Leptin and the regulation of substrate partitioning

Funding Activity

Website
http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/107260

Funding Status
Closed

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Funded Activity Summary

The prevalence of obesity is increasing with currently 18% of adult Australians being classified as obese. Obesity, particularly abdominal obesity, is associated with high blood lipid levels and blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. In Australia, the cost of obesity is estimated to be $830 million per year. The ultimate aim of any obesity treatment programme is to reduce body fatness by burning off fat and to prevent further fat storage and so studies which focus on developing strategies to achieve these goals are very important. We have found that subjects who fail to keep weight off after being on a weight-reducing diet are bad fat burners. These people also have low levels of leptin, a hormone made by fat cells which helps to regulate food intake. The first aim of this study is to show that leptin increases the burning of fat by regulating the production and activity of factors which decide whether fat is used for energy or is stored in the body. The second aim is to find ways in which leptin levels can be changed so that fat burning is increased. Some of the ways in which we will change leptin levels are by changing the fat content of the diet, or by drugs, or by giving leptin itself. These studies will be performed in animal models of obesity and will help us to develop strategies for the treatment and prevention of obesity in humans.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2000

End Date: 01-01-2002

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $349,876.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Nutritional science

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

adipocyte metabolism during the development of obesity | cardiovascular risk | diabetes (type 2) - aetiology and treatment | dietary modulation and substrate partitioning | insulin resistance | leptin effects on lipid oxidation | obesity - aetiology and treatment | treatment of obesity

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