Diet and Weight Loss News

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

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

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

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

Tooley has developed a multi-faceted 27-week weight loss protocol that combines the power of the sub-conscious mind with the appetite-limiting features of a gastric band. Tooley's unique program provides a lower risk, lower-cost option for those considering lap band surgery, or for whom diets do not work. The "SLIMR™ gastric band," is making its debut in the United States at the Tooley Weight Wellness Clinic in Torrance, California. "The sensation of a smaller stomach suggested through hypnosis offers results similar to a physical gastric band inserted by laparoscopic surgery, commonly called a lap band. The mind is very powerful, and what you think becomes real for you," says Duncan Tooley, CHt, Certified Medical Hypnotist and developer of the program.

Read more on: The Medical News

"This is the first evidence that copy number variants have been linked to a metabolic condition such as obesity," said Dr Matt Hurles from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, one of the leaders of the study. Findings show for the first time that the condition can be a genetic one, rather than the result of over feeding. Dr Sadaf Farooqi from Cambridge University added: "This study shows that severe obesity is a serious medical issue that deserves scientific investigation. "It adds to the growing weight of evidence that a wide range of genetic variants can produce a strong drive to eat.



Read more: Telegraph.uk