The demand for off-label weight loss drugs like Ozempic is concerning, because of the impact on weight stigma and the health risks of unsupervised weight loss, including developing eating disorders.
The first-ever imaging and recording of a brainstem structure critical for feeling full could help reveal exactly how weight loss drugs like Ozempic work, and how to make them more effective.
Ads for targeted fat loss, especially
for belly fat, are everywhere on social media. But is there any evidence to support this type of ‘spot reduction’?
Obesity is a disease that shares several characteristics with cancer, but does not get the same society-wide recognition of its disease status, so people with obesity are less likely to get treatment.
The BMI does not distinguish between excess body fat, bone mass or musculature. It also does not interpret the distribution of fat, which is a predictor of health.
Ty Ferguson, University of South Australia and Carol Maher, University of South Australia
Researchers asked more than 350 adults to weigh themselves daily or weekly. They found a yo-yo pattern of weight gain over festive periods and cooler months.
Obese children outnumber underweight ones globally, and ‘social determinants’ in kids’ lived environments play a fundamental role. Obesity in kids can lead to a lifetime of poor health.
Professor and Programme Director, SA MRC Centre for Health Economics and Decision Science - PRICELESS SA (Priority Cost Effective Lessons in Systems Strengthening South Africa), University of the Witwatersrand