Identifying Why Some People Consume Excess Dietary Fat. A Twin Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$365,462.00
Summary
Obesity is a significant public health problem, yet some individuals are less susceptible to the development of obesity. High fat eating patterns are commonly associated with overweight/obesity. The taste system is the gatekeeper of digestion and the sense of taste responds to fat, and that the fat taste response is associated with obesity. Using twins as subjects to disentangle the influences of 'nature and nuture', in this project we will identify the mechanisms responsible for linking fat tas ....Obesity is a significant public health problem, yet some individuals are less susceptible to the development of obesity. High fat eating patterns are commonly associated with overweight/obesity. The taste system is the gatekeeper of digestion and the sense of taste responds to fat, and that the fat taste response is associated with obesity. Using twins as subjects to disentangle the influences of 'nature and nuture', in this project we will identify the mechanisms responsible for linking fat taste response to development of obesity.Read moreRead less
Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptors: A Role In The Promotion Of Mammary Gland Carcinogenesis By Dietary Fat.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$188,702.00
Summary
Breast cancer is a leading cause of death in Australian women. While some women have a hereditary predisposition to breast cancer, for most women a variety of factors are responsible for their disease. One thing that appears to be important as a cause of breast cancer is our diet. There are many components of the diet that may play a role. One important factor is the amount and type of fat that we consume. Just how dietary fat causes an increase in breast cancer is not known. What this project a ....Breast cancer is a leading cause of death in Australian women. While some women have a hereditary predisposition to breast cancer, for most women a variety of factors are responsible for their disease. One thing that appears to be important as a cause of breast cancer is our diet. There are many components of the diet that may play a role. One important factor is the amount and type of fat that we consume. Just how dietary fat causes an increase in breast cancer is not known. What this project aims to achieve is an understanding of how dietary fat and breast cancer are related. If we can understand this then we can rationally design treatments or a preventative strategy.Read moreRead less
Transforming Mealtime Insulin Dosing Using An Innovative New Bolusing Calculator To Optimise Glycaemic Control In Type 1 Diabetes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
People with type 1 diabetes require life-long insulin injections to maintain their blood glucose levels in the optimal range. Mealtime dose estimations based solely on carbohydrate have limited efficacy as they fail to take fat and protein into account. The aim of this project is to develop an evidence-based insulin bolusing calculator integrated into a smartphone app to enhance blood glucose control and reduce the daily burden of disease and the risk of life-threatening complications.
Dietary Fats As Drivers Of Obesity-related Inflammation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$336,767.00
Summary
Obesity leads to diabetes and heart disease but not all body fat seems to be bad. Increased fat around the waist (especially the visceral fat around the intestine and internal organs) is particularly bad. Visceral fat secretes a lot of inflammatory molecules. This research aims to understand how visceral fat becomes inflamed and how we might use diet and other methods to reduce both the amount of visceral fat and its level of inflammation; thus reducing both obesity and its health consequences.
The Effect Of Dietary Fatty Acids On Cellular Calcium Handling Mechanisms In Cardiac Muscle
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$275,765.00
Summary
A major health problem in the developed countries is cardiovascular disease, which is manifest as high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack and abnormalities of heart rhythm, or cardiac arrhythmias. A western diet, ie. one high in animal fat, or saturated fats, may be to blame. Human epidemiological studies have shown that consumption of a diet high in saturated fats is correlated with a propensity to arrhythmias while a diet high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) can confer protection from ....A major health problem in the developed countries is cardiovascular disease, which is manifest as high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack and abnormalities of heart rhythm, or cardiac arrhythmias. A western diet, ie. one high in animal fat, or saturated fats, may be to blame. Human epidemiological studies have shown that consumption of a diet high in saturated fats is correlated with a propensity to arrhythmias while a diet high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) can confer protection from coronary heart disease and cardiac arrhythmias. The mechanisms underlying these effects are not fully understood. The contraction of the heart depends on changes in calcium inside the individual muscle cells. Abnormalities of the way calcium is handled in the cells leads to abnormalities of contraction and to a certain types of arrhythmia. Over the last 5 to 10 years, technological developments have enabled us to examine changes in calcium in living heart cells at microscopic level. It is possible to fill individual living cells with a fluorescent dye which changes either the magnitude or the wavelength of its fluorescence according to the ambient calcium concentration. Cells filled with these dyes are examined with a laser scanning confocal microscope, in which a very tightly focussed laser beam excites the dye and the resulting fluorescence is gathered by a computer controlled image analysis system. In this way we can measure the calcium concentration within the cells with a spatial resolution of about 1-1000 of a millimetre, and a time resolution of about 1-100 of a second. Using these techniques, we have found that supplementing the diet of rats with either PUFAs or saturated fats produces a dramatic change in the way that calcium is stored and released in their heart cells. This effect of dietary fats has not been reported before, and it may represent an important clue as to how these substances protect against many cardiac arrhythmias.Read moreRead less
The Development Of Overweight And Bone Density Among Adolescent Girls: A 3-year Prospective Cohort Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$280,351.00
Summary
Being overweight as an adolescent is associated with many health problems, both during adolescence and throughout the rest of the life span. The proportion of Australian adults who are overweight is increasing rapidly and it appears that overweight is also increasing among Australian adolescents. Unfortunately, little is known about the relative influences of physical activity, sedentary activity and dietary fat intake on the development of overweight among adolescents. Understanding this issue ....Being overweight as an adolescent is associated with many health problems, both during adolescence and throughout the rest of the life span. The proportion of Australian adults who are overweight is increasing rapidly and it appears that overweight is also increasing among Australian adolescents. Unfortunately, little is known about the relative influences of physical activity, sedentary activity and dietary fat intake on the development of overweight among adolescents. Understanding this issue will inform our efforts to prevent the development of overweight and to maintain healthy weight among Australian adolescents. Bone fractures among older adults have a major impact on their overall health, quality of life and capacity for independent and satisfying living. Peak bone strength is reached during adolescence and, although bone strength can be largely maintained though adult life with appropriate diet and physical activity, little can be done to further strengthen bones during adulthood. The goal of public health is to foster the development of maximum bone strength among adolescents in order to reduce the severity of osteoporosis among the older adults of the future. Our understanding of the factors which influence the development of maximum bone strength is inadequate to the task of designing programs and interventions intended maximise bone strength among the current generation of adolescents. This proposed study is intended to make a significant contribution to our understanding of the development of overweight and bone strength among adolescents. As our understanding of these health issues improves we will be able to make more effective contributions to the health of the Australian population, both during adolescence and across the lifespan.Read moreRead less
The Obesity Prone Oocyte- Causes, Consequences, Treatments
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$516,159.00
Summary
Obesity is perpetuated from mothers to offspring, in part due to changes in the oocyte (egg) that affect embryo growth. We have discovered that obesity causes changes in the mitochondria (the energy producers) of the egg. We hypothesise this causes long-lasting changes to embryo metabolism and will test, in mice, novel treatments to reverse the detrimental effects. The project will show how obesity affects embryo metabolism and growth, and determine whether defects can be prevented by drugs or l ....Obesity is perpetuated from mothers to offspring, in part due to changes in the oocyte (egg) that affect embryo growth. We have discovered that obesity causes changes in the mitochondria (the energy producers) of the egg. We hypothesise this causes long-lasting changes to embryo metabolism and will test, in mice, novel treatments to reverse the detrimental effects. The project will show how obesity affects embryo metabolism and growth, and determine whether defects can be prevented by drugs or lifestyle changes.Read moreRead less