Survival of the fattest

Survival of the fattest
Morgani and Brickman

Published: 26/11/2013

Experiments on the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum show that the origins of lineage bias in this system lie in the nutritional history of individual cells. Clues to the molecular basis for this process suggest similar forces may be at work in early mammalian development.

Myth: Exercise is one sure way to lose all the weight you desire.

Myth: Exercise is one sure way to lose all the weight you desire.

Fact: Exercise will lead to effective weight loss only if combined
with low calorie diet. Doing regular exercise alone has multiple
benefits (metabolism, cardiovascular, fitness), but long-term weight
loss may not occur.

Myth: There are specific exercises to reduce abdominal fat.

Fact: It is a common belief that exercise and training a particular
body part will preferentially shed the fat on that part. All types of
aerobic and resistance exercises will lead to generalized fat
reduction including abdominal fat. Despite popular advice to do
various exercises, which are aimed at fat reduction at specific places
including abdomen, there is no scientific basis to it. These exercises,
however, may increase the tone of abdominal muscles.


Myth: I am active during work; I do not need any kind of exercise.

Fact: If activity during work means taking a walk or any kind of
strenuous physical activity for 30-45 minutes daily, then it will lead
to benefits. However, any kind of sedentary work (sitting/desk job)
with minimal walking does not have any benefit and should not be
counted as being active. All patients with diabetes will need
exercise outside their working hours (leisure-time physical activity).

Myth: The prime time for exercising and working out is in
the morning.
Fact: Exercise can be done at any time during the day; however, it
is best to avoid exercise after meals, especially in elderly and those
with heart problems. The total time of exercise (e.g. 45—60 minutes)
can also be spent in doing short bouts of exercise several times a
day (e.g. fifteen minutes 3—4 times daily).

Myth: Use of vibrating exercise machines, rhythmic
movement machines which are used while lying, or sauna
belts are as good as doing aerobic exercise.
 
Fact: These machines that are mentioned above do not lead to any
long-term weight loss and do not have any proven scientific benefit.

some common abbreviations related to Medical nutrition

ATP Adenosine triphosphate
BMI Body mass index
CHD Coronary heart disease
CI Confidence interval
COMA Committee on Medical Aspects of
Food and Nutrition Policy
CRP C‐reactive protein
CVD Cardiovascular disease
DASH Dietary Approaches to Stop
Hypertension
DHA Docosahexaenoic acid
DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid
EFSA European Food Safety Authority
ELISA Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay
EPA Eicosapentaenoic acid
FMD Flow‐mediated dilatation
GI Glycaemic index
GL Glycaemic load
GWAS Genome‐wide association study
HDL High‐density lipoprotein
HR Hazard ratio
IL Interleukin
IU International units
LDL Low‐density lipoprotein
LRNI Lower reference nutrient intake
MI Myocardial infarction
miRNA Micro ribonucleic acid
mRNA Messenger ribonucleic acid
MUFA Monounsaturated fatty acid
NEFA Non‐esterified fatty acid
NICE National Institute for Health and Care
Excellence
NO Nitric oxide
NOS Nitric oxide synthase
OR Odds ratio
PAI Plasminogen activator inhibitor
PHE Public Health England
PPAR Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor
PUFA Polyunsaturated fatty acid
PVD Peripheral vascular disease
PYY Peptide YY
RCT Randomized controlled trial
RNA Ribonucleic acid
RNI Reference nutrient intake
RR Relative risk
SACN Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition
SCFA Short‐chain fatty acid
SD Standard deviation
SFA Saturated fatty acid
SNP Single nucleotide polymorphism
TNF Tumour necrosis factor
tPA Tissue plasminogen activator
TRL Triglyceride‐rich lipoprotein
VLDL Very low‐density lipoprotein
vWF von Willebrand factor
WHO World Health Organization

Weight conscious v weight obsessed

Weight conscious v weight obsessed

Pros and cons of plant-based diet
Associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, some cancers
Less processed
Higher in fibre
Rich in fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains
Vegetarian diets higher in vitamins A, C, and E; thiamin, riboflavin, folate, calcium, and magnesium
Lower carbon footprint
✖Acceptability is limited
✖Need to rely less on convenient/fast food
✖Not necessarily low in calories
✖Skills needed to make it tasty?
✖Not enough support to improve compliance

Trends with Benefits 2: Protein for satiety
•Protein is the most satiating nutrient
•Better able to control appetite
•High-protein, low-carb diets v high-carb, low-protein diets: high-protein diets just, if not more, as effective.
•Drop your calories, and protein usually drops too. Protein needs should be based on body weight, not calories.

Pros and cons of high protein diet
Sounds more exciting than sensible eating
More likely to appeal to men
Satiety
Lower fat high protein foods provide other nutrients (e.g.B12, zinc)
No exclusion of whole food groups
Research suggests less loss of lean tissue/muscle
✖As a population, we already eat enough protein
✖No permitted EFSA claim for satiety
✖What is high protein? Too high is harmful
✖Could lead to high intake of saturated fat (think fatty meats), and red /processed meats
✖May not be appropriate for people with diabetes

“terminator seeds” controversy ; can it have some good use

Although “terminator seeds” have never been planted anywhere in the world, the myths surrounding GURT have been weaponized by GMO opponents to stop developing countries from researching and cultivating disease-resistant and vitamin-fortified crops, innovations that have nothing to do with GURT. This campaign represents a serious threat to farmers and consumers in India, Africa and southeast Asia, biologist Mary Mangan has explained:

And here’s where the real sadness of the story arc comes in: the lies, distortions, and conflations about this patent have been used to prevent farmers from utilizing tools of modern agriculture that could increase their yields, improve their health by reducing pesticide use and increase food security in their communities …. These applications have nothing to do with GURT, and spreading terminator seed propaganda to keep them off the market would be harmful to local scientists, farmers and consumers.

While critics point to the potential negative impact of this technology on seed-saving farmers, there are benefits that could be gained through the use of this technology. Terminator technology could guarantee that GMO seeds would not spread to neighboring fields, what’s known as cross pollination, often framed as ‘contamination’ by organic farmers and GMO critics. Wrote Heidi Ledford in Nature:

More recently, terminator technology has begun to look more appealing to environmentalists. Organic farmers want ways to keep genetically engineered crops from contaminating their fields, and food-safety groups are concerned about contamination of food crops with products from a new generation of crops engineered to produce chemicals or pharmaceuticals. By ensuring that genetically modified plants survive for only one planting, “that technology would have alleviated a lot of environmental concerns”, says Christopher Holman, an intellectual-property specialist at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law.

There are also potential pharmaceutical uses for the technology, including the development of “bioreactor” plants modified to produce vaccines or to serve as diagnostic tools.  Mark Lynas, a visiting fellow at Cornell University and Lúcia de Souza, plant biologist and vice president of the Brazilian National Association of Biosafety wrote:

A continued ban on GURT may sound sensible and precautionary, but could harm our potential to develop lifesaving vaccines and environmentally beneficial crops. Scientists should be allowed to conduct research, and society can later decide – through open, inclusive and democratic debate – how or if these technologies are later deployed more widely.