2002

Enzyme Implicated in Insulin Resistance - Nov. 22, 2002.
Bloated fat conveys its distress by releasing proteins called cytokines (some of which mediate inflammation) and fatty acids. Now, researchers have found an enzyme in cells that listens to fat's biochemical angst and responds by turning down insulin signaling.

'Fat Bias': A Barrier to the Treatment of Obese Patients - Sept. 27, 2002.
There seem to be few prejudices left that are considered socially appropriate to act upon. Of the remaining biases, fat bias is perhaps the most prominently featured in media, work, and social life in the U.S.

Hormone Leptin Tied to Fat Breakdown in Muscle - Feb. 8, 2002.
Metabolic disorders like diabetes and obesity are entangled in a complex relationship whose ins and outs are often murky. Both stem from malfunctions in the body's fuel engines--a vast machinery of metabolic processes that turn glucose and fatty acids into energy.

2001

Animal Model for Obesity Developed - Dec. 14, 2001.
The best predictor of the common health consequences of obesity--including diabetes and unhealthy blood lipid levels--is not the total amount of body fat but the quantity of visceral fat surrounding the organs deep in the abdomen.

Does Uncoupling Protein Make Good Beta Cells Go Bad? - July 13, 2001.
A mitochondrial protein once believed to have the potential to predict obesity in people may explain how pancreatic beta cells go bad in Type II diabetes.

Faculty Give Alums Refresher Course - June 22, 2001.
Jeffrey Flier, the George C. Reisman professor of medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, talked about the recent discovery of the leptin hormone and its role in obesity.

Macrophage Protein May Block Atherosclerosis - June 8, 2001.
Forget about exercise. Abandon your low-fat diet. Pull up a couch, turn on the TV, and unwrap that burger. Imagine being able to wallow in the modern American lifestyle without having to pay the price later in heart disease and diabetes.

Breast-feeding May Limit Teenage Obesity - May 18, 2001.
More months on breast milk for infants may mean fewer pounds on teens later on, according to a study of 15,000 boys and girls.

2000

Brain Found to Play Unexpected Role in Type II Diabetes - September 29, 2000.
Defects in the brain's ability to respond to insulin could contribute to some of the central symptoms of adult, or Type II, diabetes, including obesity and lowered fertility.