Slimming gene regulates body fat

Slimming gene regulates body fat

7:35 م اضف تعليق

أكمل المقال

Scientists at the University of Bonn have discovered a previously unknown fruit fly gene that controls the metabolism of fat. Larvae in which this gene is defective lose their entire fat reserves. Therefore the researchers called the gene 'schlank' (German for 'slim'). Mammals carry a group of genes that are structurally very similar to 'schlank'. They possibly take on a similar function in the energy metabolism. The scientists therefore have hopes in new medicines with which obesity could be fought. Their research bas been published in 'The EMBO Journal' (doi: 10.1038/emboj.2009.305).

If scientists decipher the function of a gene, they are allowed to name it. With the fruit fly Drosophila there is a rather paradox convention. The names always indicate what the fly looks like if the respective gene is defective. That is also the case with the schlank gene. If it is unimpaired the fly larva can build up fat reserves. It becomes fat. 'Larvae with a mutation of schlank, however, remain slim,' Professor Michael Hoch from the University of Bonn explains. 'In extreme cases the defect can even lead to death.'

Together with Dr. Reinhard Bauer and other employees the development biologist has explored what exactly 'schlank' does. According to their research the gene contains the instructions of what is known as ceramide synthase. Ceramides serve as raw materials for the gauzy membranes that enclose all of the cells in the body. Moreover, schlank also has a regulatory function. It promotes lipid synthesis and at the same time inhibits the mobilisation of fat from the fat reserves.

Mouse gene saves fly larvae

There is a chance that this is not only the case in fruit flies. Humans also produce ceramide synthases however not just one as Drosophila does but rather as many as six different ones. For this purpose humans rely on a group of genes so-called Lass genes. Ceramide synthases are extremely important for animals. Mutations in the corresponding genes lead to severe metabolic disorders and to malfunctions of organ systems. That is why our Lass genes look surprisingly similar to the schlank gene of fruit flies.

This resemblance is so striking that Lass genes from mice can partially compensate for the defect schlank gene in mutant flies. 'We introduced a mouse Lass gene in mutant Drosophila larvae,' Michael Hoch says. 'Normally the larvae died immediately after hatching. Thanks to the Lass gene they resumed building up body fat and survived until the next development stage.'

Up to now, the Lass genes of mammals have not been connected with the regulation of the lipid metabolism. 'But due to the strong parallels with schlank we think such a function is very probable,' Professor Hoch presumes. 'If this is the case they would be a promising approach for new medications for obesity.'

Weight Loss Surgery as a Slimming Solution

Weight Loss Surgery as a Slimming Solution

5:31 م اضف تعليق

أكمل المقال

Although dieting is used on a wide spread basis, in extreme cases it may simply not be enough to create effective weight loss in some people. Some individuals with metabolism problems may experience extreme difficulty in weight loss due to the inability to burn calories at a rate a normal individual might. Others may experience weight that is much more easily taken care of through surgery rather than in other ways. When these problems occur, weight loss surgery is sometimes considered as a solution to a weight loss problem. Weight loss surgery can include many different types of procedures and techniques. There are several options available for those who are considering weight loss surgery, including liposuction, restrictive surgeries, and malabsorptive surgeries.

In liposuction, body fat is reduced by removing pockets of fat to improve the contours and image of the body. Most often, a stainless steel tube attached to a pump is used to create small tunnels in the fat, which collapse after the surgery to create a better body image with less fat. In restrictive surgery, the stomach is made smaller by either removing a portion of it or by closing it so the individual feels full with less food. This works by reducing the overall food the person can consume in their diet, making a calorie deficit and causing reduced weight. A malabsorptive surgery works by removing some of the small intestine or by moving where it enters the stomach. This causes less food to be completely absorbed, and results in decreased calorie intake overall, aiding in weight loss.

Some of the benefits that weight loss surgery can include may be faster weight reduction and the lack in rigid dieting plans. For chronic obesity, this can drastically reduce a person's weight without long, drawn out diets that may or may not work. Some of the risks that weight loss surgery has include malnutrition after a target weight is reached, vomiting, gallstones, and surgical complications. And although weight loss techniques have significantly improved over the last few years, there still remains the "ifs and buts" about using it as a replacement for dieting and weight loss beyond chronic or significant obesity.

Even despite these risks, however, many people may find that weight loss surgery is the only real solution to their problems--either because of significant weight issues or electively. People considering weight loss surgery should discuss the option with their physician carefully before making a decision. Various procedures, techniques, and alternatives should be considered in a weight loss solution and the risks involving each discussed. In general, it is advised by many health care professionals that weight loss surgery is not used as an "easy out," but as a last resort since the risks may outweigh the benefits in an elective, non-critical surgery

Slimming cures

Slimming cures

1:11 م اضف تعليق

أكمل المقال

EUROPEAN bank presentations used to be filled with graphs of assets that sloped pleasingly upward. For those at the mercy of the European Commission, they now all lurch sickeningly downward.

On October 28th the commission approved plans to split Northern Rock, which was nationalised by the British government last year, into two. The bigger surprise came two days earlier when ING, the biggest bank in the Netherlands, said that it would dismember itself—splitting its banking and insurance businesses and selling its American online-banking arm—and shrink its balance-sheet by almost half. Such butchery was unexpected. Earlier plans for “back to basics” banking entailed salami-slicing businesses worth just €2 billion-3 billion ($3 billion-4.5 billion).

The commission’s competition watchdogs, however, insisted that ING should pay a price for having been bailed out twice. The Dutch government injected €10 billion into the bank in October 2008. In January it then took on most of the risk on ING’s €28 billion portfolio of toxic assets. As penance the bank will have to pay the government an extra fee of €1.3 billion for the “insurance” of these assets, as well as lopping off large parts of its business. “ING is trying to present its enforced break-up as the next step of its back to basics strategy, but it is nothing of the sort,” wrote analysts at CreditSights, a ratings firm. “It is a humiliating climb-down forced on it by the European Commission.”

The split of its insurance and banking businesses will probably do ING good. Its market value has historically been worth less than the sum of its parts (see chart) and its plan to sell insurance and pensions through bank branches never really paid off. Other banks with insurers are also struggling, especially as regulators force both businesses to hold more capital.

More troubling for ING’s future is that it will have to compete with one hand behind its back. The commission has forbidden it from offering the most competitive prices. With such restrictive conditions attached to government aid, the bank is doing its best to wriggle out from under it. It plans to sell €7.5 billion worth of shares to repay half of the government’s money.

The restructuring of ING and Northern Rock, alongside an earlier decision to shrink Germany’s Commerzbank, provide the strongest indications yet that the commission’s watchdogs are determined to cut European banking’s national champions down to size. Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group, which were both big recipients of British government bail-outs, are expected to have to sell off large parts of themselves.

A more bustling European banking market would be no bad thing, but the commission risks causing unintended damage to cross-border banking by forcing banks to shrink. Commission officials insist they are encouraging banks to keep cross-border operations going if they are profitable. But, frets Pierre Louis, a competition expert at Dechert, a law firm, Europe’s single market in banking is “the innocent bystander” that may end up getting hurt.

How to Decide Which Slimming Diet is Right for You

How to Decide Which Slimming Diet is Right for You

6:52 ص اضف تعليق

أكمل المقال

It seems almost every month, an exciting new diet that promises miracle results appears in the news and on the TV chat programmes. Over time, it’s hard to know which diet you should try. After all, there’s so many to choose from.

There are liquid slimming diets, high protein diets, low-carb diets, cookie diets, blood type diets, vegetarian diets and even diets claiming to shrink your belly. Generally speaking most of these diets all have a few things in common:

• They demand that you dramatically decrease the amount of food you eat

• You must shop for specific products and only eat those items on a consistent basis

• They may require you to make time-consuming meals

• You’ll often be stuck making one meal for the family while you eat something entirely different

• You’ll almost always be hungry to some extent

At first, you may be excited to try one of these weight loss diets. But after a few days or even a week of being a diet Spartan, chances are, that dieting zeal will turn into discouragement. So it’s important to understand, that if you want results, then you’ve got to take the right actions to achieve those results.

And despite what the marketing hype says, you will not peel off six or more pounds of weight weekly. If you do lose several pounds a week then the diet may not be healthy. Healthy weight loss is a slow process that if followed over many weeks will help you realise your weight loss goal. So what’s my point in telling you this?

When exploring diet options, you want to go with a diet that fits your personality, your palate and your schedule. Let me give you a few examples:

• If you’re a busy person, then a slimming diet that requires constant trips to the shop and meals that take too long to prepare will fail you.

• Suppose you can’t handle eating too much meat all the time, following a high protein meat based diet will end up failing you too.

• Likewise, a vegetarian style diet may not work for you if you tend to feel run down easily.

• And some foods on these diet plans may give you headaches or just not agree with you.

Here’s another issue to think about. Some slimming diets are extremely limited in what you can eat. So if you’re the type of personality that needs lots of variety, and you get bored easily then you need to find a diet that offers you lots of options and a variety of foods to choose from, otherwise you’ll just give up in a few weeks. The bottom line is this, you need to really shop around and really evaluate what’ll work best for you.

Don’t get caught up in the marketing hype. It’s easy to feel compelled to follow a certain diet that may be showcased on certain TV chat programmes. Remember those diets might work great for those people but not so well for you. Find the diet that’s right for you.

After all, before you buy a new car, or any other significant purchase, you tend to spend time looking at prices and options. Well you have only one body and one life to live. And how you feel affects every area of your life so doesn’t it make sense to carefully evaluate slimming diets based upon your daily schedule, your needs, your body’s reaction to certain foods and other criteria?