Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Insilico Medicine releases frontier AI models for drug discovery

Insilico Medicine, a clinical-stage generative artificial intelligence (AI)-driven drug discovery company, today announced the release of a series of frontier specialist models for chemistry and biology, trained through its MMAI Gym for Science framework.

2 Sep 2026

Digital health coaching moves into routine care for gestational diabetes

Researchers at University College Dublin (UCD) published the full study protocol for Bump2Baby & Me+ (B2B&Me+) today.

2 Sep 2026

Flavorings, colors and sweeteners emerge as UPF markers linked to depression risk

A prospective UK Biobank study of 171,818 adults found that greater estimated exposure to foods containing flavorings, coloring agents, and sweeteners was dose-dependently associated with a higher risk of incident depression over 10.7 years. The findings suggest that specific markers, rather than ultra-processed foods uniformly, may help explain associations between UPF consumption and depression risk.

1 Sep 2026

Researchers identify a previously unknown mechanism that can drive cancer cachexia

Researchers at Helmholtz Munich, the Heidelberg Faculty of Medicine at Heidelberg University, the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) and the Technical University of Munich (TUM), have identified a previously unknown mechanism that can drive cancer cachexia – a wasting process in the body that primarily affects muscle and fat tissue.

1 Sep 2026

Blocking a key protein protects against metabolic liver damage

Obesity-related metabolic liver disease affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, but only some fraction of those livers develop scarring, become inflamed, and eventually fail. University of Utah researchers have identified a protein, EFHD1, that appears to drive that transition by triggering an out-of-place antiviral immune response.

1 Sep 2026

AI platform uncovers new molecular targets for Alzheimer's disease

Groundbreaking study published in Alzheimer's & Dementia reveals the crucial links between the NAD⁺-mitophagy axis and neurodegeneration.

1 Sep 2026

GLP-1 drugs have benefits beyond weight loss. Could microdoses preserve them?

A narrative review suggests GLP-1-based therapies deliver metabolic, cardiovascular, renal, and other systemic benefits, raising interest in whether lower fractional doses could improve tolerability and treatment continuity. However, direct evidence for GLP-1 microdosing remains extremely limited, and researchers say prospective studies are needed to determine whether lower doses preserve long-term benefits.

1 Sep 2026

Semaglutide did more than cut weight in this analysis of 6,239 adults

A systematic review and meta-analysis of nine randomized controlled trials involving 6,239 adults with overweight or obesity without diabetes found that subcutaneous semaglutide produced substantially greater reductions in body weight, waist circumference, and C-reactive protein than placebo. The higher dose of 7.2 mg semaglutide showed potential for greater weight loss, although the evidence is largely based on a single trial and requires confirmation.

31 Aug 2026

The scale told a similar story across three diets. The liver told a different one

In a randomized controlled trial of people with metabolically unhealthy obesity, approximately 10% weight loss improved insulin sensitivity and several cardiometabolic measures across ketogenic, Mediterranean, and very-low-fat plant-forward diets. However, the very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet produced larger improvements in hepatic insulin sensitivity and greater reductions in liver fat and several glucose and insulin measures than the higher-carbohydrate diets.

31 Aug 2026

Experts call for safer weight loss as concerns grow over GLP-1 use

An editorial in Diabetology International argues that inappropriate GLP-1 use should be judged not only by regulatory compliance or off-label prescribing, but also by whether weight reduction is medically safe, nutritionally adequate, and properly supervised. Drawing on Japanese reports of ketosis and ketoacidosis following inappropriate tirzepatide use, the authors call for greater attention to the risks of unsafe weight-loss practices alongside medication-related harms.

30 Aug 2026

Is there a best day to take GLP-1 drugs? Researchers looked for an answer

A systematic review of 1,000 screened records identified only three eligible studies examining administration timing for semaglutide, and none directly compared different days of the week or assessed tirzepatide timing. The limited evidence suggests flexible dosing may support adherence and tolerability without compromising glycemic control or weight loss, but these findings rely largely on indirect evidence and expert opinion rather than direct comparative trials.

30 Aug 2026

Pacibekitug safely reduces inflammatory biomarkers in kidney disease patients

The interleukin-6 (IL-6) antibody, pacibekitug, produced sustained reductions in inflammatory biomarkers in patients with chronic kidney disease at high inflammatory risk, according to results from the phase II TRANQUILITY trial presented in a Hot Line session today at ESC Congress 2026.

29 Aug 2026

Plyo-HIIT program targets healthier body composition in children

Traditional weight-loss strategies for children, from calorie restriction to general aerobic exercise, often carry an unwanted side effect: they cut fat, but they also erode muscle mass.

28 Aug 2026

Stanford scientists develop an ultracompact gene activation tool

The ability to precisely adjust the expression of genes inside the human body - ramping up protective ones and tamping down harmful ones - holds enormous potential for treating and preventing disease.

28 Aug 2026

Study shows how cancer can act as a systemic disease

In their quest to understand how cancers take root, grow and spread, scientists have for the past half-century explored the genetic aberrations and microenvironmental peculiarities of tumors and their constituent cells.

28 Aug 2026

Study identifies role for peroxisomes in protecting insulin and maintaining beta cell health

Researchers at LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center have identified a previously underappreciated role for tiny structures inside cells called peroxisomes in protecting insulin and maintaining the health and maturity of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells.

28 Aug 2026

Rapid rise of GLP-1 medicines brings obesity and eating disorders together

Obesity and eating disorders have traditionally been treated as separate areas of healthcare – but the rapid rise of GLP-1 medicines is increasingly bringing the two together.

28 Aug 2026

New guidelines simplify heart failure phenotypes into two groups

Reflecting improved understanding and treatment advances, new European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines on heart failure have been published online today in the European Heart Journal and will be presented at ESC Congress 2026 this afternoon.

28 Aug 2026

Review explores complex links between obesity and cardiovascular diseases

Announcing a new article publication for Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications journal. Obesity, given its strong association with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), is a major global public health issue attracting increasing attention.

27 Aug 2026

Scientists reviewed 20 edible and medicinal fungi for clues to better prebiotics

A review of 20 non-toxic edible and medicinal fungal species found that their polysaccharides can resist digestion, interact with gut microbes, and influence microbial metabolites linked to intestinal and metabolic health. The evidence suggests potential benefits for conditions including colitis, type 2 diabetes, and obesity, although most findings currently come from laboratory and animal studies.

27 Aug 2026