Highlights

Glycemic improvements from RYGB not caused by weight loss
This study compares the glucostatic effects of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, adjustable gastric banding, and a low-calorie diet on diabetic and non-diabetic individuals. It concludes that in diabetic patients, gastric bypass surgery brings about noticeably more improvements than weight loss alone. Read more.

Overweight associated with longer life but higher disability
This study of Western Europeans found that overweight people live slightly longer than both normal-weight and obese people. However, the number of years spent living with disability increased with increasing BMI. Read more.

Cafeteria diet as a model of human metabolic syndrome
A cafeteria diet — more representative of an unhealthy Western diet than the traditional lard-based high-fat diet — is shown to better model metabolic syndrome in rodents by inducing symptoms of inflammation, insulin resistance, and obesity. Read more.

The beneficial actions of molecular hydrogen
Molecular hydrogen, when ingested by mice, alleviated fatty liver, controlled body weight, and decreased levels of plasma insulin. At the molecular level, it increased expression of the hepatic hormone FGF21 and stimulated energy metabolism. Read more.

Environmentally-cued overeating
Heavier people are more likely to overeat only when in the immediate vicinity of good-tasting foods. This study uses ecological momentary assessment to track an individual's food intake in real-time, which may minimize self-report bias. Read more.

News and Announcements

Press Coverage

Social norms for obesity learned in childhood
This sibling study emphasizes the importance of genetics and upbringing on BMI, as opposed to one's later social networks. Read the press release here or the full article for free.

Reducing hunger through an alginate drink
A drink containing alginate fibers that gel in the stomach is shown to reduce hunger up to five hours after consumption, according to this study. This reduction of perceived hunger could promote adherence to diets. Read the press release here.

A better alternative to BMI?
This study introduces the Body Adiposity Index, a new way to measure percent body fat using only hip circumference and height. Unlike BMI, this measure can be directly compared across ethnicities and genders and does not require a scale. Read the press release here or the Reuters news coverage.

Parent-only education helps children lose weight
Read this Time article on the recent Obesity study that shows that parent-only treatments for childhood obesity are equally effective as treatments involving parents and children. These treatments also have the benefits of being more feasible and more cost-effective.

Announcements

Introducing new "Pediatric Obesity" category
Obesity is adding a new article category to increase coverage of this complex childhood epidemic and encourage the search for potential solutions.

Didn't get your Obesity calendar at The Obesity Society annual meeting this year? Don't worry, you can download your free calendar right here!

Want to order a poster of an Obesity journal cover? If so, follow this link to the order form.

Top Articles From 2010

Read these top cited Obesity articles for free!

Microbiota and SCFA in Lean and Overweight Healthy Subjects

Interaction of Leptin and Amylin in the Long-term Maintenance of Weight Loss in Diet-induced Obese Rats

BMI and Mortality: Results From a National Longitudinal Study of Canadian Adults

Subcutaneous and Visceral Adipose Tissue Gene Expression of Serum Adipokines That Predict Type 2 Diabetes

Eleven-year Prevalence Trends of Obesity in Greek Children: First Evidence that Prevalence of Obesity Is Leveling Off