Researchers from the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) have highlighted the interconnection of obesity and impaired metabolic health with the severity of COVID-19, they reported their findings in the paper, ‘Global pandemics interconnected—obesity, impaired metabolic health and COVID-19’, published in Nature Reviews Endocrinology.

ReShape Lifesciences has entered into a definitive merger agreement with Obalon Therapeutics, under which ReShape and Obalon will combine in an all-stock transaction. Under the terms of the merger agreement that has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies, existing ReShape stockholders will have majority ownership of the combined company immediately following the closing of the merger and Obalon will be renamed ReShape Lifesciences Inc.

Half of all adolescents with severe obesity have neuropsychiatric problems, according to a study led by researchers from Lund University and Gothenburg, Sweden. Two thirds of the adolescents suffered from some type of mental health problem, as reported by themselves or their parents. The outcomes were reported in the paper, ‘High prevalence of neurodevelopmental problems in adolescents eligible for bariatric surgery for severe obesity’, published in Acta Paediatrica

Government obesity policies in England over the past three decades have largely failed because of problems with implementation, lack of learning from past successes or failures, and a reliance on trying to persuade individuals to change their behaviour rather than tackling unhealthy environments, claims research by a team at the University of Cambridge funded by the NIHR School for Public Health Research. The findings are reported in the publication, ‘Is obesity policy in England fit for purpose?

Use of the diabetes drug metformin - before a diagnosis of COVID-19 - is associated with a threefold decrease in mortality in COVID-19 patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a racially diverse study at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

Bimagrumab, an antibody that blocks activin type II receptors and stimulates skeletal muscle growth, is safe and effective for treating excess adiposity and metabolic disturbances of adult patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes, according to the findings reported in the paper, 'Effect of Bimagrumab vs Placebo on Body Fat Mass Among Adults With Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity - A Phase 2 Randomized Clinical Trial', published in JAMA Network.

Researchers at the University of Surrey are examining whether altering mealtimes could reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Led by Dr Denise Robertson, Professor Jonathan Johnston and post graduate researcher, Shantel Lynch, from the University of Surrey, the study will investigate if changing the time we eat during the day could reduce risk factors such as obesity and cholesterol levels that are typically associated with the development of type 2 diabetes.

Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital have been awarded a US$3.3M National Institutes of Health Grant to evaluate the CA7S metabolite as a novel therapy for type 2 diabetes; uncover how CA7S production is regulated by the gut microbiome; and determine the contribution of CA7S to type 2 diabetes remission, following bariatric surgery.

A diet rich in healthy and plant-based foods is linked with the presence and abundance of certain gut microbes that are also associated with a lower risk of developing conditions such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, according to recent results from a large-scale international study that was co–authored by Dr Andrew T Chan, from Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).

The outcomes from the first meta-analysis reporting the possible protective effects of bariatric surgery in patients with COVID-19 infection indicates that prior bariatric surgery is associated with a lower rate of mortality and hospital admission in patients with obesity who become infected with SARS-CoV-2, according to researchers from the Cleveland Clinic, OH.

Researchers at Texas A&M have designed a device that stimulates the endings of the vagus nerve, which is responsible for the regulation of food intake and might help with weight loss via a simple operative procedure for implantation. Researchers said their centimeter-sized device provides the feeling of fullness by stimulating the endings of the vagus nerve with light. Unlike other devices that require a power cord, their device is wireless and can be controlled externally from a remote radio frequency source.

Researchers at the University of South Florida Health (USF Health) and Tampa General Hospital (TGH), examining how obesity affected the management and outcomes of postpartum haemorrhage have reported that high-risk obstetric patients, such as women with obesity, may need some additional support or a different treatment protocol for postpartum haemorrhage. The findings, ‘The Impact of Obesity on the Management and Outcomes of Postpartum Hemorrhage’, were published in the American Journal of Perinatology.

A new study including over 52,000 participants has reported that those who had detectable brown fat were less likely than their peers to suffer cardiac and metabolic conditions ranging from type 2 diabetes to coronary artery disease.

The study, ‘Brown adipose tissue is associated with cardiometabolic health', published in Nature Medicine, by far the largest of its kind in humans, confirms and expands the health benefits of brown fat suggested by previous studies.

Scientists from Hyderabad, India, have shown that adding an experimental cancer drug to a widely used diabetes treatment improves blood glucose control and weight loss in mice, according to a study published in eLife. The results pave the way for clinical studies of the new drug combination as a more effective long-term treatment for millions of people with diabetes and obesity.

Researchers looking at the changes over time in alcohol use and unhealthy alcohol use two years after bariatric surgery have reported that for every 21 patients who undergo Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and every 29 patients who undergo laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), on average, one from each group will develop unhealthy alcohol use.

Researchers at Oregon State University have found organisms in the gut microbiome could play a key role in type 2 diabetes, opening the door to possible probiotic treatments for a serious metabolic disease. A key risk factor for type 2 diabetes is being overweight, often a result of a western diet in combination with low physical activity. The paper, ‘Transkingdom interactions between Lactobacilli and hepatic mitochondria attenuate western diet-induced diabetes’, was published in Nature Communications.

UT Southwestern scientists have discovered a type of cell responsible, at least in mice, for triggering inflammation in fat tissue. When fat cells in the body are stuffed with excess fat, the surrounding tissue becomes inflamed. That chronic, low-level inflammation is one of the driving factors behind many of the diseases associated with obesity. The findings, ‘Perivascular mesenchymal cells control adipose-tissue macrophage accrual in obesity’, published in Nature Metabolism, could eventually lead to new ways to treat obesity.

More than one-third of UK teenagers are starting adult life with excess weight (either overweight or with obesity) and rates are even higher among the poorest, a study led by UCL researchers has reported. The research, published in a briefing paper by the Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS) at the UCL Social Research Institute, shows that one in five (21%) young people had obesity at age 17, and a further one in seven (14%) were overweight, based on data collected in 2018-19.

The Obesity Society (TOS) has announced Dr Catherine ‘Cathy’ Kotz, a leading researcher into the neuroscience of obesity and energy balance, is the new president of the organisation. Kotz's goals for the year include sustaining and expanding on the considerable progress TOS has made in restructuring the Society's sections and committees, the reach with other partner organizations, the new Corporate Obesity Roundtable; education, clinical and policy efforts; and excellence in the annual meeting.

Operating Room Systems (ORS) and Bowa Medical UK have entered a collaborative agreement to offer safe and comprehensive smoke management solutions to NHS and private healthcare providers. Under the joint venture agreement, Bowa Medical UK will work in partnership with ORS across the UK supporting the sales and marketing of the Lexion brand, consisting of three devices for the optimal surgical insufflation environment: