U. of Iowa scientists say they've discovered a molecular mechanism regulates specialized pancreatic cells and insulin secretion in a form of diabetes. The study that also involved researchers at WUSTL is reported in the early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

References:

1. Sept. 9, 2009 — Protein found to control form of diabetes in the United Press International

and 4 others.

Belly fat has long been blamed for obesity-related disease but it may actually only be something of an innocent bystander, according to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Liver fat may be the important risk factor for obesity-related metabolic disorders often linked to diabetes, heart disease and other diseases. Includes comments by senior investigator and WUSTL nutrition expert Samuel Klein.

References:

1. Aug. 26, 2009 — Belly fat may be innocent bystander in the United Press International

and 2 others.

In December 2006, New York City required that artificial trans fats be phased out of restaurant food, and the mandate was in full effect by November 2008. Connie Diekman, director of university nutrition at WUSTL and a past president of the American Dietetic Association, said that banning fats is not enough.

References:

1. July 20, 2009 — In New York City, Trans Fat Ban Is Working in the U.S. News & World Report online

and 7 others.

Evidence has been mounting for years that the practice of caloric restriction — essentially, going on a permanent diet — greatly reduces the risk of age-related diseases and even postpones death. Now, in a much-anticipated HIH study, many of the same benefits have been demonstrated in primates, the best evidence yet that caloric restriction would help people. Includes comments by WUSTL nutritional science expert Luigi Fontana.

References:

1. July 9, 2009 — Permanent diet may equal longer life in the Los Angeles Times

and 8 others.

Despite the well-advertised healthy lifestyle message, healthy habits are in decline, according to an authoritative national survey on health and nutrition. WUSTL epidemiology professor Ross Brownson, who is a leading expert in chronic disease prevention, comments.

References:

1. June 9, 2009 — Bad Habits Asserting Themselves in the The New York Times

and 3 others.

A single episode of low blood sugar severe enough to require prompt medical attention increases a person's risk of developing dementia in old age, a study in people with diabetes suggests. "This is a worrisome association," says WUSTL endocrinologist Philip Cryer. But he cautions that an association doesn't prove that one factor causes the other.

References:

1. April 14, 2009 — Hypoglycemia linked to dementia in the Science News Web edition

Depression almost doubles the risk of developing heart disease over 12 years, according to a long-term study of twins. It contributes to the risk of heart disease as much as diabetes, high cholesterol or obesity does, says study leader and WUSTL psychiatry professor Jeffrey Scherrer.

References:

1. March 4, 2009 — Depression can break the heart in the USA Today

The dieting world screams with contradictory advice, but a new study says the key is reducing calories. WUSTL nutrition expert Luigi Fontana, who studies the effects of calorie restriction on longevity, comments.

References:

1. Feb. 25, 2009 — Low-fat? Low-carbs? Answering best diet question in the CNN.com

Contemporary History features Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison talking about her book on trailblazing American women. In a chapter on women in science, she tells the story of WUSTL scientists Carl and Gerty Cori, who received the Nobel Prize for science in 1947 for their work on the way sugar is metabolized in the body. Their work became the basis for treatment of diabetes. ...

References:

1. Jan. 26, 2009 — Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison talks about her book 'Leading Ladies: American Trailblazers' in the CSPAN3 Contemporary History (national)

Morley Safer meets with members of CRS, the Calorie Restriction Society, a group that's been severely restricting their calories for years now. They are also part of a WUSTL study to see if this kind of self-denial make them live longer, healthier lives.

References:

1. Jan. 25, 2009 — Fountain Of Youth In A Wine Rx? in the CBS 60 Minutes

People in Middle America may have larger middles from frequent buffet and cafeteria eating and perceived barriers to physical activity, U.S. researchers said. "It's not that people don't want to get physical activity or eat healthy foods, but we've made it difficult in many communities," senior author of the study Ross Brownson of the Washington University in St. Louis said in a statement.

References:

1. Dec. 19, 2008 — Buffets, exercise lack linked to obesity in the United Press International

and 33 others.

WUSTL Mellon postdoctoral fellow Deborah Levine shares research on the weighing scale and how its place in society changed as the public's perception of weight changed.

References:

1. Dec. 16, 2008 — A weighty subject for the holidays in the Los Angeles Times

WUSTL nutrition expert Connie Diekman comments on a New York proposal for an 18 percent tax on sugary sodas and juice drinks — an effort that state officials said would reduce obesity while raising more than $400 million a year for health programs.

References:

1. Dec. 17, 2008 — A Tax on Many Soft Drinks Sets Off a Spirited Debate in the The New York Times

Anne Underwood writes on the biology of aging and anti-aging research being done by scientists, including WUSTL nutritional sciences professor Luigi Fontana, who is tracking the progress of 45 members of the Calorie Restriction Society.

References:

1. Dec. 15, 2008 — Never Say Die in the Newsweek

and 1 others.

Taking regular exercise combined with a good night's sleep can reduce the chances of developing cancer by 20 per cent, a new study suggests. Earlier this year a WUSTL/Harvard study suggested a long-lasting protective effect could be achieved by exercising from a young age.

References:

1. Nov. 17, 2008 — Sleep after exercising to reduce cancer risk in the The Daily Telegraph (UK)

WUSTL physical therapy professor Michael Mueller discusses various complications common with diabetes including skin and joint disorders.

References:

1. Nov. 9, 2008 — Patients with complications common with diabetes need physical therapy in the CNBC dLife: For Your Diabetes Life (national)

If you've just lost weight and are trying to keep it off, don't rely on diet alone to keep those unwanted pounds at bay. It may not be enough, no matter what kind of "maintenance" diet you follow, researchers say. One of the experts commenting on the study is Connie Diekman, director of WUSTL's University Nutrition, who says dieters should figure out how much they can eat and how much they must exercise to maintain a weight.

References:

1. Nov. 7, 2008 — Don't Rely on Diet to Prevent Weight Regain in the U.S. News & World Report online

and 4 others.

WUSTL anatomy and neurobiology professor Timothy Holy comments on pets whose keen senses of smell and intuitions helped alert their owners to medical problems that they were unaware of.

References:

1. Aug. 27, 2008 — Doggie 'Doctors' Diagnose Their Owners' Ills in the MSNBC.com

and 2 others.

One of the largest studies of its kind shows just how sluggish American children become once they hit the teen years: While 90 percent of 9-year-olds get a couple of hours of exercise most days, fewer than 3 percent of 15-year-olds do.
WUSTL nutrition expert Samuel Klein, director of WUSTL medical school's Human Nutritioin Center, said the research provides a more powerful snapshot than previous studies.

References:

1. July 16, 2008 — Study: When kids become teens, they get sluggish in the Associated Press Online

and 79 others.

Article reports on three of the latest studies on what really helps when it comes to weight loss -- and why keeping a food diary can be crucial. One of the studies was led by WUSTL physical therapy professor Susan Racette, who discovered that many dieters experience a weekend slump -- dieters stopped losing weight on weekends and the exercisers actually gained weight.

References:

1. July 8, 2008 — What Works in the Newsweek Web exclusive