Obesity

Rising obesity rates in several Southern states are leading to a rapid increase in new cases of diabetes among both black and white adults. A new study helmed by investigators at the University of Texas Health Science Center and Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) found the risk of diabetes is double for black patients. Read More

The optimal “dose” for behavioral interventions to treat childhood obesity are not clear, Vanderbilt researchers concluded after analyzing 133 clinical trial that occurred over the course of 17 years. Read More

An enzyme in the gut – NAPE-PLD – is required for the action of signaling molecules that reduce food intake and weight gain. Read More

Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is one of four centers receiving a $15 million, four-year research award from the American Heart Association (AHA) to provide cutting-edge research on obesity as part of its sixth Strategically Focused Research Network (SFRN). Read More

“Epigenetic signatures” in DNA may present an opportunity for prevention of or early intervention in childhood obesity. Read More

For breast cancer prevention, a new study provides evidence for lifestyle modification to reduce weight gain in adults. Read More

Increased activity of the “fight or flight” nervous system contributes to obesity-associated hypertension and may be a good therapeutic target for the disease. Read More

The 2C-subtype of the serotonin receptor (5HT2C), which binds the neurotransmitter serotonin, plays an important role in regulating food intake and metabolism. Read More

Vanderbilt and several community partners have collaborated on a nutrition program in which children help their families eat healthier cuisine. Read More

An international research team that included scientists from Vanderbilt University Medical Center has found a novel way to counteract obesity in mice — by stimulating the growth of blood vessels in fat tissue. Read More

The Vanderbilt Institute for Obesity and Metabolism and the Peabody Office of Professional and Graduate Education present "Obesity Intervention and Prevention: It Takes a Village" April 18 at 7 p.m. in the Wyatt Center Rotunda. Read More

The perception of a good deal can lead consumers down an unhealthy path, according to a study from a Vanderbilt business school professor. Read More

The brains of children who are obese function differently from those of children of healthy weight, and exhibit an “imbalance” between food-seeking and food-avoiding behaviors, researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have found. Read More

The growth factor FGF1 induces the growth of new insulin-producing beta cells and may help treat type 2 diabetes. Read More

Vanderbilt study adds to the mounting role for inflammatory signaling in obesity. Read More

Understanding how macrophage immune cells accumulate in fat tissue and contribute to the pathology of obesity could lead to the development of novel therapeutics for metabolic disorders. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have received a $2.15 million grant to study the amount and activity of “brown fat” in adults, with the aim of understanding its role in metabolic disease and identifying new therapeutic targets. Read More

A Vanderbilt University-led research team has discovered a molecular “rheostat” in the brain’s appetite control center that may provide new insights into obesity, which is at epidemic levels in this country. Read More

In the latest VUCast: Learn why overweight women lose in the workplace -- especially when it comes to pay; see breakthrough weapons in the fight against infectious diseases; and hear music legend Sheryl Crow speak about her craft. Watch now! Read More

An overactive stress response contributes to the development of insulin resistance in obese individuals, and blocking it may be therapeutically beneficial. Read More