Did you know?
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The number of people who are obese is on the rise, making obesity one of the fastest developing public health problems worldwide. Recent studies estimate that more than half of all Australian women and two-thirds of men are overweight or obese. Obesity is a serious medical condition that is associated with a range of chronic and life-threatening illnesses including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, some cancers, high blood pressure and sleeping problems.
Excess weight gain, including obesity, arises through an energy imbalance over a prolonged period of time. Although many factors may influence a person’s weight, weight gain is essentially due to the energy intake from the diet being greater than the energy expended through physical activity. Due to genetic and biological factors, some people may be more likely to gain weight than others.
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is an internationally recognised tool that is used to estimate the amount of body fat on adults. It is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in metres squared (m2). A calculation of 20 to 25 is considered a healthy weight range. A value between 26 and 30 is deemed “overweight” and greater than 30 defines “obese”. There are exceptions to this rule (e.g. body builders) and it should be used as an indicator only. However, there are correlations between having a BMI greater than 25 and having a great risk of developing diseases like cardiovascular disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis and some cancers.
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A genetic predisposition can influence the amount and rate at which weight is gained and lost.
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Diamantina’s research into obesity
Researchers in our Metabolism and Clinical Metabolic Groups undertake basic and clinical research into factors underpinning the relationship between obesity and metabolic disease like type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Studies range from examining the growth and metabolism of fat cells (called adipose tissue) in the lab through to examining the impact that lifestyle changes have on heart and lung function and glucose metabolism in patients and healthy volunteers.
Our researchers recently identified a factor that encourages fat cells to grow. This growth factor, called FGF-1, could be a possible target for therapies to reduce weight loss. In one of our projects, researchers are currently investigating ways at blocking the action of this growth factor to promote weight loss, and current animal models are looking successful.
Food is known to induce inflammation which in turn may induce high blood pressure and abnormal glucose tolerance, leading to diabetes. Our researchers are investigating how blood pressure, hormones and the inflammatory system respond to a standardised breakfast in slim, obese and diabetic patients. If the responses vary in the different groups, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of diet-related factors that may lead to metabolic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.
We have another project that is investigating the effect of metformin (a drug to improve insulin action) and lifestyle intervention in people with obesity. The aim of the study is to determine if an effective program of weight loss achieved with calorie restriction and physical activity will improve metabolic and cardiac function.
In a different research group, the Cell Signalling Group, researchers are investigating the role that a certain naturally-occurring chemical, called IMPDH, plays in the production of fat within the body. Our studies show that reducing the activity of IMPDH could be a possible way of reducing excessive fat in the body, making it a potential therapeutic target for anti-obesity drugs.
More information
For more detailed information about the research that is being done in the Metabolism and Metabolic Medicine or the Cell Signalling Groups, click on the link. For more information about obesity, we recommend you visit the Australian Government’s ‘Healthy Weight’ website, Better Health Channel website or download the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, developed by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services.