Vaccines against overweight?

Dr. C. Julio César Hernández Perera* • 
March 12, 2014    22:35:30 CDT



A CubaNews translation.
Edited by Walter Lippmann.

Are there vaccines against fatness? This is the question many readers would have after reading an article published in the January 2014 issue of the journal Clinical and Experimental Vaccine Research, the official publication of the Korean Vaccine Society.

The authors of the paper -American and South Korean researchers- presented an interesting update on the development of different vaccines to treat obesity. These are now used not only in the treatment and prevention of certain infections, but also with other diseases such as cancer, and now, obesity.

One of the vaccine formulas described in the scientific paper -still in early experimental stage- is aimed at blocking the action of a hormone named Ghrelin by using specific antibodies. Ghrelin is produced by various organs such as the intestines.

This seeks to reduce appetite and hunger (sensations that can be caused by Ghrelin), the resulting increase in food intake and, consequently, the increase in body weight.

It also describes another relevant piece of knowledge regarding the link between the human virus AD36 and the development of adiposity. Therefore, developing a vaccine against this virus is a research project for the scientific community aimed at the treatment and prevention of obesity.

If effective and safe vaccines of this type are developed, those seeking to lose weight may find that this is the "easiest way". This action could be added to other efforts, for example: the recent development of a gel created from seaweed, starches, and citrus peel which, when ingested and in contact with gastric juices, swells and produces a feeling of satiety [fullness].

These motivations for scientific innovations are in keeping with the common interest of humankind to reverse the growing problem of obesity in many parts of the world.

Considered by the World Health Organization as an epidemic, this disease [obesity] is one of the causes of the enormous increase in certain types of cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks. These conditions contribute, as a whole, to more than 80 percent of deaths, countless disabilities and substantial health care costs.

The epidemiological data can be shocking when one considers that 65 percent of the world's population lives in countries where overweight and obesity cause more deaths than malnutrition. And Cuba does not escape this reality.

According to a national survey conducted in 2001, more than a third of Cubans have a sedentary lifestyle, and about 40 percent are overweight or obese. But more alarming is the fact that children and adolescents reveal a similar trend in terms of the increase in the disorder, as revealed by more recent research.

This may be one of the reasons why the onset of diabetes and other conditions closely related to atherosclerosis are increasingly appearing in much younger populations in our country.

In addition to the current trend towards less physical effort and bad eating habits - too much "fast food" and abundant sugar intake- there is the mistaken belief about health and beauty that many parents have ("a chubby baby is healthier and more beautiful"). This can be one of the starting points -when habits are being established- for the fight against excess weight; instead of waiting for the "miracle drug" -certainly more expensive- against obesity

Therefore it is important to remember that no innovation in this regard should unseat the undisputed value of individual responsibility. The individual willingness to limit excess calorie intake, increase consumption of fruit and vegetables, and do physical exercise, is the true and only vaccine –for now– against the excess of pounds.

* Doctor in Medical Sciences and Second Degree Specialist in Internal Medicine

 

http://www.juventudrebelde.cu/opinion/2014-03-12/vacunas-contra-el-sobrepeso/

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