Word: overweightness
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...represents the sum of a bewildering network of overlapping metabolic pathways, all designed to protect the body from starvation by packing on as many pounds as possible. In addition, not everybody gains weight the same way, so a drug targeting one pathway will probably not work for all overweight people. "The whole feeding mechanism is a survival mechanism, and it is strongly defended for that purpose," explains Ken Batchelor of GlaxoSmithKline. "What we are attempting to do with pharmacology is to reverse that process...
...cells by attacking proteins embedded in the blood vessels that feed those cells. In experiments on obese mice, their excess fat melted away in a matter of weeks. Not only did this strategy eliminate fat tissue--the animals lost 30% of their body weight--but mice that were dangerously overweight quickly regained their health. In fact, early signs of diabetes reversed, fat no longer accumulated in the liver, and cholesterol and glucose levels dropped to normal. "We don't know if this will happen in people," warns Dr. Wadih Arap, a co-leader of the study. "But conceptually...
Nobody wants his kid to be fat. Aside from the serious health issues, there's the gym-class issue, the last-one-picked-for-the-team issue, the clothes-shopping issue and, alas, the meanness issue. Being an overweight kid is often painful. Other kids can be cruel; even teachers can be biased. And, let's face it, a blubbery kid is a bad reflection on the parent. It suggests too much junk food in the pantry, too much time in front of the TV and other failures of parental oversight. For a parent who also carries too many pounds...
...child who's overweight as a teenager has an 80% chance of being overweight as an adult, so preventing obesity--with family meals that instill good eating habits and family outings that involve plenty of activity--is a parent's best bet. But what if you've lost that bet? What if your child is one of the 30% of kids who are either overweight or "at risk"? How can you turn the tide without making him or her more miserable, more resentful of you and more obsessed with eating, or, just as perilous, not eating? Here are some pointers...
...easy for kids to become obsessed with the scale. Tanner suggests talking about nutrients instead of pounds. "Have a meeting to discuss the family's health without singling anyone out," she says. "One thing you don't want to say is, 'I've got one skinny kid and one overweight kid.'" Sometimes kids want to talk about a weight problem, but it's best to listen for their cues, says psychiatrist Denise Wilfley of Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. Books can also open up conversations. For ages 9 to 12, Dalton suggests Paula Danziger...