Controversial Research: Embryonic Stem Cells and Obesity Vaccines

In the field of biomedical research, people are often excited when the results of their research are controversial. It evoked limited attention when Cell, a scientific journal in the US, recently reported that some Japanese scientists at Kyoto University claimed that four genes or factors transformed mouse cells to act like ESCs (Embryonic Stem Cells). In contrast, a lot of excitement was created recently when the US, Massachusetts-based, Advanced Cell Research (ATC), claimed in a paper published in Nature that it had created ESCs without destroying the embryos, as this would seem to remove the principal objection to stem-cell research. It has just been revealed that contrary to previous claims the team did in fact destroy the embryos according to two "clarifications" issued by the journal Nature. This latest controversy comes only months after the blog-based takedown and public trial of South Korean ESC researcher Hwang Woo Suk.

The supporters of ESCs believe that cells from embryos would be used to treat degenerative diseases and injuries of human beings in the future. However, this research has become controversial, since the early-stage embryo is damaged during the process of development. Patrick Goodenough (http://www.CNSNews.com) says that it might be possible to generate ESCs through non-embryonic methods, as shown by the Japanese professors, including, Shinya Yamanaka and Kazutoshi Takahashi. Australasian Bioethics Information, a bioethics clearinghouse, said that making an adult cell revert into ESC would be "one of the great dreams of regenerative medicine." The agency added that, "If this (Japanese) success can be replicated with human cells, it might indeed transform America's stem cell politics."

When The Results of the Research Are Controversial: US and Stem Cell Research

One of the biggest controversies in medical research in the 21st century is whether the human embryos need to be destroyed for creating cells that would be used to cure degenerative disorders and certain diseases. The US government allots limited budget to stem cell research. The US President George W Bush recently vetoed a bill which would have brought more investment into ESC research. There are serious critics within the US Congress of ESC research. According to www.swissinfo.org, Pascale Steck of the Basel Appeal against Genetic Technology, an organization opposing stem cell research, says that people are wondering where these researchers would get the embryos for research purposes and who would decide the usage of the resulting stem cells. Patrick Goodenough says that many people who are opposed to ESC research believe that more funds and attention should be given to research that use adult stem cells that involves non-controversial sources including bone marrow, umbilical chords and lining of the nose.

When The Results of the Research Are Controversial: Vaccines for Obesity

Recently a team of Californian researchers mentioned in the proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) that they have developed a vaccine to combat obesity and weight gain. However, Dr William Colmers, A Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Alberta is not convinced by the Californian researchers. Colmers, while cautious about the finding of this controversial research, believes that there must be some potential dangers attached with it.

When the results of the research are controversial, it draws people's attention. This can lead temptations to exaggerate claims, and finally the field itself, like ESC research, becoming controversial. But controversial results can lead to even more new developments as researchers strive to resolve the controversy with new solutions.

Obesity And Pain Feed Off Of Each Other

Obesity has become one of the most prevalent medical conditions affecting the US population. The American Obesity Association reports that over 60% of the adult population can be classified as obese. Besides the risks for medical conditions such as high blood pressure, colon cancer and coronary heart disease, back pain is another area that has greatly impacted those who suffer from obesity. The medical conditions that result in back pain that are the most common risks are degenerative disc disease, disc rupture or herniation, and spondylolisthesis or slippage of the lower back. Other risks for obese back pain sufferers are spinal stenosis, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.

The spine carries the body's weight and disperses the weight that we encounter during our daily activities and rest periods. When we carry excess weight due to obesity, the spine absorbs the additional burden. This can lead to damage or structurally compromise the ability of the spine to do its job. Our lower back is the most sensitive to the effects of an overweight condition. The muscles in the lumbar spine region that support the back, thighs and pelvis can become weak and inflexible due to inadequate amounts of exercise and lessened mobility that frequently occur with obesity. With weakened muscles, the possibility of curvature of the spine increases dramatically in the lower back region. The result is poor posture and additional pain, as well as further affecting whatever medical condition the person is experiencing.

A sedentary lifestyle combined with an unbalanced diet can diminish the strength or density of our bones, leading to osteoporosis. The risk of fractures occurs when the actual design of the spinal column has been endangered by the weakened density of the bone structure. Fractures of the vertebrae are not a pleasant experience causing excruciating pain.

Osteoarthritis can be a result of excessive body weight causing a disproportionate amount of pressure and stress on the facet joints in the spine. Unhealthy posture may result in neck and back pain. The spine requires good posture and appropriate physical activity to provide the needed support to keep the spine healthy.

When you are obese, exercising is very difficult. It takes time to get to a level of activity that allows you breath well and not tire as quickly. If you are already experiencing back pain or other pains, exercising is even more difficult because of the very fact that you are exercising. Your body, muscles and joints are not accustomed to the activity and it is readily apparent in the additional pain that you experience. As much as the pain is too much to bear while beginning to exercise, the long term result of not exercising will be more pain that will only become more intense. Start slowly with gentle exercises that stimulate healing by allowing nutrients to flow to the spine. Every little bit of activity that the muscles and joints experience will condition them and strengthen them, so that it becomes easier and less painful over time.

When you add a healthy diet to your exercise program, you are providing additional assistance to your body to help it heal itself. Appropriate vitamins and nutrients are essential to better health. Balance is important, so consult with your doctor or other health care provider to ensure that you get the best results.

Obesity and pain feed off of each other. Once the pain starts, activity decreases so as to not aggravate the pain. The lessened activity results in a more sedentary lifestyle which promotes weight increase. As weight increases, more medical problems occur, bringing with it more pain. Experiencing more pain encourages less activity... It spirals out of control and simply does not stop - unless you take action by exercising and eating healthy.

The Epidemic of Obesity

One of the most serious problems dieticians have to encounter is that of obesity. According to the American Obesity Association (AOA), social structure, general and regional trends, socioeconomic transitions, as well as modernization and urbanization are the primary causes that led to the recent increase in obesity rates. The prevalence of overweight people is reported worldwide, both in developing and developed countries. Recent changes in consumption, culture, economic development and lifestyle have increased the problem of obesity, both in children and adults. Thus, it is of vital importance for people all around the globe to understand the risks associated with being obese and direct their efforts in reducing this alarming trend that is spreading.

The USA obesity rates have reached epidemic proportions and the numbers are socking. As recent statistical data indicate, 58 million people are overweight, 40 million obese and 3 million morbidly obese. These numbers are further supported by the fact that 8 out of 10 people over 25 years of age are overweight. Moreover, 78 percent of Americans do not meet the basic activity level recommendations. Even more alarming are the results that indicate a 76 percent increase since 1990 in Type II diabetes in adults belonging to the 30 to 40 age group.

Consequently, a variety of diseases and health problems appear to be directly related to the obesity trend monitored. As the scientific reports land on the physicians' desks, it is reported that 80 percent of Type II diabetes has to do with the increased levels of obesity in adults, 70 percent of cardiovascular disease is caused by poor eating habits, 42 percent of breast and colon cancers diagnosed belongs to obese individuals, 26 percent of high blood pressure is caused by the excess weight a person carries and 30 percent of gall bladder surgery is performed on a person that suffers from serious obesity problems. Moreover, obesity is also a risk factor in higher rates of certain types of cancer as well as fatty liver disease, vascular disorders, thrombosis, obstructive sleep apnea, musculoskeletal problems and gastro-esophageal reflux. Abdominal obesity is particularly associated with insulin resistance syndrome and cardiovascular disease.

If the numbers above have alarmed you enough to go and weigh out yourself, try to remember that suffering from obesity should not be something you should be ashamed of. You need support and guidance to change your eating and exercise habits, but most importantly you need to maintain your motivation. Eating smaller quantities is not enough. You have to eat right and keep yourself alert of the severe consequences related with poor nutrition and low exercise levels.

Why Is Obesity A Danger To The Heart?

We only have to look at a Titian painting to recognize that at one point in the history of Western culture, fat was considered beautiful. Before the 20th Century, corpulence was touted as a sign of wealth and luxury, largely because most people were barely surviving on a meager existence.

Ironically, now in our era of affluence and plenty, we have to contend with the health and economic problems of obesity. We have a population in North America that is more than 55% overweight. More than 20% of those overweight are considered obese, a situation which proves to be an economic burden on our Health Care system because of the coronary risk factors associated with obesity. In 2004, total national health expenditure in the USA was $1.9 Trillion or $6,280 per person.

Why is obesity a risk factor for heart disease?

Among obese individuals, triglyceride levels are unusually high, while HDL levels tend to be low; both of these situations are risk factors for heart disease. A recent study involving tissues collected from autopsies of 3000 men (15-34 years old) who had died of external causes (not heart related) identified an association between obesity and coronary atherosclerosis.

Abdominal fat which characterizes obese individuals is also an area of concern. A study of 1300 Finnish men (42-60 years old) suggests that abdominal fat is an independent and major risk factor for coronary events. Several reasons have been suggested for this: a) stomach fat is continually released into the bloodstream in the form of artery-clogging fatty acids; b) abdominal fat also releases compounds that facilitate risk factors such as atherosclerosis, metabolic syndrome and inflammation; c) abdominal fat initiates biochemical events that lead to insulin resistance, a precursor of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Obesity is often a precursor to metabolic syndrome, a dangerous health situation that is manifested through a cluster of symptoms--excess body fat, insulin resistance, low HDL cholesterol, high triglyceride levels and high blood pressure--all risk factors for coronary events. People with metabolic syndrome release immune system messengers called "cytokines" into their bloodstream. Cytokines lead to a communication breakdown between body cells and insulin which leads to excessive insulin production by the pancreas, creating a situation that is a literal "time bomb" for heart disease. In addition, this excessive insulin production can raise fibrinogen concentrations in the bloodstream, thus allowing blood to clot more easily, a situation that is a direct risk factor for heart attacks and strokes.

Because of their size, obese individuals are more often than not sedentary in lifestyle. Inactivity in and of itself is also a coronary risk factor. Data from more than 88,000 women in the Nurses' Health Study shows that a lean sedentary woman had 1.48 greater risks for coronary heart disease than a slightly heavier but physically active woman.

However, the same study also showed that obesity alone is a risk factor, in fact, an even greater risk factor than inactivity because coronary disease risk was highest for women who exercised the least and had the greatest waist-to-hip ratio. The conclusion that obesity itself is a risk factor is also supported by a study of 5881 overweight and obese individuals which showed that being overweight increased the risk of heart disease by 34%, while being obese increased the risk to 104%.

What can we do to help someone we know who is obese or dangerously overweight?

Acknowledgement of the problem is the first step. Very often, individuals are in a state of denial about the seriousness of their weight situation. A visit to the doctor or a healthcare professional who deals with the morbidly obese is essential. So are visits to a nutritionist, fitness consultant and body work therapist. Only then can the individual be presented with options viable and necessary for his or her situation.

In severe cases of obesity, surgery would be part of the solution. Lifestyle changes that include exercise and healthy eating are more than essential. Just as critical are bodywork therapies that can uncover some of the real issues behind addictive eating. Learning to read body cues of hunger, depression, stress is equally important for re-mapping a new life and a whole new cartography of food and consciousness, body and mind.

In Titian's day, the corpulent body was an idealized figure on canvass, essentially exiled to the realm of the fantastic or the realm of the unjust in a society where hunger was the norm. In our days, the corpulent body has its own tale to tell: a Quasimodo that is both the scourge and product of a culture addicted to perfection.

How To Stop Your Child From Falling Victim To The Childhood Obesity Epidemic

Everywhere we look in the world these days; it is evident that Childhood obesity has become a very serious epidemic. The risks of childhood illnesses, such as diabetes are on the rise. This is because numerous children are now classified as obese; this means that more instances of childhood illness will continue to occur. In this day and age, more so than any other time throughout our history, children are unhealthy. It is not necessary that a child should have to face childhood obesity. In fact, we can help in the prevention of childhood obesity by following the steps listed below.

The first thing that should be done in prevention of childhood obesity is teaching children to learn how to eat healthier. The eating habit a child has begins when they are born. Breastfeeding has been proven to be far healthier for an infant than formula. In fact, numerous studies have shown that breastfed babies have less of a chance of suffering from childhood obesity, than babies that were fed formula. It is important that as parents we learn to distinguish between hungry cries and other types of cries. One thing, we as parents do, is feed a baby each time it cries, this is how the obesity cycle begins.

Once the obesity cycle has begun, it is extremely hard to break that cycle. As a child grows, it is important that you teach them about eating when their hungry and eating when they are bored or because the food is good. This teaching should start when they enter preschool and will be an essential effort to preventing childhood obesity. Furthermore, even though you may not think so, snacks are a big part of introducing a healthy diet to your child. However, you should only provide healthy snacks for your child, try to steer them away from cookies, chips, and candies.

Lastly, in preventing childhood obesity, it is important that your child learn what they can about nutritious food. This means you should be including whole grains, vegetables, and fruits within their daily diet. Remember the food pyramid you learned about in school? Well this will help you now in determining how many servings of each group your child should be getting daily.

While diet is a big part of battling childhood obesity, so is exercise and activities. Keeping your child away from the television for several hours a day and participating in activities is another component in the prevention of childhood obesity.