Britain Battles the Bulge: Enquiries for weight loss surgery up 49% in past year

• UK enquiries for weight loss surgery up 49% in past 12 months
• Highest number of enquiries for gastric band procedure
• 82% increase in tummy tuck enquiries
• Interest increasing in gastric bypass, email enquiries up 150%
• Enquiries for male breast reduction up 65%
• Number of clinics offering bariatric procedure on Whatclinic.com in UK up 20% since 2015
  
  

More body-conscious Brits are looking to downsize through surgery, with enquiries for weight loss surgery on Whatclinic.com up 49% over the past 12 months. The research shows that gastric band surgery is the most searched for weight loss procedure, while interest in gastric bypass surgery is also increasing, with email enquiries up 150% on last year.

More people in the UK are either overweight or obese than at any other time in the past three decades, and one in four British adults is obese according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation*. A focus on diet and exercise is essential for a healthy lifestyle, but the problem needs to be approached by more avenues than one. While the British Parliament intends to introduce a sugar tax to help people make healthier choices, more and more people are turning to weight loss surgery in an attempt to manage their weight.

Interest in bariatric (weight loss) surgery has surged over the past year, with gastric bands accounting for the highest volume of enquiries to UK bariatric clinics - up 74% over the past 12 months, while gastric sleeves are the second most popular enquiry. The interest in gastric bypasses is growing at a huge rate compared to other procedures, with a 150% increase in email enquiries on Whatclinic.com year on year. Gastric bypass is also the most expensive option, with an average starting price of just over £9,000. Gastric balloons are the least expensive option on average costing £3,955 in the UK.

Brits looking to remove excess skin after significant weight loss are also on the rise, with a huge 82% increase in email enquiries for tummy tucks since 2015. Three out of five enquiries for tummy tucks come from women, 60% of whom are between the ages of 25 and 44. However, women are not the only ones increasingly conscious of their appearance as enquiries into gynecomastia (male breast reduction) are also up 65% in the last twelve months, with 82% of enquiries being made by men themselves. Gynecomastia also has a younger age profile; with two thirds of enquiries for coming from people are aged 18-34.
 

The table below shows the most popular bariatric surgery procedures, based on enquiries sent by UK users to clinics listed on WhatClinic.com in the past year.
 

Compounds Dramatically Alter Biological Clock and Lead to Weight Loss, Animal Study Suggests

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have synthesized a pair of small molecules that dramatically alter the core biological clock in animal models, highlighting the compounds' potential effectiveness in treating a remarkable range of disorders -- including obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and serious sleep disorders.

The study was published on March 29, 2012, in an advance, online edition of the journal Nature.
The study showed that when administered in animal models the synthetic small molecules altered circadian rhythm and the pattern of core clock gene expression in the brain's hypothalamus, the site of the master cellular clock that synchronizes daily rhythms in mammals; circadian rhythms are the physiological processes that respond to a 24-hour cycle of light and dark and are present in most living things.
When given to diet-induced obese mice, these same small molecules decreased obesity by reducing fat mass and markedly improving cholesterol levels and hyperglycemia -- chronically high blood sugar levels that frequently lead to diabetes.
"The idea behind this research is that our circadian rhythms are coupled with metabolic processes and that you can modulate them pharmacologically," said Thomas Burris, a professor at Scripps Florida who led the study. "As it turns out, the effect of that modulation is surprisingly positive -- everything has been beneficial so far."
Burris stressed that these compounds were first generation -- the first to hit their targets in vivo with room for improvement as potential treatments. "In terms of therapeutics, this is really the first step," he said.
In the new study, the team identified and tested a pair of potent synthetic compounds that activate proteins called REV-ERBα and REV-ERBβ, which play an integral role in regulating the expression of core clock proteins that drive biological rhythms in activity and metabolism.
In the study, the scientists observed clear metabolic effects when the synthetic compounds were administered twice a day for 12 days. Animals displayed weight loss due to decreased fat mass with no changes in the amount of food they ate. The animals followed the human model of obesity closely, eating a standard Western diet of high fat, high sugar foods, yet still lost weight when given the compounds.
In one of the study's more striking findings, both synthetic compounds were shown to reduce cholesterol production. Cholesterol in the blood of treated animal models decreased 47 percent; triglycerides in the blood decreased 12 percent.
The circadian pattern of expression of a number of metabolic genes in the liver, skeletal muscle, and in fat tissue was also altered, resulting in increased energy expenditure, something of a surprise. In the study, the scientists observed a five percent increase in oxygen consumption, suggesting increased energy expenditure during the day and at night. However, these increases were not due to increased activity -- the animals displayed an overall 15 percent decrease in movement during those same time periods.
In addition to its impact on metabolism, the two compounds also affected the animals' activity during periods of light and darkness, suggesting that this class of compound may be useful for the treatment of sleep disorders, including the common problem of jet lag.

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Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have synthesized a pair of small molecules that dramatically alter the core biological clock in animal models, highlighting the compounds' potential effectiveness in treating a remarkable range of disorders -- including obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and serious sleep disorders. Could it also work for humans? (Credit: © olly / Fotolia)

**Published in "SCIENCE DAILY"