According to a new study completed by the Stanford University School of Medicine, probiotics- the good bacteria found in yogurts and supplements help adult gastric bypass patients lose more weight. Dr. John M. Morton an associate professor at Stanford Medical School sought to improve the gastrointestinal (GI) functioning of gastric bypass patients,

who can have decreased GI functioning after surgery and happened upon the findings.

The team of Stanford doctors evaluated 44 patients who had undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery giving half of them probiotics daily and the other half nothing. The Probiotic recipients and non recipients were monitored for GI functioning as well as their weight before surgery, after surgery and at three and six months after beginning the probiotic treatment.

According to Morton the probiotic recipients fared better in all categories by the six month mark and also lost more weight. More specifically the probiotic group lost 70% of their excess weight while the control group lost only 66% of their excess body weight.

Patients in the probiotic group were given 2.4 billion lactobacilli daily- more than you will find in one serving of yogurt! This study suggests that the cause of obesity may be partly bacterial, although genetics, diet and exercise all play a role. Although eating yogurt defiantly won’t hurt you, ingesting 2.4 billion lactobacilli daily would be almost impossible unless prescribed by a physician.

KathleenDoheny:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20080523/hl_hsn/probioticshelpadultweightlossafterbariatricsurgery;_ylt=AjkEwkXAvdbX_LcNbtl8tYyISbYF

Treating the symptoms of obesity with blood pressure medications, cholesterol drugs, blood thinners and insulin will not be enough to protect many obese people from suffering a serious heart attack or stroke. The only way to treat the obesity epidemic according to the Wake Forest University School of Medicine is to prevent obesity and assist obese patients in achieving healthy weight loss once and for all.

The study which followed 6, 814 men and women ages 45- 84 showed an even greater prevalence of overweight and obese people than in similar studies conducted even 5 years earlier.

Dr. Gregory Burke author of the Wake Forest study notes that no more than a decade ago experts and physicians believed that treating the heart related risks of obesity such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and glucose intolerance would counterbalance the effects of obesity. This could not be further from the truth, treating symptoms rather than the root cause of cardiovascular disease may cause us to see an increase in the mortality rate due to heart disease after nearly 50 years of decline.

Ultimately, it is treating the cause of a patient’s heart disease, rather than the symptoms of an unhealthy heart that will help people prevent heart disease from occurring. Popping pills will not make everything OK, at risk individuals need to make healthy lifestyle changes including diet and regular exercise to achieve a healthy weight and prevent cardiovascular disease.Prevention is the key, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and healthy body weight will prevent most known risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

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American researchers have discovered that blocking the brain enzyme CaMKK2, which helps stimulate appetite in mice and people, has enabled scientists to prevent obesity in mice. The study which took place at the Duke University Medical Centre in North Carolina is expected to lend itself to creating a long anticipated drug treatment for obesity.

Ghrelin, an enzyme released in the stomach when empty signals the brain using CaMKK2, which in turn makes food more appealing to hungry people. Mice that were genetically engineered to lack the enzyme CaMKK2, stayed slim regardless of being on a high or low fat diet. Researchers also found that mice lacking CaMKK2 ate less, lost weight and protected those on a high fat diet from insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. This is great news for millions of obese people who suffer from diabetes.

Although this discovery is exciting, many similar discoveries have failed to yield viable treatments in humans. Creating a synthetic chemical that will pass though the blood vessels that feed the brain, has proven impossible for researchers up to this point. People, who have far more complex eating and appetite behaviours than mice may find less invasive surgical options such as lap band surgery more effective in achieving permanent healthy weight loss.

Research has waffled back and forth for some time over the fat but fit debate. Does exercise or weight have a greater influence over an individual’s heart disease risk? New research indicates that body weight, regardless of your level of fitness still has a profound impact on your heart.

The study discovered that compared with their normal weight active counterparts, overweight active women still suffered a 54% greater risk of developing heart disease and obese active women had an 87% higher risk of developing heart disease. Overweight and obese inactive women had the greatest increased risk overall of developing heart disease. Indicating that exercise while helpful does not altogether eliminate the need to maintain a healthy BMI.

Excess weight can increase an individual’s blood pressure, cholesterol as well as increase the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease and cancer. While exercise combats all 4 health problems it will not nullify the effects excess weight has on your heart and overall health.

The message is clear exercise is good for you no matter what your body mass index is. However, maintaining a healthy weight is the most important factor in preventing heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

The study involved nearly 39,000 women of approximately 54 years of age. Women were considered active if they took part in a self reported, 30 minutes of moderate activity such as walking or jogging most days of the week, while women who participated in less than this were considered inactive. Weight was evaluated according to Body Mass Index: a BMI of 25- 30 is considered overweight, while a BMI of 30 or greater is considered obese. Visit the Archives of Internal Medicine for more information.