In the year 2023, Science magazine has chosen the development and discovery that GLP-1 medications, agonists of the glucagon-like peptide-1, can mitigate health issues associated with obesity as the most important scientific breakthrough. Similarly, Nature magazine has selected biochemist Svetlana Mojsov, a key figure in the discovery of GLP-1, as one of the top ten scientists of the year.
In Spain, both in the child and adult populations, excess weight and obesity are more prevalent among men. Additionally, lower educational levels, lower income, disability, and the presence of individuals with obesity in the household are factors associated with a higher prevalence of excess weight and obesity. These are some of the conclusions drawn from two scientific articles and two complementary reports prepared by the National Center for Epidemiology of the Carlos III Health Institute and the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN). The data is derived from the ENE-COVID survey, which investigated the seroprevalence of COVID-19 infection in Spain.
Previous research has shown that coffee drinking is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, but most are short-term, observational studies - they describe associations without being able to determine cause and effect. Research published in BMJ Medicine uses another method (Mendelian randomisation) to study potential causal relationships between caffeine levels in plasma and cardiovascular health, using genetic variants in nearly 10,000 people who participated in long-term studies. Higher genetically-predicted caffeine concentrations in plasma were associated with lower body-mass index and fat mass and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. In addition, the research shows that 43% of the protective effect of caffeine on the risk of type 2 diabetes was influenced by a reduction in body mass index.
Obesity is a growing public health problem for the entire planet. According to the 2023 Obesity Atlas published this week by the World Obesity Federation, 51% of the world's population will be overweight or obese (more than 4 billion people) by 2035, up from 38% today. At a briefing organised by SMC Spain ahead of World Obesity Day on 4 March, two experts discussed the role that drugs can play in combating a disease whose roots are social and linked to inequality.
A study published in PLOS Medicine estimates that the implementation of sugary drinks taxes in the UK in 2018 was associated with an 8 % reduction in obesity in English girls aged 10-11, particularly among those living in more deprived areas.
In the coming days, our children and young people will return to their schools. In addition to their education, schools offer the possibility to improve and maintain their health also through healthy and sustainable nutrition. This is one of the current challenges in Europe; a much more complex challenge than it may seem.
A study published in Nature identifies a metabolite produced during exercise that can effectively reduce food intake and obesity in mice. It has also been found in humans.