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Previous research has shown that dishes full of protein cut levels of the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates hunger pangs. Although carbohydrate-rich foods such as pasta, bread, rice and sweet snacks, reduce ghrelin levels at first, the hormone then 'spikes' and rises to an even higher level than before the food was consumed. However, researchers at Aberdeen University's Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health found introducing a moderate amount of carbs into a high-protein meal did not reduce its weight-loss effects. Their study also proved dieters need not eat excessive amounts of protein because there is a point past which it offers no additional benefit as an appetite suppressant. Based on these findings, M&S has created its Simply Fuller Longer range of 40 dinners, lunches, sandwiches and salads. Dishes include chargrilled chicken and vegetable noodles with savoury miso dressing and peppered salmon, and king prawn and cous cous salad. Most of the meals in the range contain an average of 10g of protein per 100g compared to 9.5g in an average ready meal. They are made up of about 10g of carbohydrates per 100g, compared to a slightly lower 8.6g for a normal ready meal. Claire Hughes, a nutritionist for Marks & Spencer, said: 'Losing weight should be simple as basically you need to eat fewer calories than you use,' she said. 'But as we all know, it's not that easy in practice.



Source: Daily Mail

New findings from the Monell Center and Kyushu University in Japan report that endocannabinoids act directly on taste receptors on the tongue to enhance sweet taste. "Our taste cells may be more involved in regulating our appetites than we had previously known," said study author Robert Margolskee, M.D., Ph.D., a Monell molecular biologist...

A new study shows that candy, salty snacks and sweetened beverages, which have been implicated as contributing to the obesity epidemic, are widely available in retail stores whose primary merchandise is not food...

A Faculty of 1000 evaluation examines how a stomach-produced hormone that influences the desire to eat and consume alcohol could be switched off to control drinking problems. The study, carried out by Jerlhag et al...

Curvy actress Kate Winslet has topped a UK national poll to find the perfect celebrity body. The Oscar-winning film star, who has been praised for promoting a more realistic body shape, took the top spot with 16% of the overall votes - narrowly pipping shapely Kelly Brook into second place with 15%...

The Phase 3 clinical program evaluated Qnexa in more than 4,500 patients in the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The average baseline weight in one trial was 223 pounds and another trial had an average baseline weight of 256 pounds. All patients were asked to follow a diet representing a 500-calorie/day deficit and advised to implement a simple lifestyle modification program. "The weight loss of up to 37 pounds combined with significant improvements in weight-related medical conditions, such as hypertension and diabetes, demonstrates the importance of treating obesity, which has become a major epidemic in the United States," Leland F. Wilson, chief executive officer for Vivus, said in a statement. Across both 56-week studies, the most commonly reported side effects were dry mouth, tingling and constipation, the application said.



Source: UPI

Overeating is a key factor in obesity and in cases where it becomes compulsive, it is often classified as "food addiction", a label that has been controversial, states a commentary in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). The authors argue that food addiction in some individuals may be a reality and needs to be considered in management of weight problems...

When New Year's Eve rolls around and you're deciding whether to have another glass of champagne, your decision may be predicted by your perspective of the future...

The Couch Potato Diet, a handy guide for anyone who wants to lose weight but still eat fun foods like pizza and cookies. The three basic tenants he preaches: add fiber, reduce fat, and reduce sugar. Diets don’t work, Ladas notes, if the changes aren’t something you can live with every day. “You’ll go back to old ways unless you take smaller steps, start to exercise and create a diet that eliminates excess calories.”  “I lost over 50 pounds five years ago when I started the plan,” he says. “I knew it was different. It worked within my lifestyle,” and similarly, he thought it would resonate with “busy middle-aged folks, people who have trouble with the fact that their metabolism has slowed down.”   By substituting healthful foods for more healthful choices, he’s able to create recipes for nachos, pizza and even homemade ice cream. Interestingly enough, the diet book that’s patterned after the couch-potato lifestyle still advocates exercise. “Exercise is a tough sell with couch potatoes,”he notes. “It’s their worst nightmare, but the benefits of exercise are too great to ignore.



Read more on: Projo.com

Adding 30 minutes of daily physical activity should top your list of New Year's resolutions for a healthier 2010, says Peter Brubaker, professor of health and exercise science at Wake Forest University. Regular daily exercise is the most important step toward a healthier lifestyle, Brubaker says...

Time and time again, it has been documented that regular exercise has many health benefits including lowering risks associated with the comorbidities of obesity...

Capsiplex's makers say the capsule, which is made from hot peppers and capsicum and is used by Hollywood stars Jennifer Lopez, Brad Pitt and Britney Spears, can eat up as many calories as 80 minutes of walking or a 25-minute jog. Trials at the University of Oklahoma showed adults taking Capsiplex burned off 278 more calories before, during and after a bout of exercise than those on placebos. A spokesman for Capsiplex said: 'For decades, scientists have known about the weight-loss potential of red-hot peppers. The problem has been the ability to consume such a highly concentrated amount, but we have overcome this by putting a protective coating on the ingredients which stops any gastric irritation.



Source: DailyMail

Three University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) professors have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Election as a fellow of AAAS is an honor bestowed upon members by their peers. The new fellows from UAB are David Allison, Ph.D., of the Department of Biostatistics; Etty "Tika" Benveniste, Ph.D...

GI Dynamics, a leader in non-surgical, endoscopic treatments for type 2 diabetes and obesity, today announced that it has received European CE mark approval for the EndoBarrier™, a non-surgical therapy to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity. The CE marking (an acronym for the French "Conformite Europeenne") certifies that a product has met EU requirements for marketing in Europe...

The link between obesity and cardiovascular mortality may be substantially underestimated, while some of the adverse consequences of being underweight may be overstated, concludes a study published on bmj.com . This means that the adverse influence of higher BMI and obesity in a population is of greater magnitude than previously thought, say the authors...

The average low-income person loses 8.2 years of perfect health, the average high school dropout loses 5.1 years, and the obese lose 4.2 years, according to researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. Tobacco control has long been one of the most important public health policies, and rightly so; the average smoker loses 6.6 years of perfect health to their habit...

In a unique collaboration, an international group of scientific and medical experts have teamed up to evaluate the appropriate use of bariatric surgery in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The conference, known as the Diabetes Surgery Summit, was held to review the evidence and develop guidelines for this new field of medicine. [...]

The UK government is urging families to bring back the Christmas day walk to burn off their Christmas dinner calories, and generally be more physically active over the holidays...

Disability rates among non-institutionalized older Americans increased between 2000 and 2005, a trend that could seriously impact the quality of life of seniors in the coming decades if it continues, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Toronto and the University of California, Berkeley...

The causes of obesity are complex and individual, but it is clear that chronic overeating plays a fundamental role. But when this behaviour becomes compulsive and out of control, it is often classified as "food addiction" - a label that has generated considerable controversy, according to a McMaster University psychiatrist and obesity researcher. In a commentary appearing in the Dec...