Gene Therapy May Yield ‘Magic’ Weight Loss Pill

In the War on Obesity, the only weapons are a healthy diet and active lifestyle – plus bariatric surgery as a weapon of last resort.

What’s needed is a secret weapon – a magic weight loss pill that would allow people to eat whatever they want without putting on weight. But that’s impossible, right?

Maybe not.  Scientists at the University of California at Berkeley say that MGAT2 – a gene found in mice and humans – produces an intestinal enzyme that causes the body to store fat instead of burning it. In their experiments, mice with the MGAT2 gene were fed a high fat diet and got fat; mice without MGAT2 were fed the same diet and stayed slim.

If the same holds true for humans, scientists could theoretically create a pill that “turns off” MGAT2 in people – and the “magic” weight loss pill could become a reality in the fight against obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

But don’t break out the donuts just yet. Even with a weight loss pill, we’d still have to eat a healthy diet –those donuts are pretty much empty calories. And exercise is important for all sorts of health reasons.

Yes, research will continue, but, unfortunately, today there is no secret weapon in the war on obesity.

In our WLS News report for April 3, 2009, find out about a gene that is turning carbs into fat; discover how prenatal exposure to the insecticide DDT may play a role in the obesity epidemic; and learn why Boston authorities are expressing concern about the weight of EMS recruits.

Plus, we’ll tell you what researchers have discovered about the health risks of even moderate obesity after reviewing data on nearly a million people, and explain how experiments on drugs for Parkinson’s disease may lead to the development of a medication to treat obesity. And our Internet gal-on-the-go, Yvonne McCarthy, will highlight a brand new social networking site specifically for weight loss surgery patients. Click the player below to see this week’s newscast!

Organizations mentioned in this week’s news:

• University of California Berkeley
• Roger H.F. Wong (graduate student – UC Berkeley)
• Michigan State University
• Occupational and Environmental Medicine (medical journal)
• Dr. Janet Osuch, Professor of Surgery and Epidemiology, MSU College of Human Medicine
• Boston University School of Medicine
• Boston Medical Center
• Harvard Medical School
• Cambridge Health Alliance
• NAWLS – National Association for Weight Loss Surgery
• Bariatric Girl (Yvonne McCarthy’s WLS support site)
• University of Florida McKnight Brain Institute
• Ron Mandel, Assoc. Professor of Neuroscience, Univ. of Florida
• Bariatric Advantage (nutritional supplements)

Tune into the March 27, 2009, edition of WLS News, to learn how excess abdominal fat can affect fertility in women, and how new scientific developments may lead to a magic bullet to treat obesity. We’ll also explore the harm that obesity can cause children as young as three years old, as well as how excess weight and related co-morbidities can speed the onset of dementia.

Plus we’ll find out whether an innovative gene therapy might provide a new treatment option for adults who struggle with their weight. And reporter Yvonne McCarthy, host of WLS Journeys, will highlight a wonderful website devoted to helping women practice better self-care. Click the player below to see this week’s newscast!

Organizations mentioned in this week’s news:

• The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
• Dr. Doreen Moser, D.O., F.A.C.O.G. (Fertility Specialist)
• Centers for Disease Control
• The Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami
• Sarah E. Messiah, Ph.D.
• The University of California at Berkeley Nutritional Science & Toxicology Laboratory
• First Ourselves (self-care for women)
• Bariatric Girl (Yvonne McCarthy’s WLS support site)
• University of California-San Francisco Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease
• Ohio State University Medical Center
• FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research
• Bariatric Advantage (nutritional supplements)