Radio Iowa
05-11-06
I-S-U student looks for link between obesity and hormones
by O.Kay Henderson
An Iowa State University grad student is engaged in research that may find a
link between obesity and hormones that stimulate appetite. Michelle Bohan of
LeMars, a graduate student in biochemistry, is working with three I-S-U
professors on the project. "Some people may need to modify their diet -- add a
little bit more protein, maybe decrease the amount of carbohydrates to achieve
(maximum) health," Bohan says.
She's measured the "body mass index" of eight men and eight women. The 16
study participants ate one of two diets -- the Atkins Diet that's heavy in proteins
and an American Heart Association diet which is more balanced.
Bohan is tracking the hormone levels of participants. For example, she has
discovered overweight women do not have as much of a hormone that reduces
insulin resistance as lean women, and it's a hormone she says you want a lot of
so you can avoid contracting diabetes. She's looking at the kinds of foods which
increase and decrease the levels of this hormone in the body.
Bohan hopes the research will eventually give obese people more options. "If you
could control things through your diet, would you try that first before taking more
extreme measures (like) surgery (or) by taking shots every day?" Bohan asks.
Bohan presented some of her initial research results last month at a scientific
meeting in San Francisco. Her research is being financed by a grant from the
U.S. Department of Agriculture.