Do you always seem to feel hungry? Are your hunger cravings out-of-control? Your desire to eat may have more to do with your intestinal bacteria than previously thought, according to a study published last week in Science magazine.
Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have found that intestinal bacteria can affect appetite and metabolism, leading to excess caloric consumption, obesity, elevated blood sugar, and insulin resistance. The findings, together with previous research which showed that differences exist in intestinal bacteria between obese and lean individuals, suggests that the digestive tract contributes to obesity and metabolic disease.
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ReShape Medical has announced that the first patient has been fitted with the ReShape Dual Balloons, thus launching the start of a U.S. Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) clinical study into the safety and effectiveness of this non-surgical device for weight loss.
According to the company press release, the ReShape Balloons are designed to be a treatment for the millions of individuals who are overweight and struggle with weight loss, but either do not qualify for weight loss surgery or do not want to undergo one of the surgical options such as gastric bypass or lap band surgery.
The ReShape procedure involves placing inflatable gastric balloons into the stomach to occupy existing space in order to reduce food capacity and lessen hunger sensations. This method does not alter the natural anatomy of the body in any way.
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According to research recently published in Nature, a small but significant proportion of severely obese people are missing a part of genetic code. The researchers say that the missing genes can greatly impact a person’s weight and significantly increase their risk of developing obesity.
While it was previously known that genetic variations contribute to about one in twenty cases of severe obesity, this study showed that otherwise healthy individuals may become obese due to a rare genetic mutation in which part of the genetic code is missing. This new discovery adds to the knowledge that in some people weight gain has an underlying genetic cause.
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One of the first Obesity Weight Loss Programs specifically targeted to teens has opened at Rose Medical Center in Denver. Although the center provides a full range of surgical and medical weight loss services for overweight adolescents, a primary feature of the program is to cater to teens wanting weight loss surgery.
The surgical weight loss center for teens opens at a time when weight loss surgery for teens is highly controversial. Although lap band surgery and gastric bypass surgery is still considered experimental in children and adolescents, some physicians believe that the health benefits outweigh the risks and that the rules are different for morbidly obese teens.
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At 10 years of age, Kshitiji Jindger is the youngest patient in Asia to undergo weight loss surgery. According to the Times of India, the operation was performed last month by laparoscopic and obesity surgeon Dr Mahendra Narwaria.
According to Dr Narwaria, the boy had a normal body weight at birth, but started gaining excess weight at two years of age. Then, his weight basically doubled every other year. At the time of surgery, the boy weighed 127 kg (279 lbs) and had a body mass index (BMI) of 54.3. This measurement indicates severe obesity, as a healthy BMI range would be 22 to 23.
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Obesity and diabetes are closely linked diseases that have both been shown to improve following weight loss surgery. Yet, to date, weight loss surgery is performed only as a treatment for severe obesity. Many scientific and medical experts, however, are recommending that weight loss surgery be studied as a primary treatment for diabetes as well.
To explore this course, a clinical trial has been initiated that will compare the effectiveness of weight loss surgery versus lifestyle intervention as a specific diabetes treatment in moderately obese patients. The research study is being sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
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St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York is currently recruiting patients to take part in a clinical trial that will compare outcomes of single incision laparoscopic gastric banding versus conventional five port laparoscopic gastric banding. This study will be one of the first to examine these two minimally invasive approaches side-by-side and determine if laparoscopic gastric banding can be made even better by using one incision instead of five.
For this study, surgeons will make just one incision at the belly button in patients who are selected for the single incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS). Patients who are selected for conventional laparoscopic gastric banding will receive the traditional five small incisions in the abdominal wall.
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Although weight loss surgery has traditionally been considered the treatment of last resort for severe obesity, new treatments and safer techniques are making surgical intervention a potentially suitable option for a greater amount of overweight individuals. As we start a new year, it is a good time to review some of the innovative procedures that are promising to make a big change in the way we treat obesity and the related disease of type 2 diabetes.
One of the most notable new surgical approaches is the use of endoscopic methods, referred to as natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES). This surgical technique accesses the body through a natural opening, such as the mouth to reach the stomach, thus avoiding the need for incisions. Procedures such as StomaphyX and ROSE for gastric bypass revision have already been approved by the FDA, while several primary procedures are currently undergoing clinical trials. Three of the most promising are TOGA, EndoBarrier, and POSE.
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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. Their consensus statement regarding the use and study of gastrointestinal surgery for diabetes was recently published online in the Annals of Surgery.
Currently, bariatric surgery is only recommended for individuals with severe obesity who have not been able to lose weight through non-surgical methods. While diabetes either improves or resolves in the majority of patients who have had bariatric surgery, treating diabetes is not considered the primary purpose of surgical intervention.
Rather than considering diabetes to be a qualifying obesity co-morbidity for bariatric surgery, the DSS position statement recommends the use and study of bariatric surgery, referred to as gastrointestinal surgery, as a specific and legitimate treatment for type 2 diabetes.
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Weight loss surgery is considered the most effective treatment for severe obesity, but results are mixed and vary from patient to patient. While surgical intervention is generally successful, not every patient achieves or maintains significant and permanent loss of excess weight. Weight loss is difficult, but new research indicates that cognitive behavioral therapy can play a key role in helping patients achieve weight loss goals.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been successfully used as a treatment for many clinical disorders, personality conditions and behavioral problems. Applying the approach to weight loss is supported by research which has shown promising results in preliminary studies. Ongoing research is being conducted to further substantiate the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for weight loss.
To lose weight, it is necessary for bariatric patients to change the foods they eat and adopt healthy eating behaviors. While surgeons can alter the digestive system to promote weight loss, cognitive behavioral therapy can help bariatric patients by changing the way they think about food and alter unhealthy eating habits.
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