It is clear that the rate of obesity is increasing dramatically. Better therapeutic strategies are required to treat this debilitating disease. In this study we will determine the effects of sugary drinks on the amount of food eaten and subsequent changes in weight gain. By understanding how sugary drinks affect rates of weight gain we will be able to formulate better strategies to combat obesity.
Restricting Dietary Advanced Glycation End Product Intake As A Potential Therapeutic Tool In Diabetic Nephropathy.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$483,351.00
Summary
Kidney disease is a serious complication of diabetes and may occur as a result of a biochemical process known as advanced glycation. These advanced glycation end products (AGEs) accumulate in the kidney causing disruption of function. Due to modern food processing techniques, the Australian diet has a high AGE content. Over-eating foods which are high in AGEs may worsen diabetic kidney disease. This proposal will test the effects of dietary AGE restriction and overfeeding on kidney function.
Effects Of Dietary Protein On Gastrointestinal Function: Implications For The Regulation Of Energy Intake In Obesity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$677,157.00
Summary
Obesity is largely due to energy intake exceeding energy expenditure. The CI has reported that dietary protein markedly reduces energy intake but the mechanisms underlying this effect remain unknown. The proposed studies will determine whether gastrointestinal mechanisms are involved in the regulation of appetite and energy intake and how they relate to body weight reduction in obese subjects. The research represents a unique approach to the management of obesity and health.
Fat Sensing In The Gut: Role In Appetite Regulation In Health And Obesity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$391,076.00
Summary
Dr Little has an international reputation for her research relating to the sensing of nutrients in the gut. During the next 4 years her goal is to establish herself as an independent researcher leading a team and program focussed on characterising the molecular and physiological mechanisms by which fat is sensed in the gut, and the role of these mechanisms in energy intake regulation in health and obesity. These insights are likely to result in more effective management strategies for obesity.
Ageing And Latelife Health: Calories, Macronutrients Or Branched Chain Amino Acids?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$746,459.00
Summary
The prevailing dogma of ageing research has been that a substantive reduction in caloric intake maintained over a lifetime will delay ageing and age-related pathologies (caloric restriction - CR). Yet CR does not differentiate between the effects of reduced intake of calories versus specific macronutrients, nor can it assess the impact of balance of macronutrients. This application seeks to disentangle the role of CR and macronutrients on their effects on healthspan and lifespan in mice.
Interactions Between Protein Leverage, Variety, And Dietary Carbohydrate And Fat Content In The Control Of Energy Intake In Humans
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$580,950.00
Summary
Most attempts to understand human vulnerability to obesity have focussed on fat and carbohydrate, yet recent studies have shown a powerful role for protein: we eat more calories when dietary protein concentration is low. But how does protein interact with other aspects of the diet, notably the prodigious variety of foods available in modern environments and the balance of fat to carbohydrate? We will use controlled trials to investigate how these factors contribute to excess energy intake.
Effects Of Dietary Amino And Fatty Acids On Energy Intake And Glycaemia - Implications For Novel Approaches To The Management Of Obesity And Type 2 Diabetes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$584,032.00
Summary
Current obesity treatments are limited in efficacy or have adverse effects. Our research has shown that specific fatty acids and amino acids markedly suppress energy intake and reduce blood glucose, without adverse effects. The goal of the proposed work is to evaluate the translational potential of these discoveries in obese diabetic patients. Ultimately, we hope to develop the findings from this research into novel, nutrient-based strategies for the management/prevention of obesity/diabetes.
I am a physiologist focused on the role of dietary protein on excess weight gain. In the proposed study, I will examine energy balance in lean and overweight individuals in response to a 4-day covertly manipulated 10, 15 or 25% protein diet. We will measure effects on hunger using subjective ratings and hormone levels and the affects on energy expenditure including resting metabolic rate, the energy it takes to digest food and physical activity levels.
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.
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.