Research

Cholesterol gets a lot of bad press, which is slightly unfair considering it’s necessary for the body to function correctly. So what exactly is cholesterol and how does it affect your health? Here is some information about the dual role cholesterol plays inside you. [Read more]

Overweight and obesity are strong risk factors for type 2 diabetes (T2D). Excess body weight is strongly associated with insulin resistance and hyperglycemia. Weight loss plays a central role in efforts to prevent or delay T2D. In persons with overweight or obesity improved glycemia is readily noticeable with weight loss. However the health benefits of […]

Noncommunicable diseases are public health issues that lead to early death and disability. Psychiatric, musculoskeletal, nervous system, cardiovascular disorders, cancer and injuries all contribute to this burden. Many countries grant disability pensions to working-aged persons who are likely to never work full time again because of chronic disease or injury. Therefore the identification of early […]

Obesity affects nearly every organ system.  Weight loss has been shown to reduce diabetes and hypertension.  For example, most of our insulin-requiring patients with type 2 diabetes successfully discontinue insulin within two months of initiating treatment, and their HgA1c levels drop markedly.  Blood pressure medicines reduce by ½ within 12 weeks. Obesity increases the risk […]

Recent press as well as a small study or two has hinted that intermittent fasting is metabolically superior to standard dieting and subsequently intermittent fasting has taken off as the current “diet du jour.” In this study by Shubel et al, a randomized controlled trial was performed to test whether intermittent fasting (IF) in a […]

A recent study published in Appetite, shows that when compared to water, artificial sweeteners (low calorie sweeteners) (LCS) do not affect appetite, energy intake or food choices.    For several years, it has been believed commonly (but falsely), that the replacement of sugar by LCS results in several maladaptive physiologic changes including uncoupling of the LCS […]

The use of probiotics has become almost universally recommended.   Two new studies advise caution on the blanket use of probiotics.  Probiotics are beneficial in some patients but other patients may, unfortunately, have little response and even show adverse reactions to probiotics.  To summarize what we know:   Stool samples alone do not provide an accurate picture […]

There is a perception that one of the benefits of breastfeeding is weight loss.  This premise makes sense since at least 500-1000 calories are expended in breast milk production. That’s like running five to ten miles! Based on the current data that it takes 4500 calories to burn a pound of fat, one would expect […]

Any long term (American-style) football fan has noticed the markedly increasing size of players at all levels of competition from high school to the National Football League (NFL). The sport may select for inherently large individuals but early-life weight gain is still common and the health implications remain incompletely understood. A recently published clinical research […]

New study affirms long term safety. It has been well documented that lifestyle modifications can assist many in their weight loss journey. Lifestyle interventions include dietary modifications and exercise as a root change.  Why are we hesitant to using pharmacotherapies to treat obesity, especially long term?    Using Phentermine long term has remained a debated topic […]