Achieving More Effective Weight Loss With Intermittent Energy Restriction
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,373,874.00
Summary
Part of the difficulty in achieving lasting weight loss is that the body responds to dieting with compensatory changes in appetite, metabolic rate & blood hormone levels. We have shown in men that alternating phases of energy restriction with periods of greater food intake markedly improves weight loss by overcoming this “famine reaction”. This study will examine if the intermittent diet also produces more effective weight loss in women, and whether it is applicable to the wider community.
Muscle Thermogenesis In Models Of Predisposition To Obesity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$469,289.00
Summary
Obesity is a major health crisis, but effective treatments remain elusive. Body weight is determined by a balance of food intake and energy expenditure. Understanding both sides of this equation is essential to combating obesity. This project will show that the rate at which muscle uses energy is an important determinant of energy balance and contributes to the propensity to become obese. The work will define muscle as a target for developing anti-obesity therapies.
NPY Coordination Of Energy Balance And Physical Activity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$844,596.00
Summary
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is an eating disorder characterized by behavioral alterations, restrictive eating leading to extremely low body weight. AN is also associated with a paradoxical hyperactivity representing a failure of the brain to adjust activity to energy status. Here we aim to investigate the role of the Neuropeptide Y (NPY), a known regulator of homeostatic control and activity in the development of hyperactivity in AN, thus help to identify NPY-targeted therapeutics for AN treatment.
New Approaches For The Discovery Of Obesity Causing Genes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$863,910.00
Summary
Obesity is a major health problem and treatments are ineffective. My team’s focus is to identify new candidate genes that control appetite and body fat mass and how this leads to the development of obesity or the other extreme, anorexia. We will use whole genome sequence analysis in humans and functionally validate the newly identified genes in model organisms like mice and flies. Results from this study will eventually form the basis for personalized and general health care in the future.
Central Neural Circuits Subserving Nutrient–activated Thermogenesis - The Basis Of Post Prandial Energy Expenditure
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$766,207.00
Summary
Studies of “energy burning” brown fat, including its importance in the determination of obesity in humans and the potential to increase its capacity by turning white fat into brown-like fat are currently foremost in obesity research. Here we study the detail of brain pathways that dictate brown fat activity after a meal resulting in the burning of ingested calories and reduction of body weight. The results will give us a better idea of how we can harness brown fat to combat obesity.
RANKL, A Critical New Player In The Coordination Of Whole Body Energy Homeostasis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$842,946.00
Summary
Imbalances in food intake and energy expenditure can lead to the development of obesity or anorexia. Conserved mechanisms are in place to coordinate the energy requirements of organs and tissues. The main centre is the brain which receives, processes and sends out information to accommodate the needs of the different tissues. Bone tissue in particular is in need of a lot of energy. Factors produced by bone are therefore critical in the coordination of whole body energy homeostasis.