Author: frivvy89

Illustration of bacteria in the human gut. Credit: Darryl Leja, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health An international team of researchers has identified specific bacteria in the gut that are associated with both mice and humans developing an addiction to food that can lead to obesity. They have also identified bacteria that play a beneficial role in preventing food addiction. The research is presented at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum 2024 and is published simultaneously in the journal Gut. Professor Elena Martín-García, from the Laboratory of Neuropharmacology-NeuroPhar in the Department of Medicine and Life…

Introduction In Germany, almost half of all women (47%) with a low socioeconomic status have obesity (BMI greater or equal to 30 kg/m2 and abnormal fat distribution) compared to 34% of the men in this group (1, 2). More than twice as many women (3%) as men (1%) suffer from obesity class III (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2) (1). The male proportion in weight loss programs and obesity research is very low (3, 4). Consequently, drawing conclusions about the effectiveness of programs and influencing factors of obesity for men is difficult (5). Study results have indicated gender differences in psychosocial aspects…

1 Introduction In recent years, with the lengthening and diversification of the food chain, refined foods rich in fats are easily accessible due to the increase of industrial processing and transport over long distances (1). This has led to a shift in the way of local and seasonal foods, especially fiber-rich plant foods, as well as an increase in energy-dense processed foods high in refined starches, sugars, saturated fats, and salt (1, 2). High-income countries have moved towards such energy-dense and animal-based food consumption patterns resulting from an intensification of food production. This is causing significant environmental damage with an…

Introduction Over the last decade, health care professionals have been exposed to the emergence of a new form of addiction—food addiction (1). Eating has always been a basic human behavior primarily devoted to the maintenance of homeostasis. Nonetheless, high-energy food products (i.e., rich in fat and/or sugar), which are everyday more available on the market, are engaging a strong reward response (2–4) and, due to those strong reinforcing properties (5), lead to addictive behaviors, like craving, similar to those caused by drugs (6). Craving, or a strong desire to consume a product, is associated with high sensitivity of the reward…

In a concerning development for coffee enthusiasts, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a nationwide recall of nearly 300 types of canned coffee products. This affects a wide range of brands and coffee roasters, initiated by Snapchill LLC, based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The coffee company’s voluntary recall comes after it was discovered that their manufacturing process could potentially lead to a dangerous and potentially fatal type of food poisoning.How did the nationwide coffee recall happen?The recalled canned coffee products were distributed across the United States through various coffee roasters, retail locations and direct online sales from…

image: Professor Elena Martín-García view more  Credit: Professor Elena Martín-García Vienna, Austria: An international team of researchers has identified specific bacteria in the gut that are associated with both mice and humans developing an addiction to food that can lead to obesity. They have also identified bacteria that play a beneficial role in preventing food addiction.   The research is presented today (Thursday) at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum 2024 and is published simultaneously in the journal Gut [1,2].   Professor Elena Martín-García, from the Laboratory of Neuropharmacology-NeuroPhar in the Department of Medicine and Life Sciences at the…

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are displacing healthy diets “all over the world” despite growing evidence of the risks they pose and should be sold with tobacco-style warnings, according to the nutritional scientist who first coined the term.Prof Carlos Monteiro of the University of São Paulo will highlight the increasing danger UPFs present to children and adults at the International Congress on Obesity this week.“UPFs are increasing their share in and domination of global diets, despite the risk they represent to health in terms of increasing the risk of multiple chronic diseases,” Monteiro told the Guardian ahead of the conference in São…

TUESDAY, June 25, 2024 (HealthDay News) — At-home, self-administered transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and attention bias modification training (ABMT) is feasible, acceptable, and shows promising efficacy for treatment of binge eating, according to a study published online June 6 in BJPsych Open. Michaela Flynn, Ph.D., from King’s College London, and colleagues assessed the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of at-home, self-administered tDCS and ABMT in 82 adults with binge eating disorder (10 sessions over two to three weeks). The researchers found that treatment completion rates were high (98.7 percent), with all interventions (real tDCS with ABMT, sham tDCS with ABMT,…

Introduction Eating disorders, namely anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder (BED), and other specified feeding or eating disorders (OSFEDs), cause severe disturbances to eating habits (Galmiche et al., 2019). Hudson et al. (2007) reported a lifetime prevalence rate of 0.6% for AN (0.9% of women and 0.3% of men), 1% for BN (1.5% of women and 0.5% of men), and 3% for BED (3.5% of women and 2.0% of men), which suggests that females are more prone to eating disorders than males (Kessler et al., 2013). Binge eating (BE) is a core symptom in BN, BED, and…

1 Introduction In the present globalized world, food choice is an increasingly complex process influenced by various internal and external factors. A United Nations report in 2021 showed that 828 million people in the world suffer from hunger, which highlights the urgent need for food system transformation (WHO, 2022). While food is needed for survival, it has become an important lifestyle element for many (Enriquez-Martinez et al., 2021; Habib et al., 2024). The diversity of factors influencing food choices highlights the complexity of individuals’ dietary choices. Social factors, including norms and expectations within the community, have a major influence on…