an obstacle to taking off weight.
How to Take It: Try taking 1,000 mcg of chromium picolinate or chromium nicotinate daily.
Guarana: Skip It
In supplement form, guarana is a concentrated source of caffeine that's supposed to increase your metabolism. However, while it might help you drop pounds temporarily, it doesn't provide lasting weight loss and could raise blood pressure and heart rate.
Green Tea Extract: Try It
Green tea contains a compound called EGCG that may stimulate metabolism. Several studies, in fact, have linked green tea extract to a reduction in body fat and increase in thermogenesis, or the rate at which calories are burned.
How To Take It: Pop 270 mg per day or drink three cups of green tea a day.
Conjugated Linoleic Acid: Try It
Commonly called CLA, this amino acid exists in animal foods like beef and dairy products. It plays a role in the health of your muscles and tissues and may help you lose abdominal fat.
How To Take It: Have 3.4 grams daily.
Yerba Mate: Skip It
Yerba mate is a concentrated plant source of caffeine that's supposed to boost metabolism. Although you might see a temporary drop in weight, changes aren't long-lasting. Plus, as with all stimulants, side effects include increased heart rate and high blood pressure. Recent studies have also shown yerba mate may increase the risk of some cancers.
Chitosan: Skip It
This bulking agent comes from the bones and shells of shellfish, and manufacturers claim it suppresses appetite and blocks fat absorption. Yet no studies show any weight loss benefits.
Pyruvate: Skip It
Pyruvate, which exists in foods like red wine, apples and cheese, promises to make you lean and help you shed body fat. The bad news? No study has shown that consuming pyruvate in supplement form will have this effect on your body.
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"I'm excited. It is rodent work that's representative of human obesity," Richard DiMarchi, lead author of the study and chairman of the chemistry department at Indiana University in Bloomington told ABC News. "What we're doing is using the proven ability of two hormones to stop appetite and use more calories."
You know what else burns more calories? Exercise. But putting mice on a wheel was not part of the study to see how effective it was in conjunction with, or compared to, hormone regulation. The chemistry involved is exciting, but no one should ditch the pedometer or treadmill just yet.
Human trials are far off, and there has been this level of excitement before when weight loss drugs work in mice, particularly with leptin. "As with leptin, we need to see the human data first before we jump for joy," Aronne said.
And while millions might embrace a quick fix, there is no telling yet what potential side effects this could have until it is tested on people. Eating right and moving more is still the safest, and most successful, path to weight loss.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Fatblastzone.com 7-15-2009 @ 8:30AM
Wow, another magic pill. It seems promising though. I wonder though - are we just perpetuating a cycle of laziness and a dependence on unnatural ways to get our bodies in shape. Maybe they can spend billions of dollars on how to ingrain motivational ideals in people's brains or how to subliminally instill a strong desire and need to eat healthfully and exercise regularly. Perhaps they can play mad scientist while trying to figure out a cure for cancer or even HIV. I mean, I'm just wondering.
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drlouiek 7-15-2009 @ 8:47AM
I am all for using medicine, dieting, and/or excercise for the weight reduction people desire. It would create a world of happier, more confident and energized humans. I would like to be a test subject with the new medicine, even though my battle is only with 15 lbs.
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Sharon 7-15-2009 @ 9:15AM
Until you've struggled with weight all your life, you'll never understand the need for something, anything, that can help you. I've tried every diet, change of lifestyle, pill, hospital supervised, plan, potion, everything short of surgery. I'm now at a time of life where even starving won't help me lose. I've exercised, eaten healthfully, done it all. It never works enough to really help me. I've gotten to a point where I rarely go out except for work and haven't seen friends and most family for years. I'm too embarassed that I can't keep my weight under control. I hate myself and would gladly be a guinea pig for any new weight loss drug. I don't feel anything could make me feel worse than I do already. Life isn't worth much to me the way I am.
zep 7-15-2009 @ 9:05AM
Im so tired of people who complain there fat and don't do anything about it. just get off the couch and go that, and eat whole foods and lean protien meals and pound water like no other if you want to loose weight trust me its easy I feel its harder to gain weight. ohh and motavation you get it from working out start jogging and eating right and your body will produce whats called saratonin which makes you feel good and will make you want to work out more. so obese people get off the computer chair and get yourself started ohh if you want to loose your belly try excersises that dont require machines like do isometrics one for belly fat the plank if you want to know more about workouts ask me. and I wish you the best if you want you can hire me as a personal trainer
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Phyl 7-15-2009 @ 9:12AM
Thanks for the generous offer Zep........when you learn how to spell properly I might take it seriously.
Vinny 7-15-2009 @ 9:46AM
Hey Zep, first off, get yourself a spell checker and take some grammar lessons if you're gonna spout off like you know more than someone else. Congratulations, on being one of the thin and perfect ones in this world like you surely think you are. If you've never had a problem with extra weight, then you have NO idea what it's like for the millions of people who do. And while I'm happy that there are those who have found ways to combat their weight issues, still so many more have yet to do so. The reason I believe has nothing to do with will power or attitude etc. There's several reasons, and the biggest is their own brain. Subconsciously, your brain tends to keep you fat. That may be a condition that was latent, (that means it was there already Zep) or maybe it was learned throughout the person's life, but for whatever reason, even though you consciously WANT to be thin, and you do all the right things to lose weight, eventually you'll gain it back because the brain makes it almost impossible to resist temptation and urges to eat unhealthy, or to do less physical activity. While it may be very possible to lose significant amounts of body fat, and get fit, and get the seratonin flowing, (see that Zep? correct spelling) the majority of people will relapse, no matter how hard they try. I'd be happy to see a treatment that would allow obese people to lose the excess fat, be able to get active again, give them their self esteem back, and live without the fear of disease and early death associated with obesity. So to Zep and all the other fat haters out there, try to understand that it's not always within the reach of people to be able to change their habits, and their body shapes, no matter how hard they want to, or how hard they try. Try to think of it as a cancer that you desperately want to get rid of, and you do all the things you're told to do to get rid of it, and maybe it works for a while, maybe you get to remission, but a lot of times it comes back, and you have no control over that. And yes, I know from 35 years of experience.
Ann 7-22-2009 @ 2:06AM
I think you seriously may understand exercise, and I mean no disrespect at all, but you do not know a thing about obesity or spelling! You need to spell check your entry and then you need to get some background on the physiology of obesity and hormones. It is not always as simple as moving. I have lost 155 lbs. I had been on every diet known to mankind and had a fitness center membership for years, worked with trainers ( who I might add lacked knowledge as well) and finally I found that the problem was not lack of motivation or overeating. It was all hormones connected with glucose and how my body was using or not utilizing the glucose. I found a truly great endocrinologist who was able to recognize my sincere tries at weight loss, only to reach another self defeating failure. There is a new book out written by Jillian Michaels ( trainer for the Biggest Loser TV show. It would be a very good read and knowledge builder for you. DO NOT make the mistake of thinking that obesity is all about eating and lack of motivation to move. You could NOT be farther from the truth. Educate yourself before posting comments. Exercise is important and a daily part of my life but for years it was also and to no avail. I had to get the physiology straightened out before ANYTHING else would work.
Kelly 7-15-2009 @ 10:10AM
Why in the world would someone want to hire you as a personal trainer when you don't have the ability to spell? And you need to educate yourself with regards to weight related issues. Not everyone who is considered obese by the standards is lazy or does not exercise.
Spell much? 7-15-2009 @ 11:12AM
You're preaching to someone about something.. so I'm going to preach to you.. when you say "there fat" It's actually their and protien is spelled protein.. motavation is motivation.. used in a sentence.. I wish you had the motivation to look up a word you can't spell! Some people can't help that they are fat.. just like you can't help that you're (not your) an idiot!
Alicia 7-15-2009 @ 11:44AM
I would never hire you as a personal trainer. For one, you sound as though you have no idea what it is to be overweight. Just get up off the couch huh, is that your answer to the weight problem??? What if you tried to get up off the couch but the pain in your back or your legs was too much?? What if you're not an over eater, and you don't eat fried or processed food but you still continue to gain weight? Until you can find more compassion you should only train people who don't need to lose weight, but want to maintain their skinny bodies. Educate yourself about the troubles of obesity before you make any more comments. That goes to all the people who have no idea what it's like living with obesity.
curls 7-15-2009 @ 12:26PM
zep sometimes its just not that easy... I use to be a power walker and obsessed excerciser and then at the age of 37 i found out i have a degenerative disc disease all that stopped the pain was nearly impossible to deal with.. until u have walked in some one elses mocassins dont be so harsh to judge... sometimes it just not as easy as you think.
Carol 7-15-2009 @ 12:28PM
This is a response to Zep...
I totally agree that exercise is vital...for general health and weight loss.
What is not being addressed here is the addiction that plagues many (if not most) of obese, or merely overweight persons. It's a real challenge to overcome this addiction merely because someone tells you to...tells you that it is harming you. Think of alcohol and drug users...I'm sure many of them are not perpetuating their lifestyle and health problems because they choose to.
There is also the persons history...mostly childhood history, that takes a huge role in the knee jerk response to overeating. Did the child eat to stave of anger, lonliness, depression perhaps?
Also consider what food represented in childhood...was it used as a reward?...was it used to replace love, or to handle stress?
I don't know what the answers are, but thay should address all of these circumstances.
tired of your dumb posts 7-15-2009 @ 12:52PM
Zep, in a nut shell, the same thing could be said for you. Get up off the computer chair and get an education! You try to put people down by posting rude comments, only to make yourself look like a fool because you can not spell or and do not have proper use of the english language. Go get a life.
Avice 7-15-2009 @ 1:58PM
I'm so tired of people who think they know it all but can't even handle fifth-grade spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. For your information, weight problems can also be caused by hormonal or other medical problems. I am overweight because of my eating habits and insufficient exercise BUT ALSO because my body is trying to turn me into my grandma, who probably weighed more than 300 pounds and because my eating habits were largely due to some emotional issues. Everything isn't black and white.
Kendra Howard 7-15-2009 @ 2:03PM
You are a personal trainer. What would you recommend for a person who exercised twice a day for about 25 years, ate organics only, and was 7% body fat at the highest. She felt she was so energetic and loved living life. Then she was stricken with a diagnosable illness, which caused endocrine issues, panhypopituitarism. What do you suggest for people that have transient endocrine shutdown but continue to gain weight no matter how much they move, or exercise, and how healthy they eat? Yes, they have seen many physicians, nutritionists and a shrink.
muf 7-15-2009 @ 2:13PM
you say just get up off the couch and do something well thats easy for you maybe,,,,i had a broke legs when i was 17 wore a whole leg cast for a year and still my leg is not completely healed, gives away and hurts, had back surgery in 04 can't walk much due to neruve damage for waiting so long to have this done, now i have bone spurs in both feet and can't be on my feet much and i am 46 worked all my life i dont get any help except for myself,,,, i do the best i can and i am 50lbs. overweight so don't think everybody is overweight because they are lazy......
fshrbabs 7-15-2009 @ 2:27PM
You must be one of the people fortunate enough to be born with an extremely high metabolism post your comments. Some people are not so fortunate. One day, you may wish you had not wished for so much weight gain. Some people are overweight that do not have the physical ability to get up and exercise or do isometrics or any of your other suggestions. Have a heart. Don't comment or judge someone if you don't know all of their circumstances.
Betsy Richardson 7-15-2009 @ 2:28PM
It appears from your suggestions and spelling abilities that you are very knowledgeable and have the education to support your "facts".
ronnalynn 7-15-2009 @ 2:39PM
I would love any advice you can give me. Since I had my hysterectomy 4 years ago I have gained almost forty pounds. Before this I had lost 35 pounds through weight watchers and kept it off for over two years. I am trying to lose weight and it isnt coming off. I follow the weight watcher plan, and gave up all soda and drink a gallon and half of water daily and still havent lost. Please help!
queenabbey 7-15-2009 @ 9:29AM
It's very easy for people to say they are tired of people who complain about being fat and should just get up and exercise. There are some of us out there who are disabled and are not able to exercise, and are not lazy. I used to be a very active person and would LOVE to be able to hit the gym or even do something at home but due to a congenital deformity of the spine, am not able to do much at all. And because I have to eat to live, the weight goes on, even while eating healthy and going without the junkfood. So please use caution before generalizing.
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