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How stress and social struggles fuel America’s obesity crisis
As obesity in America continues to rise at alarming rates, researchers are finding that diet and exercise are not the only driving factors. A new scientific review from UCLA Health explains how stress, hardship and other social challenges can reshape a person’s gut bacteria and brain performance in ways that make it harder to keep weight off. Published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the paper describes how social determinants of health, such as income, education, healthcare access, neighborhood disadvantages, experiences of discrimination, adverse childhood life events, and isolation and loneliness, are key drivers in the onset and worsening of obesity. About 40% of American adults have obesity, which contributes to about $173 billion in annual healthcare costs. A recent study found obesity-related cancer deaths tripled in the U.S. between 1999 and 2020. Led by Arpana Church, PhD, co-director of the Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center, the scientific review reveals how the brain-gut microbiome acts as a bridge between a person’s environmental influences and their risk of obesity through the production of various signaling molecules including appetite-stimulating hormones, inflammatory markers and neuroactive metabolites. These chemical changes, in turn, affect what a person decides to eat, how often they eat, the quantity of food they eat, what types of food they crave, metabolic function and exercise habits. Read full UCLA Health article | News Medical Net | Medical Express | EurekAlert!
Netflix documentary, “Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut,” nominated for four Emmy Awards – Arpana Church, PhD
Dr. Church, co-director of the Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center, provided expert commentary in this Emmy-nominated documentary that delves into the digestive system and illuminates the role gut health plays in our overall well-being. It was nominated for outstanding lifestyle program among other award categories. The documentary is still available to stream on Netflix in case you missed it.
Your gut microbes may impact your ability to handle stress
Increasing evidence linking stress with depression and anxiety spurred the UCLA researchers to explore the biological basis of buoyancy beyond psychological and social factors. According to Arpana Church, PhD, co-director of the Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center and the senior author of the study, "Resilient individuals are good at regulating emotions with great cognitive functioning and flexibility. They are also less neurotic, more mindful, grateful and at the gut-microbiome level have reduced inflammation and better gut barrier integrity. When you have inflammation, it's like a systemic thing — found in pretty much all disorders." She adds that more integrated research and clinical studies with human subjects that could lead to treatments are needed. Such research may also help identify biomarkers in the microbiome that can help tailor decisions on how to use existing mental health therapies. Read full article in Next Avenue