Hispanic Children Are Genetically Predisposed To Developing Fatty Liver Disease

Los Angeles, Calif - Two studies from the Childhood Obesity Research Center at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) have found evidence that Hispanic children and adolescents are genetically predisposed to developing fatty liver disease--a condition that can lead to cirrhosis, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

The studies, recently published in the journals Diabetes and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that Hispanic children who carry the PNPLA3 gene variant (GG) have increased liver fat. Children who carry the variant are also more susceptible to developing liver fat when consuming a high sugar diet.

Previous research has shown that Hispanics are particularly susceptible to the accumulation of fat in the liver, and reports suggest that nearly four of 10 obese Hispanic children and adolescents have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

"Collectively these findings demonstrate that Hispanics are genetically susceptible to the negative health effects of high sugar consumption, and that this effect is manifested early in life," said Principal Investigator Michael I. Goran, professor of preventive medicine, physiology and biophysics and pediatrics, and director of the USC Childhood Obesity Research Center at the Keck School of Medicine. "This is a major public health concern, especially in the face of massive marketing of sugary beverages to children."

The researchers conducted cross-sectional studies of more than 300 Hispanic youth (ages 8-18) in the Los Angeles area, using metabolic, diet and genetic measures. They found that GG carriers have almost double the amount of liver fat content as non-carriers. The effects are strongest in Hispanics because the frequency of the variant is much higher (49%) than in whites (23%) or African Americans (17%), said Jaimie Davis, assistant professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine, and a lead author on the studies.

The findings suggest that obese Hispanic children with the variant have an increased capacity for fat storage and decreased hepatic lipid mobilization (breakdown of stored fats), among those whose diets are high in sugar, she said.

Sugar intake is high among youth in Los Angeles, and accounts for nearly half of all daily carbohydrate intake and 25 percent of energy intake. However, because the link between high sugar diets and liver fat accumulation was only evident among children who had the GG variant, the findings could have important implications for treating NAFLD, Davis said.

"Specific dietary interventions based on the genetic predisposition may lead to more effective therapeutic outcomes in children with fatty liver disease," she said. "I think the studies really highlight the need to test such diet and genotyping interventions."

The work done by Dr. Goran and his team is at the interface of personalized and community health, said D. Brent Polk, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics and director of the Saban Research Institute at the Keck School of Medicine and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

"While we know that this genetic variant is overrepresented in Hispanic people, the findings help us identify individuals with increased susceptibility to worse disease," he said. "Now we can ask does early intervention in this group prevent their progression to the complications of fatty liver disease?"

The studies were supported by the National Institute of Cancer, University of Southern California Center for Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the Minority Research Center of Excellence, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Foundation, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and the MGM Mirage Fund at the University of Southern California.

Mental effect by Obesity in Children

A new report that studied over 1,000 children has found that those who are obese may suffer from poorer mental health than their peers, according to The Province.

These issues had a wide range of consequences, from mental to emotional.

1/3 of children who were normal weight were found to have sleeping problems, while 48 percent of overweight youngsters had the problem. Headaches were another common discomfort for obese kids, affecting 43 percent of the group.

Overweight children even appeared to be more prone to anger and fighting than their peers.

"There are some good data out there that show connections between stress and being overweight," Kathryn Henderson, a clinical psychologist, told the news provider.

One of the other noticeable trends was that obese children generally resorted to eating when they felt overwhelmed, while other kids tried to manage their stress with sports. However, both groups had one thing in common – they were prone to a sedentary lifestyle in front of a screen.

Parents may want to encourage children to go outdoors by participating in fun activities with them. A leisurely bike ride or hike can make for a fun day for the whole family, according to FamilyEducation.com.

Source:drcutler

Obese People Friends

Here at the Center for Consumer Freedom, we've seen researchers twist themselves into pretzels to avoid admitting that personal responsibility is key to avoiding obesity. But today's example from USA Today just might take the cake (so to speak):

The more obese friends you have, the more likely you are to become obese, a new study suggests. This confirms previous research that gaining weight may be socially contagious.

The research also shows that if nothing changes significantly in the environment and culture in the USA, about 42% of adults will be obese in about 40 years and then the obesity rate will level off. ...

"We find that having four obese friends doubled people's chance of becoming obese compared to people with no obese friends," says Alison Hill, the study's lead author and a Harvard researcher.

Yes, Harvard University is now pushing the canard that obesity is contagious, like pink eye or the flu. Incredibly, a previous Harvard study published in 2007 found the exact same "results."

The ludicrous idea of obesity as a social contagion, of course, lends support to the notion that we should treat it as a “disease.” Does this mean we have an obesity plague? Should we quarantine obese people? Divide restaurants into "obese" and "non-obese" sections? Let people take "fat days" off from work? We're just spitballing here.

One of the study's researchers admits: "Of course, other lifestyle factors, such as diet and physical activity, have a huge impact on weight gain." But those factors could have easily been figured out by people who don't have access to huge research grants. Common sense doesn’t require a Ph.D.
Source:Skinny People Have Fat Friends Too

Overweight Increase Sense of Smell

Hey dieters — if your weight-loss plan doesn’t seem to be working out, perhaps it is time to invest in some clothespins for your nose.

A new study published in the journal Chemical Senses has found that a heightened sense of smell is linked to being overweight, and researchers speculate this is because it makes food seem more appealing, which encourages people to eat more.

According to the Telegraph, the scientists set out to determine if feeling hungry or full had an impact on how our sense of smell works. The study found that people were more sensitive to the smell of food when they were full, instead of when they were famished. But when it came for other smells — the opposite was true. More research found that people with higher BMIs were more sensitive to food-related smells than participants with lower BMIs.

Dr Lorenzo Stafford, who works in the University of Portsmouth’s Department of Psychology, tested 64 participants between the ages of 18 and 49. He used the smell of cooking herbs and gradually diluted the odour until the participants were unable to detect the scent.

Dr. Stafford told the Telegraph that they have yet to figure out why people with higher BMIs have such a keen sense of food-related smell.

Resource:Being overweight linked to sense of smell: study

Reason for Obesity

Let me tell you about the current obesity rates in the UK. It is unexpectedly high as more than 30% of children are categorized as obese (having BMI>30), 24% of adults are near to being obese and 23% of women are obese. In this country more than 50% of people are overweight. Health analysts in the UK are advising for obesity control measures before it goes out of control.

A single person needs around 1500-2200kcal/day to remain fit and but an obese person can eat more than 3000kcal/day. This is the minimum energy intake by any obese adult. Let’s make more simple analysis on overweight people in the UK. The estimated total population of UK is 60,975,000 out of which about 30-35% population approximately is under overweight scanner, so total overweight population including children is 18,292,500(min). The total extra amount of kcal/day consumed by UK overweight people would be 18,292,500 x 1500 kcal = 27,438,750,000 kcal/day.

Guess what does it mean? There were 923 million hungry people in the world in 2007, an increase of 80 million since 1990, despite the fact that the world already produces enough food to feed everyone - 6 billion people - and could feed double - 12 billion people. Where is the extra amount of food? We are consuming, and overweight people are consuming. So, there is a strong need to make our population healthy, free from overweight and obesity problems.
I have listed some important weight loss tips below:

• Xenical (orlistat) - Xenical is an FDA approved prescription medicine for obesity treatment. It works in the digestive system of the body and reduces the fat adsorption there. It blocks about 30% of dietary fats from getting absorbed in the body. During normal bowel movements, these undigested fats pass out of the body. Xenical is prescribed to people with BMI value more than 25. You can buy Xenical from xenicalorlistat.co.uk online with FREE home delivery and FREE online consultancy. Remember, Xenical is not for pregnant women or teenagers who are below 18 years of age

• Alli – Alli is also an FDA approved medicine for weight loss. Alli and Xenical are same however, the only difference lies in orlistat content. Alli contains 60mg of orlistat.
• Reduce eating habit –eating food at a fixed time daily is considered good for health, but it’s also better to eat when you are hungry. Eat when hunger will make you more depend on stomach rather than mind.

• Lifestyle habits- Going to your office by car, going school by bus and playing indoor games never help you lose weight. Minimize the use of luxury, as it plays an important role in boosting obesity. You should instead exercise daily for about 15-30 min. Obesity is considered more of a lifestyle problem than any medical condition. If you modify your lifestyle habits, obesity can easily go away.

• Eat healthy food instead of snacks like chocolates, biscuits and cake that contain huge amount of unsaturated fats. You should instead eat natural food like fruits, vegetables and milk. Avoid eating meat in large quantity, as it can increase your body fat content. You can take in minimum quantity.