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Virginia Tech drug researcher develops 'fat burning' molecule that has implications for treatment of obesity (Science Daily)
"Obesity is the biggest health problem in the United States. But, it is hard for people to lose weight and keep it off; being on a diet can be so difficult. So, a pharmacological approach, or a drug, could help out and would be beneficial for all of society," said Webster Santos, professor of chemistry and the Cliff and Agnes Lilly Faculty Fellow of Drug Discovery in the College of Science at Virginia Tech.
Santos and his colleagues have recently identified a small mitochondrial uncoupler, named BAM15, that decreases the body fat mass of mice without affecting food intake and muscle mass or increasing body temperature. Additionally, the molecule decreases insulin resistance and has beneficial effects on oxidative stress and inflammation.
The findings, published in Nature Communications on May 14, 2020, hold promise for future treatment and prevention of obesity, diabetes, and especially nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a type of fatty liver disease that is characterized by inflammation and fat accumulation in the liver. In the next few years, the condition is expected to become the leading cause of liver transplants in the United States.
Mitochondrial uncoupler BAM15 reverses diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance in mice (open, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16298-2) (DX)
Mitochondrial uncoupler BAM15 inhibits artery constriction and potently activates AMPK in vascular smooth muscle cells (open, DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2018.07.010) (DX)
BAM15‐mediated mitochondrial uncoupling protects against obesity and improves glycemic control (open, DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202012088) (DX)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 13 2020, @04:23PM (5 children)
All of the studies on sustained fat loss - that is, on a two year or longer time scale - contradict you. For people that lose more than 10% of their starting mass, the number who keep the weight off past 5 years is around 20%. So to be clear, for every 10,000 fatties like me that starts a lifestyle change today and manages to lose a big chunk of weight, in five years 8,000 of us will be near or above our starting weight - and weight cycling is actually worse for your cardiovascular health and bone density than maintaining a given weight.
'Successful' long term fat loss has been redefined to be meaningless, some studies have participants maintaining a 7.1kg loss after two years as success. Whoopty-fucking-do, sustaining a loss of 7.1kg would be a big deal if I was within 15kg of my ideal weight, but I'm not.
Now, I can predict your answer: the 80% of participants that failed just did a fad diet and stopped their healthy eating when they reached their target weight, and it's all their own fault. I knew that argument was coming, and it's bullshit. Every fat person knows the health benefits and social benefits of thinness, and if you interview 1000 people on a diet I guarantee damn near none of them plan to return to their old eating habits and exercise levels once they reach their target weight. I'm in my 40s and I have been hearing 'permanent lifestyle change' advice since I was a fat pre-teen.
A doctor that recommends a medical treatment that does more harm than good for 80% of the patients deserves to have their medical license revoked. Yet somehow 'diets' and 'permanent lifestyle changes' (which is another way of saying 'diets') are still prescribed every day to thousands of people.
Prove I'm wrong, show me studies with sustained fat loss of more than 10% of starting weight that are successful for more than 50% of patients over a two year time scale. Even better, find them with a five year time scale.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Azuma Hazuki on Saturday June 13 2020, @07:13PM (4 children)
For whatever this is worth, 6 years ago I was 202 lb at 5'10" and today I'm at or just below 150. I've dropped like 6 sizes and can see every last rib and my hip bones. And I've been here for about 2 years. What did it for me is a short (~6 months) course of keto, followed by strict 18/6 intermittent fasting and calorie counting since then.
It's hard, and the only reason I've been able to pull this off is I've got the kind of stubborn willpower you could bend a titanium girdle around. But it feels so much better, people treat me better and take me more seriously, and knowing I'll live longer and have fewer health problems makes this all worth it by itself. Try intermittent fasting and see if it helps!
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 13 2020, @09:59PM (3 children)
That's damn impressive - no sarcasm. I've got four kids under age 18, a wife with some chronic (but thankfully not life-threatening) health issues that leave me doing most of the housework, cooking, and grocery shopping, and a day job that's medium stress. It's possible - but knowing myself, not that likely - I could match your willpower and discipline if I was single, or maybe in a relationship with someone in good health and with no children or with adult children. As it is, no chance. And I wouldn't be surprised if you've also got a relationship or kids or family members to care for or a harder job than mine or other health issues of your own or all five of those things together. In other words, I'm not trying to assert that you must have stayed thin because your life is easier. I'm just saying that I personally would need a much easier life to manage it.
My father, my mother-in-law, and my father-in-law all slimmed down substantially once they retired and have kept the weight off for years. I think I might be able to do the same if I manage to survive the intervening 25 years and if I had enough savings to actually retire. That's not guaranteed.
I'm 6', 275, I drink about 80 calories per day in the form of almond milk in my coffee (I'm allergic to dairy), and I eat a good amount of fruits, veggies, and lean meats. But I have a big appetite, and each of the five times I took off 20+ pounds since age 11 I just got successively hungrier each day until I ate enough to gain it back. I have a pretty good exercise routine, but it's not enough to offset my calorie intake.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 14 2020, @05:15AM (2 children)
The hunger is a good reason to start off any diet change with a 1-2 day fast to "reset". Just reducing the amount of food without a fast will drain your willpower much more, as your body is expecting what it normally gets.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 14 2020, @10:09PM (1 child)
Thanks for that, but again - I've done it many times before. The hunger adjusts downward the third or fourth day into calorie restriction, and everything is fine for a few months. The pounds melt off, it's not even that hard. Then somewhere in the 20-25 pound loss mark, the hunger starts creeping back and keeps incrementing upwards day after day until my willpower runs out.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 15 2020, @01:38AM
Get more fats in your diet. Cut carbs and sugars to keep the calories down. The hunger you feel when you are not getting enough fat is akin to the thirst a vampire feels. It will just keep building until you eat enough fat. Doctors' recommendations to "cut fat" and "lo-fat" foods are responsible for a large part of the obesity epidemic.
Similarly with the bullshit about salt. 10% of people need to watch their salt intake. Everybody else just pisses out the excess. Trouble is that 10% have such a bad reaction that statistically salt looks really bad.
"Too much salt and 10% of people get really high blood pressure! Strokes!! Heart attacks!! Everybody should cut their salt intake"
In reality, 100% of 10% will get really high blood pressure. 90% are fine.