People with obesity may be better off having breakfast every day and with regularity, suggests new research.

Does breakfast help you to lose weight, or does it have the opposite effect? Here at Medical News Today, we have been reporting on conflicting studies in this regard.

For instance, one large population study that we covered suggests that a large breakfast helps us to avoid snacking during the day, which keeps weight gain at bay.

Another study, on the other hand, suggests that skipping breakfast does nothing to affect our calorie intake throughout the day.

But most of these studies are observational and cannot tell us much about the mechanisms behind weight loss, our metabolism, and breakfast eating. A new study, however — which has just been published in the Journal of Physiology -- examines precisely such mechanisms.

The research, which was led by Javier Gonzalez, Ph.D., at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom, examines how breakfast affects the metabolism and fat cells of lean and obese individuals.

Lean people benefit from skipping breakfast

Gonzalez and team asked 49 adult participants to either have breakfast or fast until noon, every day, for 6 weeks.

Of the participants, 29 were classified as "lean" and 20 as "obese," according to their body mass index (BMI). The participants in the breakfast group consumed 350 kilocalories within 2 hours of waking up, while those in the fasting group had no energy intake until noon.

Both before and after the intervention, the team examined the patients' markers of cardiometabolic health, their appetite responses, and their body fat distribution.

In addition, they monitored the activity of 44 genes regulating key proteins, and the fat cells' ability to use glucose in response to insulin.

In lean people, skipping breakfast for 6 weeks increased the activity of genes that helped to burn fat, therefore improving metabolism. However, this effect was not seen in obese adults.

Adults with obesity are often resistant to insulin, which is the glucose-regulating hormone produced by the pancreas.

This new study revealed that in obese individuals, the fat cells could not take up as much glucose in response to insulin as lean individuals did. This effect seemed to be proportional to the individual's whole-body fat.

The researchers think that this is an adaptive mechanism in people with obesity, in which their body is trying to limit the amount of glucose their fat cells can take, so that it avoids storing additional fat.

"[B]y better understanding how fat responds to what and when we eat," says Gonzalez, "we can more precisely target those mechanisms. We may be able to uncover new ways to prevent the negative consequences of having a large amount of body fat, even if we cannot get rid of it."

He also lays out some limitations of the study, saying, "Since participants ate high-carb breakfasts, we cannot necessarily extrapolate our findings to other types of breakfasts, particularly those with high protein content."

"Our future studies will also explore how breakfast interacts with other lifestyle factors such as exercise," adds Gonzalez.

Scientists' projections for diabetes- and obesity-related cancers worldwide are not at all encouraging.

Researchers at several institutions worldwide — including Imperial College London in the United Kingdom and the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Lyon, France — have recently established that cancers related to metabolic diseases, especially diabetes and obesity, have an increasingly high incidence.

According to the team's data, 5.6 percent of all cancer cases throughout the world in 2012 were linked to pre-existing diabetes and a high body mass index (BMI), which is defined as over 25 kilograms per square meter.

Of this total, 3.9 percent of cases were attributable to diabetes — almost twice as many cases as were related to a high BMI.

Lead study author Dr. Jonathan Pearson-Stuttard and colleagues also worked out the estimates for the probable incidence of cancers related to diabetes and other metabolic disease in the next few years, and their prognosis is not encouraging.

The researchers' study findings were published yesterday in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal.

Diabetes, high BMI increasingly dangerous

According to reports published last year in The Lancet, around 422 million adults worldwide live with diabetes, and 2.01 billion adults are overweight or obese.

These numbers are particularly concerning, since diabetes and obesity are established risk factors for many different types of cancer, such as colorectal and pancreatic cancer, as well as cancer of the liver and gallbladder, breast cancer, and endometrial cancer.

The more prevalent these metabolic conditions, the more concerned specialists become that the risk of cancers related to them may also increase.

"As the prevalence of these cancer risk factors increases, clinical and public health efforts should focus on identifying preventive and screening measures for populations and for individual patients."

Dr. Jonathan Pearson-Stuttard

"It is important that effective food policies are implemented to tackle the rising prevalence of diabetes, high BMI, and the diseases related to these risk factors," he adds.

The new study took into account the increase in the incidence of 18 types of cancer related to diabetes and high BMI in 175 countries between 1980 and 2002.

Using data provided by GLOBOCAN, the researchers studied the incidence of 12 types of cancer across 175 countries in 2012, taking into account patient age and sex.

Dr. Pearson-Stuttard and colleagues noticed that the majority of cancer cases that were related to diabetes and a high BMI — that is, 38.2 percent of cases — could be pinpointed to high-income Western countries. The second highest occurrence was noted in east and southeast Asian countries, accounting for 24.1 percent of cases.

Low- and middle-income countries have fewer cases of cancer overall, but diabetes and a high BMI seemed to have a stronger impact in these regions. In countries such as Mongolia, Egypt, Kuwait, and Vanuatu, between 9 and 14 percent of all cancers were related to BMI and diabetes.

At the same time, however, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Madagascar had the lowest incidence of diabetes- and weight-related cancers, pointing to stark geographical contrasts in terms of epidemiology.

On a global level, the most common types of cancer from the ones targeted in this study were cancer of the liver (24.5 percent of cases) and endometrial cancer (38.4 percent of cases).

In a region-specific context, 30.7 percent of cases were caused by liver cancer in high-income Asia Pacific. Liver cancer also accounted for 53.8 percent of cases in east and southeast Asian countries.

In high-income Western countries, as well as in central and eastern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa, breast cancer and endometrial cancer were responsible for 40.9 percent of cases.

Worrying forecast for cancer rates

The researchers explain that an increase in diabetes diagnoses between 1980 and 2002 caused a 26.1 percent increase in related cancers in 2012. Likewise, more widespread obesity was responsible for a 31.9 percent increase in BMI-related cancers between 1980 and 2002.

More worryingly, Dr. Pearson-Stuttard and colleagues estimate that the number of cancer cases related to diabetes and obesity are set to rise worldwide as these metabolic conditions become more widespread.

A projected increase in diabetes- and weight-related cancers in 2025 indicates a more than 30 percent rise in cancer diagnoses for women and an over 20 percent rise on average for men.

According to Dr. Pearson-Stuttard, "Increases in diabetes and high BMI worldwide could lead to a substantial increase in the proportion of cancers attributable to these risk factors, if nothing is done to reduce them."

"These projections are particularly alarming," he adds, "when considering the high and increasing cost of cancer and metabolic diseases, and highlight the need to improve control measures, and increase awareness of the link between cancer, diabetes, and high BMI."

The best solution at this point, the researchers urge, is to make a sustained effort to prevent the rise of metabolic diseases, in order to reduce the future risk of cancer.

Belly fat may affect men's and women's health differently, suggests new research.

Almost 70 percent of people in the United States are overweight, and over a third of the population is obese. These dire statistics have led researchers and health professionals to speak of an obesity epidemic in the U.S.

Heart disease, stroke, and diabetes are only a few of the many cardiometabolic health risks associated with obesity. Coronary heart disease — for which obesity is a major risk factor — can lead to angina and heart attacks, if untreated.

But it's not so much the quantity of the fat that poses a threat to our health, as its distribution. For instance, we know that people with more fat around their abdomen tend to be predisposed to coronary artery disease.

Additionally, gender seems to play a role. New research suggests that gender influences how fat is distributed across the body, which, in turn, influences cardiometabolic risk.

The newest study was led by Dr. Miriam A. Bredella, a radiologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital and an associate professor of radiology at the Harvard Medical School, both in Boston, MA.

Speaking about the motivation for her recent study, Dr. Bredella says, "We hypothesized that there are gender-based differences in body composition and ectopic fat depots and that these could be associated with gender-specific risk profiles for diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke."

Their findings will be presented at this year's Radiological Society of North America annual meeting, held in Chicago, IL.

Studying sex, fat, and cardiometabolic risk

Dr. Bredella and team examined 200 overweight and obese but otherwise healthy adults. Ninety-one of the participants were male. All participants had a similar body mass index (BMI) and age — which was 37 years, on average.

In order to assess body composition, all the participants were examined using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and computed tomography scans after fasting overnight.

Using a technique called magnetic resonance spectroscopy, the researchers were able to quantify and examine the fat, determining levels of serum glucose, insulin, and lipids.

Dr. Bredella and colleagues performed linear regression analyses between body composition and the risk factors for cardiometabolic conditions.

The study revealed that women had more fat overall and more fat below the skin, but they also had lower lean mass than men. Lean body mass refers to the total weight of one's "muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, and internal organs."

Men, however, had more of the so-called visceral adipose tissue, or ectopic fat, which are terms that describe fat that surrounds vital organs. Men had more ectopic fat in the muscles, abdomen, and liver.

Ectopic fat, sarcopenia affect women more

Dr. Bredella summarizes these findings, saying, "Obese men have relatively higher visceral fat, fat within muscle cells and liver fat, which are all risk factors for cardiometabolic disease, compared to women with the same BMI."

"However, men have higher muscle and lean mass, which are protective for cardiometabolic health. Women have a higher relative amount of total body fat and higher superficial thigh fat, which is protective for cardiometabolic health."

But surprisingly, ectopic fat did not increase the risk of cardiometabolic disease in men, while for women, the same ectopic fat correlated strongly with a high cardiometabolic risk. In other words:

"The detrimental fat depots deep in the belly, muscles, and liver are more damaging for cardiometabolic health in women compared to men."

Dr. Miriam A. Bredella

A similar study presented and led by the same Dr. Bredella examined the relationship between sarcopenic obesity and cardiometabolic health. Sarcopenic obesity refers to an unhealthful combination of low muscle mass and high fat mass.

This study, too, found that sarcopenic obesity was associated with a higher cardiometabolic risk, especially in women.

"Sarcopenic obesity may be an underappreciated mechanism linking obesity to cardiometabolic disease," Dr. Bredella explains. "That stresses the importance of building up muscle mass in the setting of obesity."

Researchers suggest a high-calorie diet could help to offset the risks of weight loss in people with Parkinson's.

Based on their results, study leader Dr. Angus Macleod — of the University of Aberdeen in the United Kingdom — and colleagues speculate that a high-calorie diet could help to increase the life expectancy of individuals with Parkinson's disease.

The team's results are published in the journal Neurology.

Parkinson's disease is a neurological condition characterized by tremors, limb rigidity, and problems with balance and movement.

It is estimated that around 1 million people in the United States are living with Parkinson's disease, and around 60,000 new cases are diagnosed in the country every year.

While a number of studies have shown that weight loss is common among people with Parkinson's disease, Dr. Macleod and colleagues note that few studies have investigated how this weight loss might affect clinical outcomes.

To address this research gap, the team analyzed data from the Parkinsonism Incidence in North-East Scotland (PINE) study. This is a population-based cohort of individuals with Parkinson's disease or atypical parkinsonism from Scotland, U.K.

Atypical parkinsonism is used to describe symptoms similar to those seen with Parkinson's disease but which are caused by other conditions.

Greater risk of dementia, death

For their analysis, the researchers included 187 people with Parkinson's disease and 88 people with atypical parkinsonism. These individuals were matched by age and sex with 240 controls, who were free of Parkinson's disease or Parkinson's-like symptoms.

Over a follow-up period of up to 10 years, the weight of each subject was assessed annually. For the purposes of the study, clinically significant weight loss during follow-up was defined as losing 5 percent or more of baseline body weight.

The team investigated how clinically significant weight loss affected three outcomes among the participants: dependency on carers, the onset of dementia, and mortality.

The study revealed that people with Parkinson's disease and atypical parkinsonism were a lower weight at study baseline than controls, and they lost weight much more rapidly during follow-up.

"Weight loss was observed in all groups over time, but patients with PD [Parkinson's disease] lost weight more rapidly than controls, and those with atypical parkinsonism lost weight most rapidly," the researchers note.

What is more, the team found that early weight loss among individuals with Parkinson's disease or atypical parkinsonism was independently associated with a 2.23-times increased risk of dementia and a 1.23-times greater risk of death.

Additionally, weight loss in the first year after a Parkinson's or atypical parkinsonism diagnosis was associated with greater dependency on carers.

A change in diet may reverse weight loss

The researchers admit that there are some limitations to their study. For example, they note that some study participants required home visits because they were too frail to attend clinics. As such, these individuals may have already been at greater risk of weight loss and poorer clinical outcomes.

"This could have led to underestimation of differences between patients and controls and underestimation of the associations between weight loss and poor outcome," the authors write.

The team notes that data on some potential confounders were also missing from the analysis, including nutritional status, use of medication, and possible external stressors.

These limitations aside, Dr. Macleod and his team believe that their study not only confirms previous research showing that weight loss is common among individuals with Parkinson's disease, but it also demonstrates the potential risks of weight loss.

Furthermore, the researchers believe that certain lifestyle interventions — such as adopting a high-calorie diet — could help to reduce weight loss and the associated risks for people with Parkinson's, though more research is needed to confirm this theory.

"Our finding that those who lose weight have poorer outcomes is important because reversing weight loss may therefore improve outcomes. Therefore, it is vital that further research investigate whether [...] high-calorie diets will improve outcomes in people with Parkinson's who lose weight."

Dr. Angus Macleod

Can mindfulness really help with that extra weight?

Recent research has concerned itself with the potential benefits of meditation and mindfulness practices, as more and more people become interested in exploring this avenue that claims to help free your mind of intrusive thoughts, make you calmer, and improve your willpower.

Over the past few months, Medical News Today have covered a number of studies showing that meditation has various benefits for both mental and physical health. Mindfulness practices can enhance resilience and focus, help to reduce stress, increase energy, and protect against heart disease, to name but a few reported benefits.

Now, researchers at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, have published a systematic review of studies that have looked into how mindfulness can help people to lose excess weight and avoid a rebound.

Kimberly Carrière, Prof. Bärbel Knäuper, and Bassam Khoury's analysis revealed that mindfulness training is a useful approach when it comes to improving long-term dietary practices.

Carrière, a doctoral student in Prof. Knäuper's Health Psychology Lab at McGill University, says that the team's findings "highlight the potential of using mindfulness training to support weight loss."

The researchers have published the results of their analysis in the journal Obesity Reviews, of the World Obesity Federation.

Mindfulness 'largely effective' for diet

The team analyzed 19 studies (totaling 1,160 participants between them) focused on mindfulness and its relevance to weight loss. These studies were all conducted in the past 10 years.

In the research that they looked at, "mindfulness" referred to one of three approaches: formal meditation practice, casual mindfulness training targeting eating habits, and a combination of meditation and mindfulness strategies.

It was found that, across the board, mindfulness was "moderately to largely effective in reducing weight loss and improving obesity-related eating behaviours."

Although mindfulness interventions were not as effective in the short-term as regimes based only on dietary changes and exercise — which yielded better immediate outcomes — the researchers noted that participants who practiced some form of mindfulness beneftted from more stable long-term results.

In the first instance, mindfulness practitioners lost 3.3 percent of body weight, compared to the 4.7 percent weight loss experienced by the participants who only dieted and exercised.

However, at follow-up evaluations after several weeks from the interventions, participants who used mindfulness techniques continued to shed excess pounds steadily, bringing their mean weight loss to 3.5 percent.

Conversely, participants who did not engage in mindfulness did not lose further weight, and many even regained some of the pounds that they had successfully shed.

Still, the research team acknowledge that they faced a number of limitations, including the heterogeneity of methods employed across the studies they analyzed, the lack of "a validated measure of mindfulness" in some of these projects, and the problematic amalgamation of "clinical (e.g. binge eaters) and non-clinical populations."

Despite the shortcomings, the scientists declare the findings "encouraging" and are now interested in seeing how mindfulness-based interventions could be effectively added to dedicated weight loss programs to enhance the benefits afforded by these initiatives.

"We recommend that further research investigate how integrating mindfulness training into lifestyle-change programs improves weight loss maintenance," says Carrière.