New Atlas

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Novel anti-obesity drug unexpectedly discovered while researching insulin resistance

Rich Haridy August 21, 2018

New research by a team of Australian scientists has unexpectedly revealed a novel anti-obesity drug. Initially working to create a drug that prevents insulin resistance the researchers discovered in early animal tests that it instead prevented the animals from depositing and storing fat.

A new anti-obesity compound has been accidentally discovered by scientists who were researching insulin resistance

Medical

Getting a "fat transplant" turns the bad fat good

Michael Irving August 1, 2018

Converting bad fat to good could help us lose weight and avoid obesity-related illness. Now researchers at Columbia Engineering have developed a transplant method, where white fat is removed from the body, cultivated in a lab for a few weeks, then reinserted into the body as brown fat.

Columbia researchers have developed a transplant method that turns bad fat into good fat

Biology

Struggle to lose weight? Your gut bacteria may be to blame

Rich Haridy August 1, 2018

A new study may shed some light on why certain people can lose more weight than others despite adhering to the same regime of exercise and caloric restriction. Alongside a myriad of other recent medical discoveries, the secret may lie in the unique make-up of our gut bacteria.

Not all calories are created equal, as a new study highlights how gut bacteria can alter ...

Medical

Experimental drug reverses fatty diet-induced hair loss and skin damage in mice

Rich Haridy July 30, 2018

Using a new experimental drug, researchers at Johns Hopkins have successfully reversed baldness, hair whitening and skin inflammation caused by high-fat diets in mice. It's hoped the research could lead to treatments to reverse baldness and speed wound healing.

An experimental drug may lead to treatments that help reverse hair loss and improve wound healing

Science

Fat-burning drug derived from chili pepper chemical successful in early mouse trials

Rich Haridy July 17, 2018

An interesting new anti-obesity drug has demonstrated exciting results in early mouse studies. The drug is based on the same compound notable for giving chili peppers their characteristic burn.

A novel drug that is a slow-release form of capsaicin has anti-obesity effects in early mouse ...

Biology

A protein activated by nicotine provides insight into how fat cells burn energy

Rich Haridy May 28, 2018

Weight gain has often been noted as a side effect of quitting smoking, and research has found that nicotine can function as an appetite suppressant. A study has now uncovered a novel mechanism showing how nicotine directly activates a protein that signals a type of fat cell to start burning energy.

Beige fat cells have been found to be activated into an energy-burning phase by a protein ...

Biology

Fat-burning molecule triggered by the cold found to spring into action whatever the weather

Nick Lavars May 7, 2018

In response to exercise, scientists have now observed a big spike in levels of a fat hormone previously thought to be unrelated to physical exertion. The discovery sheds new light on the metabolic process and raises new targets for tackling weight loss.

New research has found that a molecule produced by brown fat plays an unexpected role in ...

Health & Wellbeing

Deletion of single enzyme stops mice getting fat, no matter the diet

Rich Haridy May 3, 2018

A new study has found a way to completely stop a body’s ability to store fat. In experiments with mice, researchers showed that genetically deleting a single enzyme resulted in the animal not being able to gain weight, even when fed a fatty diet.

Blocking a single enzyme in mouse models has been found to completely inhibit the animal's ability ...

Science

How fat absorption is directed by specific bacteria in the small intestine

Rich Haridy April 11, 2018

An excitingly targeted new study has examined how bacteria in the small intestine help digest and absorb high-fat foods. The novel research suggests that in the future we could potentially combat obesity by inhibiting the abundance of certain bacteria that promote fat absorption.

A study in mice has revealed the role bacteria play in enhancing the body's ability to ...

Biology

Scientists identify gene behind brown fat's energy-burning abilities

Michael Irving March 19, 2018

Fat may be a villain of our time, but it’s not fair to paint it all with the same brush. Researchers at the Salk Institute have identified the protein that allows brown fat to expend energy, opening up a new potential avenue for treating obesity and its related diseases.

To examine the role of brown fat, researchers at Salk Institute engineered mice (bottom) that couldn't ...