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Orexigen(R) Therapeutics Announces Completion Of Patient Enrollment In Phase III Clinical Program For Contrave(R) Orexigen® Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: OREX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of central nervous system disorders, including obesity, announced completion of enrollment in NB-303 and NB-304, the final two Phase III clinical trials for Contrave®, its lead obesity product candidate. Today's announcement marks the completion of patient enrollment for the full Contrave Phase III program, keeping Contrave on track for an NDA submission to the FDA in late 2009. Increased Risks For Infection And Dislocation Faced By Obese Patients Following Revision Hip Replacement Surgery Along with age and injuries, obesity is a leading risk factor for osteoarthritis (OA), a painful and disabling joint disease. While excessive weight can aggravate the toll on almost any joint, obesity has been associated with a higher prevalence of hip OA and an increase in total hip arthroplasty (THA). Whether obese hip OA patients are more prone to postsurgical complications, however, remains open to debate and investigation, since the results of existing studies conflict. Obesity Linked To Increased Risk For Dementia Obesity may increase adults' risk for having dementia, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Their analysis of published obesity and dementia prospective follow-up studies over the past two decades shows a consistent relationship between the two diseases. The results are published by The International Association for the Study of Obesity in the May, 2008 issue of Obesity Reviews. Too Much Or Too Little Weight Gain Poses Risks To Pregnant Mothers, Babies Women who gain more or less than recommended amounts of weight during pregnancy are likely to increase the risk of problems for both themselves and their child, according to a new report by the RTI International-University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Evidence-based Practice Center.The report, which was supported by the U.S. Sleeping Too Much Or Too Little Linked To Poor Health Habits, CDC Study A new study suggests that American adults who usually sleep fewer than 6 hours a night are more likely to have poor health habits than those who sleep 7 to 8 hours. The findings also suggest a similar poor pattern of health behaviours for those who usually sleep 9 hours or more. However, the authors were keen to stress that the finding do not prove that too much or too little sleep causes poor health behaviours, or the other way around. Increased Commitment To Prevention A Must, Australia The Australian Medical Association rejected a think tank report that labels efforts to prevent obesity and chronic diseases a waste of money. The Centre for Independent Studies claims that there is no convincing evidence that preventative health measures work, and Australia's 40-year track record of public health education campaigns have not achieved outcomes. Caution Recommended For New Anti-Obesity Drug In Children A new class of anti-obesity drugs that suppresses appetite by blocking cannabinoid receptors in the brain could also suppress the adaptive rewiring of the brain necessary for neural development in children, studies with mice have indicated. One such drug, rimonabant (trade name Acomplia) has been developed by Sanofi-Aventis and is awaiting approval for use in the U.S., and other pharmaceutical companies are developing similar drugs. Obesity Significantly Raises Dementia Risk - Underweight Also Raises Risk Being obese can increase the risk of Alzheimer's Disease by as much as 80 percent, according to a study in the May issue of Obesity Reviews.But it's not just weight gain that poses a risk. People who are underweight also havean elevated risk of dementia, unlike people who are normal weight or overweight. Misinformation Linking Natural Fats To Obesity And Heart Disease Exposed By Author In New Book As heart disease and obesity continue to plague the US, many people believe that the recent proliferation of high-fat diets is the major culprit. As a consequence, many people aim to significantly reduce the amount of saturated fats they consume with the hope that they will be slimmer, healthier, and happier. However, many leading researchers in the medical field have found that this is simply not the case. Food Made To Appear More Delicious By Gut Hormone A gut hormone that causes people to eat more does so by making food appear more desirable, suggests a new report in the May issue of Cell Metabolism, a publication of Cell Press. In a brain imaging study of individuals, the researchers found that reward centers respond more strongly to pictures of food in subjects who had received an infusion of the hormone known as ghrelin. Appetite Decreased And Weight Loss Promoted By Blocking Brain Enzyme Imagine being able to tone down appetite and promote weight loss, while improving the body's ability to handle blood sugar levels.That's just what Tony Means, PhD, and his team at the Duke University Medical Center were able to do when they blocked a brain enzyme, CaMKK2, in mice. Removing Barriers To Physical Activity In Child Care Centers At a time when over half of US children (aged 3-6) are in child care centers, and growing concern over childhood obesity has led physicians to focus on whether children are getting enough physical activity, a new study of outdoor physical activity at child care centers, conducted by researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, has identified some surprising reasons why the kids may be staying inside. Not All Fat Created Equal It has long been known that type 2 diabetes is linked to obesity, particularly fat inside the belly. Now, researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center have found that fat from other areas of the body can actually reduce insulin resistance and improve insulin sensitivity.In a study published in the May issue of Cell Metabolism, a team lead by C. Ronald Kahn, M.D. Getting Obesity Under Control - Australian Medican Association Position Statement On Obesity The Australian Medical Association called on the food industry to take more responsibility in curbing Australia's obesity epidemic. AMA President, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, said governments should take firm action to encourage the food industry to adopt measures to promote healthy eating. Second Genetic Link To Weight And Obesity - New DNA Variants Found That Can Help To Pile On The Pounds A study of 90,000 people has uncovered new genetic variants that influence fat mass, weight and risk of obesity. The variants act in addition to the recently described variants of the FTO gene: adults carrying variants in both genes are, on average, 3.8 kg (or 8.5 lb) heavier. The variants map close to a gene called MC4R: mutations in this gene are the most common genetic cause of severe familial obesity. Amylin Pharmaceuticals Initiates Phase 2B Dose-Ranging Clinical Study Of Pramlintide/Metreleptin Combination Treatment In Obesity Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMLN) announced the initiation of a Phase 2B clinical study evaluating various dosing combinations of pramlintide, an analog of the natural hormone amylin, and recombinant human leptin (r-metHuLeptin; metreleptin) for the treatment of obesity. The objective of this dose-ranging study is to support dose selection for Phase 3, and to inform the ongoing development of a convenient delivery system for this combination regimen. Your Fat Cell Numbers Remain Constant Throughout Your Life The number of fat cells you have remains fairly constant throughout your life, regardless of whether or not you diet, or are thin or fat, say researchers at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden. In a study published in Nature they have demonstrated that we continually create new fat cells to replace those that are breaking down. New DNA Variants Found That Can Help To Pile On The Pounds A study of 90,000 people has uncovered new genetic variants that influence fat mass, weight and risk of obesity. The variants act in addition to the recently described variants of the FTO gene: adults carrying variants in both genes are, on average, 3.8 kg (or 8.5 lb) heavier.The variants map close to a gene called MC4R: mutations in this gene are the most common genetic cause of severe familial obesity. Gene Sequence That Can Make Half Of Us Fatter Is Discovered A gene sequence linked to an expanding waist line, weight gain and a tendency to develop type 2 diabetes has been discovered as part of a study published in the journal Nature Genetics.The study also shows that the gene sequence is significantly more common in those with Indian Asian than European ancestry. The research, which was funded by the British Heart Foundation, could lead to better ways of treating obesity. Dairy Products, Weight Loss And Misleading Advertisements There have been recent claims that dairy products can help people lose weight, and the dairy industry has hyped the assertion by investing millions of dollars in commercial advertising. However, a new review of the evidence published in the journal Nutrition Reviews reveals that neither dairy nor calcium intake promotes weight loss. Short Sleep Duration And Obesity: A Consistent, Worldwide Association A study published in the May 1 issue of the journal SLEEP is the first attempt to quantify the strength of the cross-sectional relationships between duration of sleep and obesity in both children and adults. Cross-sectional studies from around the world show a consistent increased risk of obesity among short sleepers in children and adults, the study found.Francesco P. News From The May 2008 Journal Of The American Dietetic Association The May 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association contains articles and research studies you may find of interest. Below is a summary of some of this month's articles.Americans Not Following MyPyramid Advice, Prefer Foods High in Fats and Added SugarsAmericans are not eating the most nutrient-dense forms of the basic food groups recommended in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid guidelines. Weight Loss Possible When Self-belief High If you are what you eat, what you eat has a lot to do with how you think about yourself, says a QUT PhD researcher whose study is part of an international research project on the healthy ageing of women. Queensland University of Technology nursing researcher Rhonda Anderson said self-efficacy had emerged as a strong influence on women's decision to do more exercise or eat more healthily. Obesity Worsens Impact of Asthma Obesity can worsen the impact of asthma and may also mask its severity in standard tests, according to researchers in New Zealand, who studied lung function in asthmatic women with a range of body mass indexes (BMIs). This is the first prospective study to reveal a significant comparative difference in how the airways and lungs respond to a simulated asthma attack in obese and non-obese individuals. Study In 7,000 Men And Women Ties Obesity, Inflammatory Proteins To Heart Failure Risk Heart specialists at Johns Hopkins and elsewhere report what is believed to be the first wide-scale evidence linking severe overweight to prolonged inflammation of heart tissue and the subsequent damage leading to failure of the body's blood-pumping organ.