Appetite News and Research

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Children can largely benefit from 40 minutes of daily, vigorous physical activity

Twenty minutes of daily, vigorous physical activity over just three months can reduce a child's risk of diabetes as well as his total body fat - including dangerous, deep abdominal fat - but 40 minutes works even better, researchers report.

19 Sep 2012

Hunger, poverty in Niger forcing families to marry daughters at younger ages

Agence France-Presse reports on how poverty and hunger are forcing families in the rural village of Hawkantaki, Niger, to marry their daughters at increasingly younger ages, writing, "A girl married off is one less mouth to feed, and the dowry money she brings in goes to feed others."

17 Sep 2012

Articles examine food, water security issues

The following articles examining food and water security were published on Thursday. The U.N. News Centre writes, "The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have called on the private sector to invest massively in agriculture, stressing that this is vital to winning the fight against hunger."

15 Sep 2012

DfID report examines agriculture for nutrition projects, makes recommendations for researchers

A recently released report commissioned by the U.K. Department for International Development (DfID) examines research projects on agriculture for nutrition and "reveals eight gaps that are currently being neglected, including specific target groups -- particularly rural workers and non-rural populations -- as well as a lack of methodologies to guide research in the field," SciDev.Net reports.

14 Sep 2012

Dual role of ghrelin in anxiety behavior is context-dependent

Ghrelin is a hormone released by the lining of the stomach that promotes feeding behavior. Decreasing ghrelin levels could potentially help combat obesity -- in fact, a vaccine that lowers ghrelin levels in order to reduce appetite is being studied as a treatment for obesity.

14 Sep 2012

Exercise may affect how people respond to food cues

It is commonly assumed that you can "work up an appetite" with a vigorous workout. Turns out that theory may not be completely accurate - at least immediately following exercise.

13 Sep 2012

Researchers gain new insight into regulation of adult nerve cell generation in the hypothalamus

Researchers from the University of Utah have gained new insight into the regulation of adult nerve cell generation in the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates many aspects of behavior, mood, and metabolism.

11 Sep 2012

Automated system for mapping protein-DNA interactions

Since the sequencing of the human genome in 2001, all our genes - around 20,000 in total - have been identified. But much is still unknown - for instance where and when each is active. Next to each gene sits a short DNA segment, and the activity of this regulatory segment determines whether the gene will be turned on, where and how strongly.

10 Sep 2012

Private sector plays important role in agribusiness success, feeding billions

"Severe droughts, rising grain prices and food shortages -- the latest headlines are an urgent call for action," and "it is time to step up our response," Suma Chakrabarti, president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and Jose Graziano da Silva, director-general of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), write in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece.

7 Sep 2012

Educational program for parents helps reduce pressure on children to eat

An educational program for parents helps to reduce pressure on children to eat—which may reduce the child's risk of obesity, reports a study in the September Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, the official journal of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.

5 Sep 2012

Healthy diets during infancy and early childhood can prevent obesity in future

Rats born to mothers fed high-fat diets but who get normal levels of fat in their diets right after birth avoid obesity and its related disorders as adults, according to new Johns Hopkins research.

31 Aug 2012

Achievable outcomes focus of long-term postmenopausal weight loss

Research shows that successful long-term weight loss in postmenopausal women is associated with implementation of realistic and achievable dietary changes such as reducing consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and desserts.

30 Aug 2012

Single serve packages may help reduce energy intake at breakfast

Mega-sized portions clearly have contributed to our nation's obesity problem, but it is not just the super-sized menu items that are a concern. Serving sizes at home have also crept up over recent decades, with plates and bowls much larger than the dishes used by our great-grandparents. Packaged foods that are available in portion packs might be an easy aid for reigning in portion sizes, but do they actually help us to eat fewer calories overall?

30 Aug 2012

Study explains strategies that work against long-term weight loss in post-menopausal women

Many people can drop pounds quickly in the early phases of a diet, but studies have found that it is difficult to keep the weight off in the long term. For post-menopausal women, natural declines in energy expenditure could make long-term weight loss even more challenging. A new study finds that in post-menopausal women, some behaviors that are related to weight loss in the short term are not effective or sustainable for the long term. Interventions targeting these behaviors could improve long-term obesity treatment outcomes.

29 Aug 2012

Scientists decode signals that boost the burning of fat

The numbers of obese people are climbing steeply all over the world - with obvious major consequences for their health. Due to excess food intake and a lack of physical activity, but also due to genetic factors, the risk for overweight people dying from diseases like coronary heart disease, diabetes und atherosclerosis increases.

29 Aug 2012

Aeterna Zentaris commences enrollment in AEZS-130 Phase 2A trial for cancer cachexia

Aeterna Zentaris Inc. today announced that a first patient has been recruited for a Phase 2A trial with its ghrelin agonist, AEZS-130 in patients with cancer cachexia.

28 Aug 2012

Process for setting new global development goals should be open, inclusive

In this CNN opinion piece, Jamie Drummond, co-founder and executive director of ONE, notes the 2015 deadline for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is approaching, assesses progress towards these goals and examines issues surrounding the creation of a new set of goals.

28 Aug 2012