How to Lose 30 Pounds Of Fat In 30 Days Losing weight is a losing battle for many. Many of us don;t know where to start..... Should I go for a jog? Should I eat less? Should I work out at the gym an hour a day? All of these things can help you manage your weight and maybe build… By: J. D. Pruitt in Health and Fitness > Weight Loss Aug 05, 2011 0 Likes: 0
View the Original article
Saturday, April 7, 2012
The Perfect Abs Workout Routine to Fit A Person
Easy Abs Workout And Dieting Programs for Better Results If you have been looking for different ways on how to lose weight and have a nicer stomach, your wait is over. There are a lot of ways that people take these days. However, the people who have made it to a success made sure that they make certain changes… By: Charles4 in Health and Fitness > Exercise Apr 04, 2012 0 Likes: 0
View the Original article
View the Original article
How Does Coconut Oil Help You Lose Weight
My Organic Coconut Oil Diary I love organic coconut oil so much that I just received my second bottle from Amazon last night. I even ordered an extra bottle for my mother-in-law and I'm sharing mine with my daughter. I started using coconut oil a little over a month ago and I feel very passionate… By: melissa3 in Health and Fitness > Nutrition Apr 05, 2012 0 Likes: 7
View the Original article
View the Original article
ISC Medical Comments on Health and Social Care Bill
Share: Tweet05
Apr
2012One of the country's leading providers of medical interviews and interview skills consultancy services, ISC Medical, comments on the Health and Social Care Bill.
(1888PressRelease) April 05, 2012 - One of the country's leading providers of medical interviews and interview skills consultancy services, ISC Medical, comments on the Health and Social Care Bill, which received Royal Assent on the 27th of March 2012.
After much negotiation, the Health and Social Care Bill has now been passed into law, despite strong opposition from a number of doctors. The Bill formally introduces a range of new reforms, including increased competition with the health service - though this is meant to be on the basis of quality rather than price, the right for external providers to enter the marketplace, and a transfer of commissioning powers to GPs.
The reforms attracted controversy and conflicting opinions from within the profession, ranging from outright refusal (e.g. by the British Medical Association and the Royal College of GPs, though the latter later re-entered the negotiation table) to the more constructive approach adopted by the Royal College of Surgeons.
Olivier Picard, MD of ISC Medical, commented: "The long-term impact of the Bill is unknown and much of the controversy that it attracted can only be based on speculation. However, one thing is clear: many doctors and healthcare professionals are worried about the fact that they have little understanding of what the Bill means for them exactly.
"We invite any Registrars, SpRs, SAS doctors, Consultants, GPs, Senior Nurses and NHS Managers interested in exploring the Bill further to attend our NHS issues course, where you can learn in more depth about the impact that current reforms are likely to have on the different players and stakeholders that form the NHS."
For more information about ISC Medical's medical courses, visit http://www.medical-interviews.co.uk/ or call 0845 226 9487 between 8:30am and 8:30pm.
About ISC Medical:
ISC Medical is one of the UK's longest-established companies specialising in medical interview courses, medical CV writing, and medical personal development courses, including teach the teacher courses, for all grades medical school entry, FY, CT/ST, GPST, consultants, and GP posts. They provide a personal service and insist on running all courses in smaller groups, enabling their trainers to accommodate for the individual needs of each client.
Contact:
Olivier Picard
Interview Skills Consulting Ltd,
97 Judd Street,
London, UK
Zip: WC1H 9JG
Tel: 0845 226 9487
Email: enquiries (
View the Original article
Apr
2012One of the country's leading providers of medical interviews and interview skills consultancy services, ISC Medical, comments on the Health and Social Care Bill.
(1888PressRelease) April 05, 2012 - One of the country's leading providers of medical interviews and interview skills consultancy services, ISC Medical, comments on the Health and Social Care Bill, which received Royal Assent on the 27th of March 2012.
After much negotiation, the Health and Social Care Bill has now been passed into law, despite strong opposition from a number of doctors. The Bill formally introduces a range of new reforms, including increased competition with the health service - though this is meant to be on the basis of quality rather than price, the right for external providers to enter the marketplace, and a transfer of commissioning powers to GPs.
The reforms attracted controversy and conflicting opinions from within the profession, ranging from outright refusal (e.g. by the British Medical Association and the Royal College of GPs, though the latter later re-entered the negotiation table) to the more constructive approach adopted by the Royal College of Surgeons.
Olivier Picard, MD of ISC Medical, commented: "The long-term impact of the Bill is unknown and much of the controversy that it attracted can only be based on speculation. However, one thing is clear: many doctors and healthcare professionals are worried about the fact that they have little understanding of what the Bill means for them exactly.
"We invite any Registrars, SpRs, SAS doctors, Consultants, GPs, Senior Nurses and NHS Managers interested in exploring the Bill further to attend our NHS issues course, where you can learn in more depth about the impact that current reforms are likely to have on the different players and stakeholders that form the NHS."
For more information about ISC Medical's medical courses, visit http://www.medical-interviews.co.uk/ or call 0845 226 9487 between 8:30am and 8:30pm.
About ISC Medical:
ISC Medical is one of the UK's longest-established companies specialising in medical interview courses, medical CV writing, and medical personal development courses, including teach the teacher courses, for all grades medical school entry, FY, CT/ST, GPST, consultants, and GP posts. They provide a personal service and insist on running all courses in smaller groups, enabling their trainers to accommodate for the individual needs of each client.
Contact:
Olivier Picard
Interview Skills Consulting Ltd,
97 Judd Street,
London, UK
Zip: WC1H 9JG
Tel: 0845 226 9487
Email: enquiries (
View the Original article
EatSmart Precision GetFit Digital Body Fat Scale Helps Monitor Body Fat Instead of BMI
Share: Tweet06
Apr
2012Researchers have recently proven that BMI underestimates obesity rates. The EatSmart Body Fat Scale offers an innovative, at-home means to monitor your body fat and other health metrics.
New York, NY (1888PressRelease) April 06, 2012 - The EatSmart Precision GetFit Digital Body Fat Scale is an in-home health tool used to assess body fat and other health metrics. According to a recently published study in the journal PLoS ONE, body fat is a more accurate indicator of overall health than BMI.
New research states that nearly 4 in 10 adults, whose BMI places them in the overweight category, would be considered obese if their body fat percentage was taken into account. People who fall into the obese category are at a much higher risk for weight-related disease including coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Doctors and health officials rely on BMI to categorize whether a person's weight is in the normal, overweight or obese range. The major problem with BMI is that it is an overly simplistic ratio of height to weight. It does not take into account a person's fitness level and overall health, of which body fat percentage is key. Being aware of body composition is an important way to monitor your health. Fortunately, EatSmart provides an in-home solution with the GetFit Digital Body Fat Scale.
The Precision GetFit can measure a person's weight, body fat percentage, total body water percentage, muscle mass percentage and bone mass using ITO BIA technology. BIA sends a safe, low level electrical current through the body which allows the Precision GetFit to analyze body composition in real time. Launched in March 2011, this scale has garnered over 500 customer reviews on Amazon.com, with a 4.7 out of 5 stars average.
"The challenge in today's society is to maintain a healthy weight with a major emphasis on cardiovascular health," states Bill Geronimo, President of EatSmart Products. "Our Precision GetFit Body Fat Scale allows customers to determine their body fat percentage which is a much better indicator of overall health than weight alone. Often times, people get discouraged when they aren't seeing the number on the scale change, when in reality their body composition - percent body fat and muscle mass, is changing for the better."
About EatSmart:
EatSmart Products designs, develops and manufactures innovative healthcare products. Every product comes with a 100% EatSmart Satisfaction Guarantee and all EatSmart products are available on Amazon.com. For information on the Precision GetFit Digital Body Fat Scale and other EatSmart products, visit www.eatsmartproducts.com.
EatSmart is also listed on Facebook (www.facebook.com/eatsmartproducts), Twitter (www.twitter.com/eatsmartscales), Google
View the Original article
Apr
2012Researchers have recently proven that BMI underestimates obesity rates. The EatSmart Body Fat Scale offers an innovative, at-home means to monitor your body fat and other health metrics.
New York, NY (1888PressRelease) April 06, 2012 - The EatSmart Precision GetFit Digital Body Fat Scale is an in-home health tool used to assess body fat and other health metrics. According to a recently published study in the journal PLoS ONE, body fat is a more accurate indicator of overall health than BMI.
New research states that nearly 4 in 10 adults, whose BMI places them in the overweight category, would be considered obese if their body fat percentage was taken into account. People who fall into the obese category are at a much higher risk for weight-related disease including coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Doctors and health officials rely on BMI to categorize whether a person's weight is in the normal, overweight or obese range. The major problem with BMI is that it is an overly simplistic ratio of height to weight. It does not take into account a person's fitness level and overall health, of which body fat percentage is key. Being aware of body composition is an important way to monitor your health. Fortunately, EatSmart provides an in-home solution with the GetFit Digital Body Fat Scale.
The Precision GetFit can measure a person's weight, body fat percentage, total body water percentage, muscle mass percentage and bone mass using ITO BIA technology. BIA sends a safe, low level electrical current through the body which allows the Precision GetFit to analyze body composition in real time. Launched in March 2011, this scale has garnered over 500 customer reviews on Amazon.com, with a 4.7 out of 5 stars average.
"The challenge in today's society is to maintain a healthy weight with a major emphasis on cardiovascular health," states Bill Geronimo, President of EatSmart Products. "Our Precision GetFit Body Fat Scale allows customers to determine their body fat percentage which is a much better indicator of overall health than weight alone. Often times, people get discouraged when they aren't seeing the number on the scale change, when in reality their body composition - percent body fat and muscle mass, is changing for the better."
About EatSmart:
EatSmart Products designs, develops and manufactures innovative healthcare products. Every product comes with a 100% EatSmart Satisfaction Guarantee and all EatSmart products are available on Amazon.com. For information on the Precision GetFit Digital Body Fat Scale and other EatSmart products, visit www.eatsmartproducts.com.
EatSmart is also listed on Facebook (www.facebook.com/eatsmartproducts), Twitter (www.twitter.com/eatsmartscales), Google
View the Original article
Clubs inMOTION. A New Corporate Program from inSHAPE Fitness
A Better Game of GolfIntroducing a revolutionary program brought to you by the experts in gym-free functional fitness. Clubs inMotion will change the way you play golf in just four short weeks.
New York, NY (1888PressRelease) April 06, 2012 - Your Expert Instructors:
Trey Gilbert
Titlest Golf Professional, Functional Movement Masters Candidate, & Certified Personal Trainer
Not only does Trey know how to help you swing a golf club, he can help you learn the physical mechanics behind hip rotation, back and core strength, swing power, and follow through. Through Trey's simple, natural teaching style, you will see your game improve immediately.
Joslyn Cooke
Master Yoga Instructor, Golf Trainer
Through her expert ability to help you focus and breathe properly, to her ability to strengthen your body's posture and balance, Joslyn will change the very way you view the game of golf. Her gentle, yet controlled style of flexibility training will carry through from your golf game and into your regular life as well.
The Four Week Program, Week by Week
During each of the four weeks, we deliver two in office sessions. Though the length of time varies slightly in the first and last weeks, appointments generally last 60-minutes and if preferred, can be broken into smaller segments for sub-groups.
Week 1: Getting Started
As an introduction to Clubs inMotion, the team at inSHAPE illustrates how the development of proper posture, deep breathing, focus, and core stability & strength will alter your game forever.
We also engage each member of your team to determine his/her own goals and challenges - this process is conducted through a series of online questionnaires and minimally interferes with other office commitments. During this first week, we also introduce you to strength and flexibility exercises that gently open your body up to a metamorphosis of your golf game. Your instructors work with each participant, making observations regarding posture, position, movement, and concentration.
Week 2: Posture and Strength
During the second week, we continue our work on strength and flexibility, adding second level core stability moves, postural and rotational exercises, and focus training. Participants leave their clubs at home and perform moves using the body as primary resistance, conditioning all major golfing muscles.
Week 3: Strength and Flexibility
This is the week when we bring back in the golf clubs. During our two hour-long sessions this week, we continue our work on core stability and strength. We also continue flexibility training, breathing, and postural work.
Week 4: Practice, Practice, Practice
As we begin to take to the golf course again, it's time to practice, practice, practice. We don't pull you out of the office quite yet, but we do continue to work your core and flexibility, focus, posture, and breathing. We also start the process of evaluating each person's swings. To celebrate four weeks of hard work, we head off to Chelsea Piers for an outing at the driving range.
Clubs inMotion won't elevate you to the pros, but it will change the way you view your game. For a limited time, the golf experts at inSHAPE are offering the introductory first session at NO COST!
Media Contact:Whitney Woznick
(561) 329-2974
Whitney (
View the Original article
New York, NY (1888PressRelease) April 06, 2012 - Your Expert Instructors:
Trey Gilbert
Titlest Golf Professional, Functional Movement Masters Candidate, & Certified Personal Trainer
Not only does Trey know how to help you swing a golf club, he can help you learn the physical mechanics behind hip rotation, back and core strength, swing power, and follow through. Through Trey's simple, natural teaching style, you will see your game improve immediately.
Joslyn Cooke
Master Yoga Instructor, Golf Trainer
Through her expert ability to help you focus and breathe properly, to her ability to strengthen your body's posture and balance, Joslyn will change the very way you view the game of golf. Her gentle, yet controlled style of flexibility training will carry through from your golf game and into your regular life as well.
The Four Week Program, Week by Week
During each of the four weeks, we deliver two in office sessions. Though the length of time varies slightly in the first and last weeks, appointments generally last 60-minutes and if preferred, can be broken into smaller segments for sub-groups.
Week 1: Getting Started
As an introduction to Clubs inMotion, the team at inSHAPE illustrates how the development of proper posture, deep breathing, focus, and core stability & strength will alter your game forever.
We also engage each member of your team to determine his/her own goals and challenges - this process is conducted through a series of online questionnaires and minimally interferes with other office commitments. During this first week, we also introduce you to strength and flexibility exercises that gently open your body up to a metamorphosis of your golf game. Your instructors work with each participant, making observations regarding posture, position, movement, and concentration.
Week 2: Posture and Strength
During the second week, we continue our work on strength and flexibility, adding second level core stability moves, postural and rotational exercises, and focus training. Participants leave their clubs at home and perform moves using the body as primary resistance, conditioning all major golfing muscles.
Week 3: Strength and Flexibility
This is the week when we bring back in the golf clubs. During our two hour-long sessions this week, we continue our work on core stability and strength. We also continue flexibility training, breathing, and postural work.
Week 4: Practice, Practice, Practice
As we begin to take to the golf course again, it's time to practice, practice, practice. We don't pull you out of the office quite yet, but we do continue to work your core and flexibility, focus, posture, and breathing. We also start the process of evaluating each person's swings. To celebrate four weeks of hard work, we head off to Chelsea Piers for an outing at the driving range.
Clubs inMotion won't elevate you to the pros, but it will change the way you view your game. For a limited time, the golf experts at inSHAPE are offering the introductory first session at NO COST!
Media Contact:Whitney Woznick
(561) 329-2974
Whitney (
View the Original article
The Health and Fitness Expo 2012 Brings Stunning Performances, Live Shows and Expert Panels on Healthy Living
The Health & Fitness Expo 2012 Brings Stunning Performances, Live Shows & Expert Panels on Healthy LivingShare: Tweet06
Apr
2012The Health & Fitness Expo 2012 Brings Stunning Performances, Live Shows & Expert Panels on Healthy LivingThe 2nd Annual Health & Fitness Expo is being organized at the Wally Dever Arena in Belleville, Ontario.
(1888PressRelease) April 06, 2012 - Belleville, ON - This All Weekend Expo, scheduled to be held on April 28th & 29th, is aimed to cater people of all ages, health and fitness levels.
Featuring over 10 center stage performances, 16 FREE seminars and 60
View the Original article
Apr
2012The Health & Fitness Expo 2012 Brings Stunning Performances, Live Shows & Expert Panels on Healthy LivingThe 2nd Annual Health & Fitness Expo is being organized at the Wally Dever Arena in Belleville, Ontario.
(1888PressRelease) April 06, 2012 - Belleville, ON - This All Weekend Expo, scheduled to be held on April 28th & 29th, is aimed to cater people of all ages, health and fitness levels.
Featuring over 10 center stage performances, 16 FREE seminars and 60
View the Original article
Sweet Leaf(R) Tea Crowns The Craftiest Tea-Fan In Honor Of National Craft Month
Share: Tweet05
Apr
2012Beverage Company Selects The Winner Of Their Homemade Goodness Contest.
(1888PressRelease) April 05, 2012 - AUSTIN - Sweet Leaf
View the Original article
Apr
2012Beverage Company Selects The Winner Of Their Homemade Goodness Contest.
(1888PressRelease) April 05, 2012 - AUSTIN - Sweet Leaf
View the Original article
Plans Are Underway For RHA Howell's 2012 Epicurious Vino Challenge
Share: Tweet06
Apr
2012The popular culinary event is now accepting chefs, sponsors.
Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (1888PressRelease) April 06, 2012 - RHA Howell, Inc., the statewide non-profit organization that serves people with disabilities and their families, has announced the 2012 Epicurious Vino Challenge, which will be held this year on Saturday, June 2, from 6:30-10 p.m. at the 80-acre Hinnant Family Vineyards in Pine Level, NC.
All proceeds benefit a child or an adult with a medical, physical, or mental disability.
The Epicurious Vino Challenge is RHA Howell's most popular annual fundraiser, which includes live entertainment, The "challenge" is that participating chefs must randomly select one of Hinnant Family Vineyard's award-winning wines, then create a signature dish using that wine as an ingredient.
On the night of the event, the chefs prepare small plates for the judges and the guests to sample as the chefs compete for The Chefs Choice Award and the People's Choice Award. The samples are presented in the vineyard's spacious wine tank room.
A panel of professional chefs from U.S. Food Service selects the Chef's Choice award through a blind tasting. Those who attend the event vote for the People's Choice award winner.
Last year's top winner, Chef Tom Armstrong of Vinnie's Steakhouse & Tavern in Raleigh (www.vinniessteakhouse.com), has already signed on to compete again this year, along with the 2010 Chef's Choice winner, Brian Battistella of Battistella's in Raleigh (battistellas.com), and Chef Jeremy Law of SoCo Farm & Food in Wilson (www.soconc.com).
Chefs who would like to participate, and businesses or individuals who would like to serve as sponsors (four levels of sponsorship are available), should contact event coordinator Debbie Valentine by either calling her at 919.803.2960 or emailing dvalentine (
View the Original article
Apr
2012The popular culinary event is now accepting chefs, sponsors.
Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (1888PressRelease) April 06, 2012 - RHA Howell, Inc., the statewide non-profit organization that serves people with disabilities and their families, has announced the 2012 Epicurious Vino Challenge, which will be held this year on Saturday, June 2, from 6:30-10 p.m. at the 80-acre Hinnant Family Vineyards in Pine Level, NC.
All proceeds benefit a child or an adult with a medical, physical, or mental disability.
The Epicurious Vino Challenge is RHA Howell's most popular annual fundraiser, which includes live entertainment, The "challenge" is that participating chefs must randomly select one of Hinnant Family Vineyard's award-winning wines, then create a signature dish using that wine as an ingredient.
On the night of the event, the chefs prepare small plates for the judges and the guests to sample as the chefs compete for The Chefs Choice Award and the People's Choice Award. The samples are presented in the vineyard's spacious wine tank room.
A panel of professional chefs from U.S. Food Service selects the Chef's Choice award through a blind tasting. Those who attend the event vote for the People's Choice award winner.
Last year's top winner, Chef Tom Armstrong of Vinnie's Steakhouse & Tavern in Raleigh (www.vinniessteakhouse.com), has already signed on to compete again this year, along with the 2010 Chef's Choice winner, Brian Battistella of Battistella's in Raleigh (battistellas.com), and Chef Jeremy Law of SoCo Farm & Food in Wilson (www.soconc.com).
Chefs who would like to participate, and businesses or individuals who would like to serve as sponsors (four levels of sponsorship are available), should contact event coordinator Debbie Valentine by either calling her at 919.803.2960 or emailing dvalentine (
View the Original article
G.S. Gelato Receives SQF 2000 Level 3 'Excellent' Rating
Share: Tweet06
Apr
2012G.S. Gelato is now an SQF 2000 level 3 accredited facility.
Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, FL (1888PressRelease) April 06, 2012 - G.S. Gelato has recently been accredited as an SQF 2000 Level 3 supplier from the Safe Quality Food (SQF) Institute Program. G.S. Gelato is currently the only gelato manufacturer in the United States to have an SQF 2000 Level 3 certification, and one of only 40 US manufacturers in the ice cream and frozen yogurt industry to receive the certification.
SQF is a quality and safety program which is recognized globally and ensures that suppliers maintain the highest quality standards in the world. Preferred by retailers and foodservice providers around the world, SQF requires a meticulous food safety management system, which provides a total guarantee of quality in the products that the facility manufactures.
G.S. Gelato previously received annual third party audits through the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) Program and has received superior ratings since 2007.
"We are proud to receive global recognition for the high quality and safe products we produce," said Simona Faroni, Co-Founder of G.S. Gelato. "We hold ourselves to manufacturing the highest quality of product available, so to be recognized as an SQF 2000 supplier is an honor."
SQF is a yearly audit, and will ensure G.S. Gelato produces a consistently high quality product. For more information on the SQF program or G.S. Gelato, please visit www.sqfi.com or contact Kindra Svendsen by phone at 850-243-5455.
### Other Related Press Releases by G.s. GelatoK-Sun Corporation's new GREEN MACHINE(R) wins a New Equipment Digest's King Award by K-sun CorporationContact InformationKindra SvendsenG.s. Gelato 1785 Fim Blvd.32547Voice: 850-243-5455Visit our SitePress Release Tools
View the Original article
Apr
2012G.S. Gelato is now an SQF 2000 level 3 accredited facility.
Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, FL (1888PressRelease) April 06, 2012 - G.S. Gelato has recently been accredited as an SQF 2000 Level 3 supplier from the Safe Quality Food (SQF) Institute Program. G.S. Gelato is currently the only gelato manufacturer in the United States to have an SQF 2000 Level 3 certification, and one of only 40 US manufacturers in the ice cream and frozen yogurt industry to receive the certification.
SQF is a quality and safety program which is recognized globally and ensures that suppliers maintain the highest quality standards in the world. Preferred by retailers and foodservice providers around the world, SQF requires a meticulous food safety management system, which provides a total guarantee of quality in the products that the facility manufactures.
G.S. Gelato previously received annual third party audits through the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) Program and has received superior ratings since 2007.
"We are proud to receive global recognition for the high quality and safe products we produce," said Simona Faroni, Co-Founder of G.S. Gelato. "We hold ourselves to manufacturing the highest quality of product available, so to be recognized as an SQF 2000 supplier is an honor."
SQF is a yearly audit, and will ensure G.S. Gelato produces a consistently high quality product. For more information on the SQF program or G.S. Gelato, please visit www.sqfi.com or contact Kindra Svendsen by phone at 850-243-5455.
### Other Related Press Releases by G.s. GelatoK-Sun Corporation's new GREEN MACHINE(R) wins a New Equipment Digest's King Award by K-sun CorporationContact InformationKindra SvendsenG.s. Gelato 1785 Fim Blvd.32547Voice: 850-243-5455Visit our SitePress Release Tools
View the Original article
Protective gene discovered in fat cells
ScienceDaily (Apr. 1, 2012) — In a finding that may challenge popular notions of body fat and health, researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have shown how fat cells can protect the body against diabetes. The results may lead to a new therapeutic strategy for preventing and treating type 2 diabetes and obesity-related metabolic diseases, the authors say.See Also:Health & MedicineObesityDiet and Weight LossDiabetesPlants & AnimalsMiceMolecular BiologyFoodReferenceBlood sugarHyperglycemiaDiabetic dietDiabetes mellitus type 2
View the Original article
In the last decade, several research groups have shown that fat cells in people play a major role in controlling healthy blood sugar and insulin levels throughout the body. To do this crucial job, fat cells need a small portion of the sugars derived from food. Obesity often reduces the dedicated sugar transport molecules on fat cells, blocking the glucose from entering fat cells. As a result, the whole body becomes insulin resistant, and blood sugar rises, leading to diabetes.
The new study shows why glucose is so important to fat cells. The team discovered a new version of a gene inside fat cells that responds to sugar with a powerful systemic effect.
"If we change that one gene, that makes the animal more prone to or more protected from diabetes," said senior author Barbara Kahn MD, the George R. Minot Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine at BIDMC. "Many foods get converted into sugar, so there is no need to eat more sugar."
The paper is published online April 1 in the journal Nature. In the study, the BIDMC researchers pinpointed the fat gene and its effect in mouse models of human obesity and insulin resistance and reported supporting evidence from fat tissue samples from both lean and obese people.
"Two things were surprising -- first, that a lone gene could shift the metabolism of the fat cell so dramatically and then, that turning on this master switch selectively in adipose tissue is beneficial to the whole body," Kahn said. Twelve years ago, Kahn first demonstrated that fat cells are a master regulator of healthy levels of glucose and insulin in mice and require sugar to do the job.
"The general conception of fat as all bad is not true," said first author Mark Herman MD, an Instructor in Medicine at BIDMC and Harvard Medical School (HMS). "Obesity is commonly associated with metabolic dysfunction that puts people at higher risk for diabetes, stroke and heart disease, but there is a large percentage of obese people who are metabolically healthy. We started with a mouse model that disassociates obesity from its adverse effects."
In the latest study, evidence suggests the newfound gene also may account for the protective effect of glucose uptake in human fat. German collaborators found more gene activity in people with greater insulin sensitivity, based on 123 adipose tissue samples from non-diabetic, glucose tolerant people. The fat gene activity also correlated highly with insulin sensitivity in obese, non-diabetic people, as measured in 38 fat samples by another pair of co-authors based in St. Louis.
"It's a really exciting finding," said Ulf Smith MD PhD, a professor at University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and president of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. He was not involved in this study. "We've been looking for the mechanism to try to understand why glucose metabolism in adipose tissue is so important for whole-body sensitivity to insulin." Eight years ago, Smith extended Kahn's original findings to people and also showed that fat cells that begin to have trouble taking in sugar can be an early indicator of diabetes. In healthy people, fat cells normally need about 10 percent of the sugars derived from food, he said.
In fat cells, the newfound gene acts as a glucose sensor that converts the sugars into fatty acids, which may play a role in the powerful systemic effect. In response to rising glucose levels, the gene makes a more active version of itself. The active version turns on the cellular machinery that disassembles the sugar molecules and remakes them into fatty acids. The novel version of this gene is called carbohydrate-responsive-element-binding protein-beta, or ChREBP-beta for short.
In the liver, where the original gene was discovered by other scientists, the same fatty acid synthesis process is harmful. There, the transformation of glucose into fatty acids raises triglycerides in the blood and leads to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
The mice in the latest study were first developed in Kahn's lab two decades ago to model a surprising feature of human obesity. The number of glucose transporters (GLUT4) drops with obesity -- but only on fat cells -- and it happens early in the development of diabetes. (GLUT4 is also found on muscle and heart cells.) Kahn generated mice with genetic alterations in the amount of GLUT4 in fat cells, seeking clues to the link between obesity and diabetes.
One set of mice features 5 to 10 times the usual number of glucose transporters in its fat cells. These mice are obese but exhibit none of the diseases usually associated with obesity. Another set of mice is missing the glucose transporters on their fat cells, which causes diabetes symptoms despite the fact that these mice have normal body weight.
"There's something very special about GLUT4," Kahn said. "When you wake up and haven't eaten all night, the GLUT4 transporters are inside the cell. Within minutes of eating and glucose reaching the blood and stimulating insulin secretion, the GLUT4 transporters move to the cell surface. It's reliable, fast, dynamic and critical to maintaining normal blood sugar after we eat."
Now, the Kahn team has identified how fat cells with GLUT4 can sense the change in glucose transport into the cell and respond by regulating insulin sensitivity in the entire body. The new study reveals a new, potent version of a gene that transforms glucose into fatty acids. "We definitely do not want to imply that people should eat more sugar," Kahn said.
In future research, the team will investigate whether the gene activity could be working directly through fatty acids or altering fat cells and the molecules they secrete in other ways. The BIDMC team is pursuing the fatty acid angle, in part because it seems to fly in the face of conventional wisdom.
The concept that some fatty acids might be beneficial is not new, but "until recently, it was thought that human adipose tissue was not capable of synthesizing many fatty acids," Herman said. In fact, beneficial fatty acids such as omega-3s from fish, and other fatty acids found in olive oil, are usually recommended as part of a healthy diet.
And the fatty acids humans do generate were not thought to be beneficial. "There is a mythology that elevated fatty acids in the blood are detrimental metabolically and generally signal insulin resistance in people," Kahn said. "Our study demonstrates that doesn't have to be the case. It raises the question of whether there are some special fatty acids being made as a result of upregulation of ChREBP."
The research was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, Boston Area Diabetes Endocrinology Research Center, Boston Nutrition Obesity Research Center, the Picower and JPB Foundations, a Fellowship from the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschft DFG.
In addition to Kahn and Herman, study coauthors include BIDMC investigators Odile D. Peroni, and Jorge Villoria; Michel R. Schon of Stadtisches Klinikum Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany; Nada A. Abumrad and Samuel Klein of Washington University School of Medicine; and Matthias Bluher of the University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
View the Original article
Sex education stagnating in U.S. schools, CDC says
Reuters – Thu, Apr 5, 2012 ATLANTA (Reuters) - Public schools in the United States are making "little progress" in expanding instruction in how to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, a new federal study concluded.
View the Original article
Between 2008 and 2010, the percentage of public schools teaching key topics on prevention did not increase in the 45 states surveyed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
In middle schools, 11 states saw declines during the two-year period and no state saw an increase, the CDC said. The level of instruction was stable in high schools.
"Little progress is how we're describing it," Laura Kann, one of the authors of the study, told Reuters.
The study did not explain why this type of instruction appears to be stagnating, Kann said. "The decision about what gets taught is a local decision," she said. "We asked schools what they are doing. We don't ask why."
Public school instruction can be effective in lowering rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, said Kann.
"We have evidence that teaching these topics can contribute to reduction in risk for HIV, STDs and pregnancy," she said.
The CDC survey found that the percentage of schools teaching all 11 of its suggested prevention topics in grades 6, 7, or 8 ranged from 12.6 percent in Arizona to 66.3 percent in New York.
Schools teaching eight of the suggested topics in grades 9-12 ranged from 45.3 percent in Alaska to 96.4 percent in New Jersey.
Suggested topics for both middle school and high school include the benefits of sexual abstinence.
The push for higher test scores in recent years could mean that schools are less likely to expand health education, Monica Rodriguez, president and chief executive of the nonprofit group, the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, told Reuters.
Also, the question of how best to teach students about preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases remains a divisive issue in many areas, Rodriguez said.
"For many teachers, it's often about fear, fear of controversy," she said.
(Editing by Philip Barbara)
View the Original article
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)