Eating Disorders Blog

A new research report indicates that a diet high in fat and sugar may actually activate genes that cause the human body to store excessive amounts of fat. So, in addition to adding extra calories to a diet, high-fat and high-sugar foods may actually turn the body into a "supersized fat-storing machine."

These foods stimulate an opioid receptor known as the kappa opioid receptor, which helps to regulate fat metabolism. Stimulating this receptor causes the body to store much more fat than it would normally.

Traci Ann Czyzyk-Morgan, one of the researchers involved in the work, said, "The data presented here support the hypothesis that overactivation of kappa opioid receptors contributes to the development of obesity specifically during prolonged consumption of high-fat, calorically dense diets."

The report recently appeared in the online Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

(Source: www.sciencedaily.com)

Labels: obesity, diet, fat

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A new study by Wake Forest University shows a clear link between chronic stress and excess belly fat. Researchers studied the role of social stress in the development of heart disease by collecting data on female cynomolgus monkeys. The monkeys were fed a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet and placed in a natural housing situation where subordinate and dominant personalities surfaced.

Observations of the monkeys showed that subordinate monkeys were less likely to be included in group activities and were often the targets of aggression. In addition, while all the monkeys gained weight, the socially stressed monkeys gained more abdominal fat than the others.

Lead researcher Carol A. Shively, professor of pathology at Wake Forest, comments on the implications for humans: "We are in the midst of an obesity epidemic. ... Much of the excess fat in many people who are overweight is located in the abdomen, and that fat behaves differently than fat in other locations. If theres too much, it can have far more harmful effects on health than fat located in other areas."

(Source: www.healthnews.com)

Labels: fat, stress

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Poor body image among teens isn't limited to the United States. A recent study shows that half of teens in Israel believe that they are overweight. The study, conducted by the Department of Criminology at Western Galilee College, examined whether a teen's view of his or her bodyweight impacted his or her risk of developing an eating disorder. The study included 323 male and female teenagers in 7th through 12th grades. The average age of participants was 14.5 years. According to study results, 41 percent of adolescents are unhappy with their weight, 47 percent believe they are fat, and 30 percent would like to lose more than 11 pounds. Approximately 6 percent were found to be at high risk for developing anorexia nervosa.

Bracha Katz-Sheiban, study author and a specialist on suicidal behaviors, explained why adolescents who define themselves as fat are at higher risk for developing an eating disorder than adolescents who think of themselves as thin: "Modern society associates various positive traits with an attractive and slim external appearance. ... This serves as a basis for the development of eating disorders, particularly among girls. ... Skinniness symbolizes self control, encouragement and restraining of cultural passions, while being fat symbolizes laziness and surrendering to different pleasures."

(Source: www.ynetnews.com)

Labels: teen, fat, israel

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