Latest News

Scientists at a Swedish University have just published a new study, which, on first reading, might be depressing for anyone trying to lose weight. The report from the Karolinska Institute says that the number of fat cells that a person holds in their body is determined during adolescence. They also suggest that no amount of dieting or exercise will reduce the number of these cells. The actual volume of the individual cells, however, can be altered.

Research published in the February edition of Cell Metabolism has shown that pumping iron burns fat. Obese mice were genetically altered to make their muscles bulk up as though they had been weight training. These mice were found to lose fat and to show other significant signs of metabolic improvement throughout their bodies even though they continued being fed a diet that was high in fat and sugar and had absolutely no increase in physical activity.

This is an extremely significant result in that it goes against the widely held belief that cardio-vascular training is the most significant exercise component in losing weight. And while cardio-vascular exercise does increase the body’s metabolic rate, it now seems that gaining muscle mass might be more significant in allowing the body to metabolize fat cells.

This result has surprised the researchers. Whilst they expected the mice to become stronger due to having more muscle mass they did not expect their body fat to decrease; they expected fat and strong ‘sumo mice’.

Kenneth Walsh, who conducted the research, said that the increase in ‘energy burn’ in muscle can actually cause weight loss and prevent metabolic dysfunction.

"We've shown muscle does more than allow you to pick up heavy objects," said Walsh. "It is also important in controlling whole-body metabolism."

“These findings indicate that type II muscle has a previously unappreciated role in regulating whole-body metabolism through its ability to alter the metabolic properties of remote tissues. "These data also suggest that strength training, in addition to the widely prescribed therapy of endurance training, may be of particular benefit to overweight individuals” concluded Walsh.

The results suggest that weight training to increase muscle mass will be of huge benefit to obese humans and will also help obesity-related illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, and cancer.

Contrary to popular belief, scientists in the United States now think that consuming low-calorie drinks may actually increase the risk of putting on weight. They have discovered that people who regularly consume diet drinks may, due to the fact that the drinks themselves contain negligible calories, over compensate in other areas of their calorific intake.

They found that rats fed on yoghurt sweetened with saccharine ate more calories, gained more weight and put on more body fat than rats that were given yoghurt sweetened with glucose.

The scientists who conducted the report in Behavioural Neuroscience, Susan Swithers and Terry Davidson, concluded that “The data clearly indicate that consuming a food sweetened with no-calorie saccharine can lead to greater body-weight gain and adiposity than would consuming the same food sweetened with a higher-calorie sugar.”

They also say in the report that their findings match emerging evidence that people who drink more diet drinks are at higher risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome, a collection of medical problems such as abdominal fat, high blood pressure and insulin resistance that put people at greater risk of heart disease and diabetes.

The researchers say that, normally, sweet foods stimulate the brain into thinking that a lot of calories are about to be ingested and that the digestive system steps up a gear ready for that intake. When, however, ‘false’ sweetness is not followed by lots of calories, the system gets confused actually making the body burn calories that need to be replaced. If the scientists are correct, then artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose and acesulfame K, which taste sweet but do not provide calories, could have similar effects.

The report suggests that people who chose low-calorie drinks tend to consume more calories. People who know they are ‘banking some goodness’ by taking, say diet drinks, are inclined to overindulge.

With so many diets out there it very difficult for aspiring slimmers to make a decision as to which one will work best of all.  There has been a lot of anecdotal evidence around to suggest that diets high in proteins and low in carbohydrates worked best.  Until now there has been no scientific data or even rationale to back any of this up.  We have just seen a report which appeared in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism which provides some scientific evidence that might help to substantiate the anecdotal evidence.

The only known appetite stimulating hormone is something called ghrelin, which is secreted by the stomach. Levels of ghrelin increase before a meal and then subside after the ingestion of food.  The longer that ghrelin levels can be suppressed, the longer someone will go without feeling hunger pangs.  When diets containing a mixture of macronutrients of fats, proteins and carbohydrates were compared, it was revealed that the diet rich in proteins appeared to keep the ghrelin levels low for the longest period of time. Meals high in carbohydrates had the effect of suppressing ghrelin levels substantially but for a short period of time only. Fatty meals had the least impact of all on ghrelin levels which could help to explain why those on high fat diets are able to pack away so much food!

The latest study on British dieting habits carried out for Tesco, the supermarket chain, by YouGov suggests that around a third of the UK adult population is on a diet at any one time.  The most health conscious appear to be those over the age of 55 as concern over the middle age spread takes its toll.

According to the latest projections, around 60% of us Brits will be overweight by the year 2050 if current obesity trends continue.  Apparently 15% of us spend at least 30 minutes of every day worrying about our weight.  Bizarrely, around 5% of women in the UK spend 3 hours or more worrying about their weight every day!  Perhaps if they spent less time worrying about it and more time doing something about it then they would not need to waste so much time worrying!  Everyone is looking for a quick fix.  While we are prepared to prescribe slimming pills based on individual circumstances, a lot of people think that they can pop a pill and then eat all their favourite foods, take no exercise and the pounds will melt away!  This is simply not possible.  Slimming pills should only ever be used as an adjunct to diet and exercise.  When they are used in combination with conventional methods it is possible to achieve above average results - in some cases double what you could expect from diet and exercise alone.

Everyone has their own reasons for wanting to lose weight.  According to the survey 20% of men thought that losing weight would make them more appealing to women and 10% of both men and women thought that a drop in weight would lead to better relations in the bedroom.

If you are based in London and you are looking for a personal training service to help you achieve your goals for your body shape, The Online Clinic is very happy to recommend Lawrence Farncombe.  Lawrence is an excellent personal trainer and he takes an holistic approach to getting his clients where they want to be.  Visit Lawrence’s website to find out more about his services.

A team of Japanese researchers have reported that a study conducted by them has revealed that people are likely to burn more fat if they sit down for 20 minutes between two 30 minute exercise periods than people who exercise continuously for one hour.

The researchers tested the blood of the participants during and after exercise.  The workout that was split into two half hour segments resulted in more fat being broken down than the workout that continued without a break.  The second half hour workout also demonstrated a greater boost to epinephrine and a decrease in insulin as a result of lower plasma concentrations of glucose.  The researchers are assuming that these chemical events are related to fat breakdown but this will require further study.

The study was based on a small sample but it might be worth giving it a go – apart from a lot of pounds, what have you got to lose!

Fat and unfit NHS patients are to be prescribed country walks rather than be prescribed anti-obesity drugs.  A pilot scheme is being run from six London GP practices where GPs will send patients on health walks and collect data to gauge how this improves their fitness.  The findings will be submitted to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence; the formal approval of this body is required if the scheme is to be rolled out nationally.

The Department of Health is working with the British Heart Foundation and Natural England, the newly created government conservation watchdog, the brief of which includes encouraging the use of the countryside and green spaces. The idea is that doctors will write a prescription for walks or cycle rides, tailored to the needs and physical fitness of the individual patient.  Patients would take the prescription to charities such as the Ramblers Association or local authority agencies who would record that the patient had attended and report back to the prescribing GP.

The financial cost to the NHS of inactivity is huge.  It is believed that obesity and related conditions such as heart disease and diabetes cost the NHS around £29 billion a year.  The ultimate intention is that this sort of prescription will be used in tandem with dietary advice, replacing anti-obesity drugs which cost the NHS millions each year.