Bottle-Fed Babies At Higher Obesity Risk

A new international study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition claims that breast milk has less protein than formula.

Bottle-fed babies have been believed to be larger and store more fat, making them more susceptible to childhood obesity, and the new study is calling for protein levels in baby formula to drop.

To reach the conclusion, a third were given a low protein content formula milk, a third had a formula with a higher level of protein, while the rest were breast-fed during their first year.

In order to qualify as breast-fed, kids had to be either exclusively given breast milk, or have a maximum of three bottles per week.

Then the infants were followed up to the age of two with regular weight, height and body mass index measurements taken.

At the age of two, there was no difference in height between the groups, but the high protein group were the heaviest.

The researchers suggest lower protein intakes in infancy might protect against later obesity.

The study, which highlights the importance of breast-feeding as well as further research in infant formula composition, will continue to see if the children given lower protein formulas have lesser risks of obesity later in life. —Newspost Online

The Brain's Memories of Fat

According to a recent study by the University of California, Irvine, the human brain forms long-term memories of eating fatty foods, demonstrating a link between dietary fats and appetite control.

Earlier studies found that oleic acids from fats are turned into a compound called oleoylethanolamide (OEA) in the upper small intestines, and send hunger-curbing messages to the brain to help increase feelings of fullnes. The new study discovered that OEA also turns superficial, short-term memories into meaningful, long-term memories by activating memory signals in the amygdala, which is responsible for storing emotional events.

"OEA is part of the molecular glue that makes memories stick," neuroscientist Daniele Piomelli, a co-author of the study, said in a university news release. "By helping mammals remember where and when they have eaten a fatty meal, OEA's memory-enhancing activity seems to have been an important evolutionary tool for early humans and other mammals." —MedicineNet

Researchers Find Brain Connection to Cravings

Researchers at California Institute of Technology found in their latest study on cravings that there are two areas in the brain that give people self-control over unhealthy foods.

Using an MRI to scan volunteers' brains while looking at images of different types of food to decide which ones they would prefer to eat, researchers discovered significant differences in brain activity between those with self-control over what they eat and those without it.

...the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) is involved in all value-based decisions. When vmPFC activity decreases, a person will probably reject an item, whereas increased activity means they'll probably choose it.

The new study found that in people with no self-control, the vmPFC seemed to take into consideration only the taste of a food.

"In the case of good self-controllers, however, another area of the brain -- called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) -- becomes active and modulates the basic value signals so that the self-controllers can also incorporate health considerations into their decisions," principal investigator Antonio Rangel, an associate professor of economics, said in a CalTech news release. —HealthDay News

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53 Percent of Americans Trying to Lose Weight

The International Food Information Council Foundation conducted an online survey between February 19 and March 11 called the "2009 Food & Health Survey, Consumer Attitudes toward Food, Nutrition & Health" to study how Americans are managing their weight.

The survey found that 53 percent of American respondents are trying to lose weight, while 25 percent are trying to maintain weight. Seventy one percent were found to be changing the types of food they eat, 62 percent were engaging in physical activity, 44 percent were changing how often they eat and 19 percent were counting calories.

Forty four percent did not experience results quickly, 43 percent reported a lack of willpower and 40 percent cited a lack of time when it came to making an effort to lose or maintain weight.

The survey also attributed problems with weight control to a general confusion about the relationship between calories and weight gain.

Only 30% believe that calories in general are what cause weight gain, while just 11% correctly estimated the number of calories a person of their age, weight and height should consume per day. Close to half (47%) overestimated, 16% underestimated and 26%didn’t even venture to guess. [1]

Curcumin May Prevent Obesity

Curcumin is the principal curcuminoid of the popular Indian curry spice turmeric, which is a member of the ginger family

Findings from a study at Tufts University suggests dietary curcumin may have a potential benefit in preventing obesity. Angiogenesis is necessary for the growth of adipose tissue. Dietary polyphenols may suppress growth of adipose tissue through their antiangiogenic activity and by modulating adipocyte metabolism. In addition, curcumin significantly lowered serum cholesterol and expression of PPAR-gamma and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha, 2 key transcription factors in adipogenesis and lipogenesis. The curcumin suppression of angiogenesis in adipose tissue together with its effect on lipid metabolism in adipocytes may contribute to lower body fat and body weight gain. — Journal of Nutrition