#Obesity

A groundbreaking discovery suggests that dormant hibernation genes, inherited from our distant ancestors, could hold keys to combating Thailand’s rising diabetes and obesity rates. New research indicates these genetic programs exist in human genomes and might be harnessed through targeted therapies to improve metabolic health.

Researchers at a leading university identified conserved genetic elements that regulate hibernation-like metabolic states across mammals, including humans. These so-called hibernation hub genes influence how bodies store energy, recover from metabolic stress, and regulate appetite. Importantly, the same genetic pathways appear to be present in humans, offering potential avenues for treatment that avoid drastic dormancy states.

A compelling transformation from England shows how removing specific foods can improve type 2 diabetes and drive dramatic weight loss. A mother of three shed nearly 60 pounds in four months after eliminating cheese, offering lessons for Thai families facing rising diabetes and obesity rates.

The story resonates in Thailand where changing diets and sedentary lifestyles are driving growing diabetes and obesity. In urban Thai communities, processed foods and high-fat snacks are increasingly common, making sustainable dietary changes essential for public health.

A recent story gaining attention in international media highlights the transformative journey of an English mother of three who lost nearly 60 pounds in only four months after removing her favorite food—cheese—from her daily diet. Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, she saw the health scare as a crucial turning point, not only for weight reduction but for overall lifestyle change, underscoring lessons for individuals around the world, including Thailand, where rates of type 2 diabetes and obesity continue to rise (AOL).

A major new review has found that today’s young adults face a dramatically higher risk of rectal cancer, revealing that individuals born in 1990 are up to four times more likely to develop this malignancy compared to those born just 40 years earlier. The sweeping analysis, published in the British Journal of Surgery and led by scientists at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, documents surging rates of gastrointestinal cancers—not just in the United States but across developed nations following Western lifestyle patterns. These findings have far-reaching implications for global health, and offer critical lessons for Thailand as it grapples with shifting demographic and health threats.

Alarming international research published in the British Journal of Surgery documents that young adults born in 1990 face up to four times higher rectal cancer risk compared to those born just 40 years earlier, revealing a catastrophic generational shift in gastrointestinal cancer patterns that reflects the devastating health consequences of Western lifestyle adoption—a trend with urgent implications for Thailand as urbanization, dietary modernization, and sedentary behaviors accelerate across all socioeconomic levels. This comprehensive analysis from Harvard Medical School and Dana Farber Cancer Institute scientists demonstrates surging rates of early-onset gastrointestinal cancers across developed nations, offering critical warnings for Thai healthcare policy as the kingdom confronts similar demographic and lifestyle transformations.

An international study in the British Journal of Surgery raises a stark warning for Thailand: people born in 1990 may face up to four times higher rectal cancer risk than those born four decades earlier. Researchers from Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute link this generational surge to lifestyle changes associated with urbanization, processed foods, and sedentary behavior—patterns now spreading across Thai cities and towns.

Data from multiple developed nations show early-onset gastrointestinal cancers—colorectal, stomach, esophageal, and pancreatic—are rising among adults under 50. Colorectal cancer is increasingly a leading cancer killer for men under 50 and a growing threat for women in the same age group. Experts emphasize that similar trends are emerging in wealthy Asian countries pursuing rapid modernization, underscoring Thailand’s imminent risk as urban living and dietary shifts accelerate.

In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have unveiled a “neurobiotic sense”—a newly identified gut-to-brain communication system that lets the brain know, in real time, when your body has had enough to eat. This research, published by a team at Duke University School of Medicine in the scientific journal Nature, uncovers how specialized colon cells detect bacterial signals and quickly send appetite-suppressing messages to the brain, potentially reshaping our understanding of diet, obesity, and the intricate link between gut microbes and behavior (Neuroscience News; Nature Journal).

A new discovery reveals a real-time gut-to-brain signal that tells the brain we’ve had enough to eat. Researchers describe this as a neurobiotic sense. A study from Duke University School of Medicine, published in Nature, shows that colon cells detect bacterial signals and quickly curb appetite via the vagus nerve. This advances our understanding of diet, obesity, and the gut–brain connection, with practical implications for Thai health strategies.

For Thai readers, the research offers a fresh lens on weight management, cravings, and mood, highlighting the gut microbiome as a key factor alongside diet and willpower. With rising obesity and metabolic disorders in Thailand, these insights could shape future public health guidance, nutrition advice, and mental well-being interventions.

A groundbreaking global study has upended long-held beliefs about the true drivers of the obesity epidemic, finding that overeating—particularly of ultra-processed foods—is about ten times more responsible for rising obesity rates than a lack of exercise. This revelation carries profound implications for Thailand, where rates of overweight and obesity are increasing alongside rapid urbanisation and changing dietary patterns.

For decades, both Thai and international health authorities have emphasised the importance of physical activity in tackling obesity, broadcast through nationwide campaigns and initiatives. The popular narrative has been that sedentary lifestyles, especially in urban areas like Bangkok or Chiang Mai, are to blame for waistlines expanding. Yet, new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) suggests this perspective may miss the mark. Based on an analysis of over 4,000 adults from 34 nations—including hunter-gatherer tribes in Tanzania, herder-farmers in Siberia, and executives in Norway—researchers found that people across cultural and economic backgrounds actually burn roughly the same amount of calories per day, regardless of whether their lives are active or sedentary (Washington Post).

A landmark global study reframes the obesity narrative by showing that overeating, especially ultra-processed foods, accounts for roughly ten times more of the rise in obesity than a lack of exercise. This finding has clear implications for Thailand, where obesity rates are climbing alongside rapid urbanisation and shifting eating habits.

Thai and international health authorities have long spotlighted physical activity as a key weapon against obesity, supported by nationwide campaigns. The prevalent view has been that sedentary urban lifestyles fuel expanding waistlines. But recent research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences challenges this focus. An analysis of more than 4,000 adults from 34 countries—from hunter-gatherer groups in Tanzania to executives in Norway—found that daily calorie burn is similar across cultures, regardless of activity level.

A new study from France shows that weight cycling—repeatedly losing and regaining weight—can cause lasting changes in gut bacteria. In mice, these changes may influence eating thoughts and complicate long-term weight management. For Thai readers, the findings explain why quick-fix diets often fail and why sustainable habits matter beyond willpower.

Thai and global audiences are familiar with cycle dieting. Restrictive phases followed by binge eating and weight regain are often blamed on metabolism or psychology. The Rennes and Paris-Saclay research goes further, suggesting durable gut microbiome shifts may drive these patterns, not behavior alone.

A groundbreaking new study from France suggests that cycles of yo-yo dieting—the common pattern of repeatedly losing and regaining weight—can induce lasting alterations in the gut bacteria of mice, potentially fueling unhealthy eating patterns and complicating long-term weight management. These findings may hold profound implications for Thai people navigating diet trends and obesity challenges, highlighting the hidden impacts of diet cycling beyond calorie balance or willpower alone (ScienceAlert).

Yo-yo dieting, also known as “weight cycling,” is a familiar struggle both in Thailand and worldwide. Repeated attempts at restrictive diets, followed by binge episodes and regaining weight, are often credited to metabolic adaptations or psychological factors. However, the recent study led by researchers at the University of Rennes and Paris-Saclay University breaks new ground by pointing to durable biological changes within the gut microbiome—the dense community of trillions of bacteria that populate our intestines—as the root of this problem.

A new wave of scholarship challenges the idea that the United States once enjoyed a pristine age of health. The debate feeds public discourse and political messaging, including campaigns like “Make America Healthy Again.” Yet a careful review of history shows a more nuanced story where health advances came through persistent effort, not nostalgia.

The lure of a healthier past grows as concerns about chronic disease, ultra-processed foods, and health equity persist. Some argue that earlier dietary habits—before modern food processing—were inherently better. However, historians and nutrition researchers remind us that every era faced its own nutrition challenges. In the early 20th century, medical guidance varied widely. Some doctors endorsed three substantial meat-based meals daily, while early vegetarians and fitness advocates promoted lighter or plant-forward diets. Malnutrition, infectious diseases, and limited access to healthcare remained constant threats.

A new wave of scholarship is challenging the common belief that America had a golden age of health—a notion recently revived by public figures such as the US Secretary of Health and Human Services, who has made headlines with the “Make America Healthy Again” campaign. This movement assumes that Americans were once notably healthier, but an in-depth look at historical records and leading expert analysis reveals a more complex—and less nostalgic—story (Bloomberg; New York Times).

A landmark study from leading U.S. researchers reveals a stark surge in ‘extremely severe’ obesity among American children over the past decade and a half, igniting alarm among health experts worldwide. Drawing on nationally representative health data, the study, published in JAMA Network Open, found the proportion of kids with the most extreme forms of obesity more than tripled between 2008 and 2023—a trend that poses urgent questions for public health both in the United States and in countries like Thailand where childhood obesity is a rising concern (Gizmodo).

The age-old debate over whether poor diet or insufficient exercise is the main culprit behind rising obesity rates has taken a new turn, with a major international study concluding that the overconsumption of calories — especially from ultra-processed foods — is far more responsible for obesity than a lack of physical activity. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, analyzed an unprecedentedly diverse cohort and challenges assumptions long held in both public health messaging and everyday Thai life.

A groundbreaking new clinical trial has pinpointed a twice-weekly intermittent fasting regimen, commonly called the “5:2 diet,” as the most effective and sustainable strategy among three popular diets for improving blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes and obesity. The findings, presented at the ENDO 2025 conference in San Francisco, not only illuminate a promising approach for diabetes management but also have significant implications for Thailand, where diabetes rates are rising and dietary trends are keenly watched by both the medical community and the public.

A global study reframes the obesity debate by showing that calorie intake, especially from ultra-processed foods, explains more of the rise in obesity than physical activity alone. For Thai readers, the findings emphasize dietary choices as a key lever for health alongside exercise.

Thailand has long championed the “move more” message and the Ministry of Public Health’s 30 Minutes for Good Health campaign. Yet rising obesity signals concerns about diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. The World Health Organization in Southeast Asia has highlighted growing obesity in the region, urging a rethink of dietary guidance. The new study supports focusing on what people eat—particularly ultra-processed foods such as instant noodles, packaged snacks, and Sugary drinks common in Thai households and shops—as a major determinant of obesity, potentially more decisive than activity levels alone.

A new study by leading U.S. researchers shows a sharp rise in ultra-high obesity among children over the past decade and a half. Using nationally representative health data, the study in JAMA Network Open found that the share of children in the most extreme obesity categories more than tripled from 2008 to 2023. With about 73 million Americans under 18, this translates to roughly 825,000 children now in the ultra-high BMI range. Ultra-high obesity is defined as BMI levels well above the 95th percentile, reaching Class 4 or Class 5 levels. The trend raises critical questions for Thailand, where childhood overweight and obesity are also rising.

A new clinical trial identifies the 5:2 intermittent fasting plan as the most effective and sustainable option among three popular diets for improving blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes and obesity. Presented at ENDO 2025 in San Francisco, the findings carry meaningful implications for Thailand, where diabetes is rising and dietary trends are closely watched by clinicians and the public.

Thailand faces a growing diabetes burden, with more than seven million people living with the condition as of 2023, many of them overweight or obese. The Thai Ministry of Public Health has long emphasized dietary modification as central to diabetes care, yet selecting an accessible and effective plan remains challenging. A Thai-focused summary of the study highlights the potential value of structured intermittent fasting within a comprehensive management approach.

A major international study shifts the focus from exercise to diet as the main driver of obesity in wealthy nations. The research shows that diets rich in ultra-processed foods are the principal factor behind the modern obesity epidemic. Data across diverse populations indicate similar daily energy expenditure, suggesting that simply increasing activity may not dramatically reduce obesity without dietary changes. For Thai readers, the finding emphasizes the power of what we eat over how much we sweat.

A landmark international study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) is turning conventional wisdom about obesity on its head, revealing that a sedentary lifestyle in wealthy nations may not be the main culprit behind soaring obesity rates. Instead, the research finds that diets high in ultra-processed foods are the leading driver of the modern obesity epidemic, with important lessons for the Thai population and global public health campaigns alike (Washington Post).

Recent evidence is prompting a thoughtful reexamination of how often we eat, especially for Thai readers where food culture is central to daily life. The core question remains: does eating more than three meals daily help or hinder health? In Thailand, with its vibrant street-food scene and communal meals, the topic hits close to home.

Experts caution that no single answer fits everyone. Some research suggests small, frequent meals can curb appetite, prevent overeating, and sustain energy—benefits that may aid people with reflux or other digestive concerns. Yet there is a cautionary note: increasing meal frequency without mindful choices can backfire. Calorie-dense snacks and sugary treats can contribute to weight gain and disrupt natural hunger cues, potentially stressing the digestive system.

A major international study questions the traditional “calories in, calories out” model for weight loss. It finds ultra-processed foods, or UPFs, may drive obesity independent of total calorie intake. The findings, published in a leading scientific journal, prompt urgent discussions among health professionals and raise important questions for Thailand’s public health strategy and evolving food culture.

The study shows that not all calories are equal. In a controlled trial, participants ate diets matched for calories, fiber, macronutrients, sugar, and sodium. One diet was rich in UPFs; the other emphasized minimally processed, whole foods. Those on the UPF-rich plan consumed more calories, felt fuller less often, and gained more weight despite similar activity. The message is clear: diet quality matters as much as quantity.