Researchers have developed a drug therapy for obesity and metabolic syndrome arising especially from emotional eating disorders.
BACKGROUND:
Incidence and prevalence of obesity are increasing fiercely worldwide, and this burden of obesity is often described as a global endemic, particularly in the developed countries like United States. The World Health Organization reveals that global obesity has more than doubled since 1980, with over 1.9 billion adults overweight in 2014, of which, more than 600 million were obese. According to recent reports by the Center for Disease Control, the prevalence of obesity in the United States is 36.5%. Also, in the United States, 20 million women and 10 million men suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder at some time in their life that may include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder etc. Present anti-obesity medications are few and have a generalized coverage rather than being disorder specific.
INNOVATION:
This novel drug therapy targets an essential step in the lipogenesis cycle, and has anorexic properties, increases locomotion and diminishes weigh gain especially in disorders such as depression or social isolation where there is an increase in emotional eating. Animal studies in male and female mice have shown increased weight loss due to decreased food consumption and increased locomotor activity.
APPLICATIONS:
- Eating disorders like bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder
- Obesity resulting from psychological disorders like depression, Anxiety disorder
- Metabolic syndrome
- Diabetes mellitus
- Hepatic Steatosis
ADVANTAGES:
- Anti-obesity drug therapy that not only inhibits food consumption but also increases locomotion
- Effective drug therapy for patients suffering from emotional eating