Health & Fitness

A perspective article challenges the 'energy balance model,' which says weight gain occurs because individuals consume more energy than they expend. According to the authors, 'conceptualizing obesity as a disorder of energy balance restates a principle of physics without considering the biological mechanisms underlying weight gain.' The authors argue for the 'carbohydrate insulin model,' which explains obesity as a metabolic disorder driven by what we eat, rather than how much. *Public health messaging exhorting people to eat less and exercise more has failed to stem rising rates of obesity and obesity-related diseases. *The energy balance model, which says weight gain is caused by consuming more energy than we expend, "restates a principle of physics without considering the biological mechanisms driving weight gain." *The carbohydrate-insulin model makes a bold claim: overeating doesn't cause obesity; the process of getting fat causes overeating. *The current obesity epidemic is due, in part, to hormonal responses to changes in food quality: in particular, high-glycemic load foods, which fundamentally change metabolism. *Focusing on what we eat rather than how much we eat is a better strategy for weight management.

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Researchers have now demonstrated a method by which specific cell types in human organs can be studied with micrometer precision. The method can be used to reveal previously unrecognized alterations in the pancreas, but it can also be used to study other human organs and diseases.

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Engineers developed a way to grow tiny replicas of the pancreas, using either healthy or cancerous pancreatic cells. Their models could help researchers develop and test potential drugs for pancreatic cancer.

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With warm weather is just around the corner, a lot of us will want to head outdoors for some sunshine. But sun damage can be fatal, which is why this new technology is so exciting.

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Findings suggest that a family's socio-economic status (SES) may influence children's composition of gut microbiome -- the mix of microscopic organisms within the digestive tract. SES includes economic resources such as education, income and occupation, and are reflected in living conditions, nutrition and psychosocial stress, according to the study, which focused on the education levels of mothers and fathers.

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A team of researchers is using a novel technique to comb through the data and to reconstruct major branches in the linguistic tree.

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School-aged children who spend more time in front of screens are only slightly more likely to have attention disorders, disturbed sleep or lower grades and are no more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety. Meanwhile, they tend to have more close friends.

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