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Scientists have identified chemical markers in urine associated with body mass, providing insights into how obesity causes disease. Being overweight or obese is associated with higher risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer, but the mechanisms connecting body fat and disease are not well understood.

Study shows there are six different types of obese people Treating individuals according to which 'type' could be more effective Targeted strategies would also mean a more efficient use of NHS services One size does not fit all when it comes to tackling obesity, according to a new study by the University of Sheffield.

Scientists have discovered a previously unknown mechanism behind how the fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene promotes obesity.  Their findings may have important implications for future therapeutic strategies to combat obesity. Using mice, the researchers from the University of Oxford and MRC Harwell assessed how FTO affects the development of fat cells in response to nutritional excess.

Weight discrimination is linked to significantly lower quality of life, and accounts for approximately 40% of the negative psychological effects associated with obesity, finds new UCL research funded by Cancer Research UK. The study, which analysed data from 5,056 UK adults, found that those who felt discriminated against on the basis of their weight had a 70% increase in symptoms of depression, a 14% drop in quality of life and 12% lower life satisfaction relative to those who did not perceive weight discrimination.

Cancer survivors make healthier diet and lifestyle choices than the general population, according to a new study. Researchers found that most cancer survivors in Scotland eat more fruit and vegetables and stop smoking, but are less likely to be physically active than the general Scottish population.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Otherwise, we'll assume you're OK to continue. Researchers call for more targeted weight loss programmes to tackle obesity Researchers are calling on the Government to introduce more weight loss programmes targeted at low-income women and children in deprived areas after research shows they have at least short term benefits in tackling obesity.

Postmenopausal women who are metabolically unhealthy have a higher risk of breast cancer compared with metabolically healthy women, a study has found. Metabolic health refers to how the body processes nutrients such as glucose, and can be measured according to the levels of the hormone insulin. Obesity is strongly associated with poor metabolic health, but the new study found that poor metabolic health was a risk factor for breast cancer in both overweight and normal-weight postmenopausal women.

Researchers at Lancaster Univerisity are using X-rays to help farmers increase yields and cut water pollution following an unexpected discovery in a pea and bean crop. Plant and Soil Scientists hope to combine two new technologies to provide a rapid "same day" measurement of soil phosphorus availability, enabling farmers and growers to make more informed decisions about fertiliser application.

Malnutrition is a major cause of stunted growth in children, but new UCL research on mothers and children in Egypt suggests that the problem is not just about quantity of food but also quality. Obesity and malnutrition are often thought of as problems at opposite ends of the nutrition spectrum, but the study found that 6.7% of Egyptian mothers were obese and had stunted children.

Home > News > News releases > New insights into the origins of agriculture could help shape the future of food Expanding population is putting increasing demands on food production Study could lead to new crops becoming our staple foods in the future Agricultural decisions made by our ancestors more than 10,000 years ago could hold the key to food security in the future, according to new research by the University of Sheffield.

Our structure (research) Impact of our research Postgraduate research 05 Dec 2014 Economists working in academia are being advised to think twice before publishing in high impact journals. That's according to new research led by Professor Dan Rigby, of The University of Manchester, and published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, which examined whether careers were most enhanced by publishing in high impact journals.

Leptin, a hormone that regulates the amount of fat stored in the body, also drives the increase in blood pressure that occurs with weight gain, according to researchers from Monash University and the University of Cambridge. Being obese or overweight is a major risk factor for the development of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

Participants in the study were unable to correctly identify what a healthy weight, overweight or obese person looked like The majority of people - including GPs – are unable to visually identify whether a person is a healthy weight, overweight or obese according to research by psychologists at the University of Liverpool.

Displaying the calorie content of meals in canteens and restaurants could significantly reduce weight-gain in customers, a new study shows. Researchers conducting the first long-term study of the effects of labeling meals in a university's students' residence canteen over the course of two 36-week academic years found students had reduced weight gain by an average of 3.5kg.

Children who are maltreated may be at an increased risk of obesity and inflammatory disorders because of low levels of leptin — a hormone involved in regulating appetite, according to new research from King's College London. The findings, published today in Translational Psychiatry , suggest leptin deficiency may contribute to physical health problems associated with early life stress, and provide a possible target in disease prevention.

04 Sep 2014 Scientists at The University of Manchester have discovered that the body clock plays an important role in body fat. Their findings are helping develop new ways of treating obesity and the fatal diseases linked to being overweight. The researchers, led by Professor David Ray, not only looked at the role of the clock in fat tissue in mice, but also collected samples from patients undergoing weight loss surgery.

o Obesity in poor areas twice as likely as in wealthier areas o Men more overweight than women, but less concerned about it o Poor people more likely to have used weight loss medication whereas slimming clubs more popular in affluent areas Where you live and deprivation levels can affect your efforts to lose weight according to a new study from the University of Sheffield, which found that people from wealthy areas are more likely to have used slimming clubs than people from more deprived areas.

Including seaweed in the diet could help reduce iodine insufficiency, a current problem in the UK population, according to a new study. A lack of iodine in the diet across the UK population and around the world is now a prominent health issue, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), due to low intakes of dairy and sea food where the nutrient is typically found.

When a pregnant mother is undernourished, her child is at a greater than average risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes, in part due to so-called 'epigenetic' effects. A new study in mice demonstrates that this 'memory' of nutrition during pregnancy can be passed through sperm of male offspring to the next generation, increasing risk of disease for her grandchildren as well - in other words, to adapt an old maxim, 'you are what your grandmother ate'.

10 Jul 2014 Scientists at The University of Manchester are a step closer to understanding why diabetes is cured in the majority of patients that undergo gastric bypass surgery. The research, published in the journal Endocrinology, shows the cure is likely to be explained by the actions of specialised cells in the intestine that secrete a cocktail of powerful hormones when we eat.