New discovery could help treat childhood obesity

Scientists are trying to find a way to help treat children fat – Illustration: ec.europa.eu

A new study from McMaster University (Canada) shows that “brown adipose tissue (BAT) of boys with obesity is less active than boys with a normal body mass index (BMI)”. .

The study was based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (a CT imaging technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves) 13 obese boys and 13 normal boys between the ages of 8 and 10 to measure activity. of brown adipose tissue at 18°C.

Katherine Morrison, professor of pediatrics at McMaster University and lead researcher, said: “Brown adipose tissue helps the body burn fat regularly and is activated when cold. However this type of fat. there was hardly any response in obese boys to cold stimulation.”

This is considered a new step in the treatment of childhood obesity, according to the scientific journal Scitechdaily.

MRI image of brown fat – Photo: McMaster University

“This discovery helps the team find a way to replicate or stimulate the effects of brown adipose tissue, and provides us with new therapies to treat childhood obesity,” said Morrison.

She also added that the new understanding of brown adipose tissue allows us to develop a drug that helps to burn more energy in children, thereby reducing the risk of obesity in children.

Even so, according to Scitechdailymaking such a drug will still need more time.

When studying, it will be necessary to take a CT scan (computed tomography, a technique that uses many X-rays to scan an area of ​​the body in a cross-section, combined with computer processing to produce images of 2. dimension or 3D of the part to be captured). Along with that is a PET (tomography) scan positronsis a technique that uses radioactive substances to record information about the function of tissues and organs in the body).

These two methods will be dangerous to the research subject when exposed to ionizing radiation of CT and PET. This is also the difficulty of this project.