WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A vaccine that slows down a key hunger hormone kept rats from gaining weight, even when they over ate, U.S. researchers reported on Monday. The team at The Scripps Research Institute in California cautioned that such a vaccine is a long way from being tested in human volunteers, and that it may not work in people. But the study shed light on how hunger and weight gain work, they reported in this week's issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The vaccine targeted ghrelin, a hormone discovered in 1999 that helps control appetite in animals and people. "It appears that active vaccination against ghrelin is one avenue that can slow weight gain and fat build-up in the body," said Kim Janda, a chemistry professor who helped direct the study. "The study shows our vaccine slows weight gain and decreases stored fat in rats," Janda added. "While food intake was unchanged in all testing groups, those who were given the most effective vaccines gained the least amount of weight." The vaccine also appears to help control whether the body stores fat or burns it off, Janda said in a statement. "To have an impact on appetite and weight gain, ghrelin first has to move from the bloodstream into the brain, where, over long periods, it stimulates the retention of a level of stored energy as fat," Janda said. "Our study is the first published evidence proving that preventing ghrelin from reaching the central nervous system can produce a desired reduction in weight gain." Janda hopes the vaccine might help people avoid the weight loss and weight gain seen in "yo-yo" dieting. "We're not claiming that our study answers the question of obesity treatment once and for all," Janda said. "What we are saying, and what our study confirms, is that this looks like a serious workable solution to the problem." The researchers vaccinated mature male rats that were then provided an unlimited amount of low-energy, low-fat food. Unvaccinated rats gained more weight than vaccinated rats fed the same food. "Whether active immunization against ghrelin would help prevent the development of obesity caused by ... high-fat 'Western' diets, or would facilitate weight loss once obesity is established" remains uncertain, the researchers wrote.
Man, I have seen some hefty people. Geez. Though the ones I saw were all stuffing fries in their gobs down at the local Mickey Ds. Wonder if they just have gene problems and need more medicines to handle that? How will they distribute the vaccines? Stuffed in twinkies? In this society there are those that are fat and don't want to be, and there are those that are fat and do nothing to stop it. I have only met a couple of people that even with exercise and the right diet were still large. That is a slim population of the US. All others can blame their fatness on themselves. Like the woman who sued Mickey Ds because her kid was fat. I remember actually seeing that family. They were nice and skinny and everytime they went walking down the street near a Mickey Ds, a representative would jump out of the bushes and hold them at gun point and make them go inside and buy and consume lots of fast food. Yeah Right. Stupid choices people make are to blame for stupid situations they find themselves in. I personally weigh around 143lbs and am 5'5". I am not overweight by any health chart. I am just a little flabby around my stomach. Why is that? I don't do enough crunches, situps and I keep eating lots of bread, candy and don't do near enough exercise to burn off extra calories so it has to go somewhere. I did this to me. I can't say anyone else did it to me, Or can I? Hahaha. Maybe I can get a lawsuit out of it and become rich. You think? Now, to those that exercise, eat right and still gain weight. Have you thought about the medicines you are taking? What about the foods themselves? Steroids people, steroids. My mother, a few years ago, looked like one of those Indian Maidens you would see on those Western Posters at truck stops and convenience stores. She was at the height and weight mark for her size and age. She smoked and developed what they called Black Lung, or some kind of pre-cancer lung disease. Well she quit and in order to combat that the doctor's prescribed her some inhalers and stuff with steroids in it. Now, just a few years later she is fine with the lungs, though she nows is huge. Come to find out the side-effect of the medicine they gave her was weight gain. No matter what she tried, it won't come off. Now however she has gotten so big that she can't do much of exercise because it hampers her ability to breathe and walk around. Forget situps. If she got into position, it would take two people to help her up and that is with her helping. And to top it off, she broke an ankle as a result and they didn't set it right. So now she is really big and can't do much in exercise. She watches what she eats, though it isn't helping. I think any doctor that opts for prescribing steroids should be shot, no matter if they help. I'm sure there are other meds that help out without the huge weight gain that it brings. Another thing. Do we really need more medicine to deal with problems? Pretty soon everyone will be a bunch of pill popping, injection happy idiots. With so much crud in your system it's a wonder more people don't drop dead because of the common cold. You keep injecting your antibiotics for some small reason and when you kick off, I'll snatch up the rest and when I get really sick they'll come in handy. If you take more and more antibiotics into your body, pretty soon your body will build up a tolerance for them and then when something simple comes along, you will have to undergo astronomical amounts of antibiotic therapy to get you well again. I know this from experience dealing with Novacaine. Used to, one shot of novacaine would deaden my gums so they could extract a tooth. Then the last surgery I had where I needed a tooth extracted they had to give me five shots of it to deaden the pain and then it began to wear off in about 20 minutes. This past surgery instead of being awake for it, I just told them to knock me out which they did. Now I will have no more problems with teeth. Could you imagine if I had been awake for it? They would have had to give me 5 shots every 20 minutes for two hours in order to get done. I have built up so much of a tolerance that it does me no good. Take benadryl on the other hand. On the rare occasion that I use one, I am knocked slap out even if it's the non-drowsy type. Do not let doctor's tell you that you need drugs to have a healthy life. Look into alternative medicines or just suffer through the small stuff. I get occasional migraines that are so bad I don't do anything but sleep after wrapping myself in dark sheets and sealing my ears. Sound and light kill me. My grandmother goes and gets a shot at the hospital for hers when they get that bad. I don't want to build a tolerance where when I get a mega migraine nothing they do can help. You may feel different and I wish you luck. I'm not saying if you are massively sick and need help to stay home. If you need it, go get help. Just be kind to your body and don't take every stubbed toe as an excuse to get medicine, unless you are stocking up for SHTF situations. Haha. Good luck to all. This has been my two cents. And for information, I have an aunt who is a nurse and was semi-raised by another one. So I have some basis for my thoughts. Later.
I agree with alot of what you say, TMH, and get sick of seeing drug ads on TV so that people will go in and demand the stuff whether they need it or not. On the other hand, drugs keep me alive since I had a liver transplant in '93 and everything I take is related to it or conditions from it. I'm 6' 3" and 290, and suddenly gained a bunch the last few months. I gotta get rid of a bunch before we move!
That's exactly it. If you have a true need for it like you do, then get it. If you don't, then you are killing yourself in the long run by doing so. Also most of the side effects of the meds they are putting out now just plain scare me. I mean if I take a sinus pill to help me breathe, I run the risk of crapping on myself because of the meds. That's not a good trade off. I know they say that these are rare cases, though it would be my luck I'd be one of the rare cases. Haha. Valkman, have you asked your doctor if the medicine they have you on promotes weight gain? Some doctors never tell their patients about the side effects. They just hand them some literature and the patient once home throws it away without reading. Also, if you are on a medicine that does promote weight gain, there may be a medicine that is the same without the gain. Talk to your doc if you haven't. Don't know what that would do, though it's an idea.
