Dieting and Weight Control News

March 28, 2025

Top Headlines

Neurons in Brain That Regulate Energy Levels and Body Temperature

Mar. 26, 2025 — Scientists have gained greater clarity in the brain regions and neurons that control metabolism, body temperature and energy use. A team of researchers discovered which chemicals influence the signals that control how much energy the body uses. ...

Scientists Discover Why Obesity Takes Away the Pleasure of Eating

Mar. 26, 2025 — Many obese people report losing pleasure in eating rich foods -- something also seen in obese mice. Scientists have now discovered the reason. Long-term high-fat diets lower levels of neurotensin in the brain, disrupting the dopamine pleasure ...

Lowering Bioenergetic Age May Help Fend Off Alzheimer's

Mar. 13, 2025 — A person's 'bioenergetic age' -- or how youthfully their cells generate energy -- might be a key indicator of whether they're at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, new research shows. The study suggests healthy living can turn back the ...

Exercise and Healthy Eating Behavior Together Provide the Best Protection Against Cardiovascular Diseases

Mar. 5, 2025 — Researchers have found that women who exhibit disturbed eating behaviors and engage in low physical activity tend to have more central body fat and a higher risk of metabolic low-grade inflammation. ...

Latest Headlines

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Improving School Readiness for Children With Low Birth Weight

Mar. 7, 2025 — School readiness not only impacts kids' academic success, but also their long-term economic and health outcomes. Unfortunately, research reveals a concerning gap in school readiness for children with ...

Memory Is Impaired in Aged Rats After 3 Days of High-Fat Eating

Mar. 6, 2025 — Just a few days of eating a diet high in saturated fat could be enough to cause memory problems and related brain inflammation in older adults, a new study in rats ...

A Third of Children Worldwide Forecast to Be Obese or Overweight by 2050

Mar. 3, 2025 — Obesity rates are set to skyrocket, with one in six children and adolescents worldwide forecast to be obese by 2050, according to a new study. But with significant increases predicted within the next ...

Obesity Starts in the Brain

Feb. 28, 2025 — A study has provided new insights into the role of the brain as a crucial control center and the origin of obesity and type 2 diabetes. The hormone insulin plays a key role in the development of ...

Biological Clock Plays Critical Role in Driving Teens' Late-Day Eating Habits

Feb. 17, 2025 — The causes of obesity are complex and influenced by many factors. While research has highlighted connections between sleep, eating patterns and ...

Dessert Stomach Emerges in the Brain

Feb. 13, 2025 — Who hasn't been there? The big meal is over, you're full, but the craving for sweets remains. Researchers have now discovered that what we call the 'dessert stomach' is rooted in the brain. The same ...

Nutrition Labels Meant to Promote Healthy Eating Could Discourage Purchases

Feb. 6, 2025 — As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration weighs whether to require front-of-package food labels, a new study shows some food labels designed to nudge Americans toward healthier food choices can have ...

Study Finds New Link Between Food Choices, Depression and Alzheimer's Disease

Feb. 5, 2025 — New research has shown that diet could influence the risk of both depression and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Evidence suggests that depressive symptoms ...

Carbohydrate Cravings in Depression

Feb. 5, 2025 — Depression affects 280 million people worldwide. The mental illness has been proven to lead to changes in eating behavior. Researchers have discovered that although patients with depression generally ...

Communication Between Body Muscle and the Brain Influences Fertility

Feb. 5, 2025 — A newly discovered line of communication between body muscle and the pituitary gland may play an unexpected role in female fertility, according to a new study. Researchers found that a protein ...

Role of Hormone in Influencing Brain Reward Pathway and Food Preferences

Feb. 25, 2025 — When faced with multiple food options and ultimately choosing one, the factors of that decision-making process may be more physiological than previously assumed. A group of scientists recently ...

Guided Self-Help Makes Treating Children With Obesity Easier and More Affordable

Jan. 29, 2025 — According to a new study, self-guided family therapy for obesity could work just as well as traditional approaches at a fraction of the ...

Calorie Labels on Menus Could Make Eating Disorders Worse

Jan. 28, 2025 — Calorie labels on restaurant menus are negatively impacting people with eating disorders, according to a new study. The review found that individuals who have been diagnosed with an eating disorder ...

Patients With Anorexia Have Elevated Opioid Neurotransmitter Activity in the Brain

Jan. 27, 2025 — A study showed that changes in the functioning of opioid neurotransmitters in the brain may underlie ...

Weight Loss App That Tracks Fiber, Protein Content in Meals

Jan. 24, 2025 — Many people struggle to maintain a healthy weight, and choosing the optimal meals for weight loss can be challenging. A research team has developed a weight management program that helps individuals ...

Scientists Identify Neurons in Mice That, Once Activated, Can Change Body's Metabolic Rate, Induce Hibernation-Like State

Jan. 21, 2025 — A new study has identified a group of neurons that, when activated, can induce a hypometabolic state, akin to hibernation. The discovery could have far-reaching implications for conditions like ...

Treatment for Children With Obesity Has Lasting Effect

Jan. 21, 2025 — When children with obesity undergo weight-loss treatment, the effects have repercussions later in life and the risk of serious health problems and premature death is lower as they reach young ...

Signposting Children to Weight Management Services Could Happen When Parents Attend an Adult Program

Jan. 21, 2025 — Parents attending an adult weight management program, who were worried about their child's weight, would accept support and signposting to services for their child if it was ...

Memory Systems in the Brain Drive Food Cravings That Could Influence Body Weight

Jan. 15, 2025 — A research team identified the brain's food-specific memory system and its direct role in overeating and diet-induced obesity. They found a specific population of neurons in the mouse brain that ...

Key Players in Brain Aging: New Research Identifies Age-Related Damage on a Cellular Level

Jan. 1, 2025 — Scientists have identified the molecular changes that occur in the brains of aging mice and located a hot spot where much of that damage is centralized. The cells in the area are also connected with ...

How Do MS Drugs Affect Pregnancy?

Dec. 24, 2024 — Many women are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) at an age when they are considering starting a family. What does the disease and its medication mean for the child? To answer this question, a ...

More Calories -- More Consumption: Individuals With and Without Obesity Both Prefer High-Calories Food, Study Finds

Dec. 17, 2024 — Higher calorie foods were preferred among individuals with and without obesity despite similar taste and texture, according to a new ...

Is Fake Meat Good to Eat? Processed Plant-Based Meat Alternatives Linked to Depression Risk in Vegetarians

Dec. 17, 2024 — Researchers found that vegetarians who consumed PBMAs had a 42% increased risk of depression compared to vegetarians who refrained from ...

Travelers Weigh in on Weight-Based Airfares for Eco-Friendly Skies

Dec. 17, 2024 — The holidays are in full swing and people are shopping, wrapping and packing to visit loved ones. Along with the extra fees for checked baggage and seat upgrades, some airlines are also considering ...

Targeting a Brain Enzyme to Curb Obesity

Dec. 16, 2024 — Endocannabinoids in the brain play a key role in food intake and energy use. Modulating the action of these molecules could help fight obesity, say ...

A Healthy Diet Helps the Weighty Battle With Chronic Pain

Dec. 8, 2024 — New research shows that adopting a healthy diet can reduce the severity of chronic pain, presenting an easy and accessible way for sufferers to better manage their ...

An Inflatable Gastric Balloon Could Help People Lose Weight

Dec. 3, 2024 — Engineers designed a new type of gastric balloon that can be inflated and deflated as needed. It could offer an alternative for people who don't want to undergo more invasive treatments such as ...

Hidden Fat Predicts Alzheimer's 20 Years Ahead of Symptoms

Dec. 2, 2024 — Researchers have linked a specific type of body fat to the abnormal proteins in the brain that are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease up to 20 years before the earliest symptoms of dementia ...

Probiotic May Counteract Fire-Retardant Chemical Damage

Nov. 22, 2024 — Polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, are fire-retardant chemicals that are found everywhere. A mouse study reports that probiotic supplementation can reduce the negative impacts of PBDEs on ...

New Discovery May Lead to More Effective Treatment for Cardiovascular Disease

Nov. 13, 2024 — Researchers have identified a new target to treat atherosclerosis, a condition where plaque clogs arteries and causes major cardiac issues, including stroke and heart ...