No screens with meals and insect food: four new findings about obesity

At the 2024 European Congress on Obesity, a range of experts shared research on ways to tackle the problem. Here is an overview of the most important findings.

Children who use screens during meals are more likely to be obese

A study of 735 primary school children aged six to ten found that those who regularly used smartphones or other types of screens during meals were 15% more likely to be overweight.

The lead researcher, Dr Ana Duarte Mel, from the University of Minho in Portugal, said that when children use screens during meals “they do not understand when to stop eating or when they are full”.

She added: “They keep eating and eating just because they are distracted by the screens. This is bad for society and dangerous for children, because it leads to overweight or obesity. We are so busy right now that we don’t have time to all sit down for a family meal, but parents need to know that screen time during mealtimes is a very big problem.”

Insect-based foods remain unappealing to the British

Although insect-based foods are eaten around the world, they remain unappealing in Britain, according to research that says more needs to be done to change these attitudes.

The research consisted of an online survey of 603 British adults between 2019 and 2020, asking participants questions about their opinions on certain foods. The survey found that only 13% of respondents said they would be willing to consume insects regularly, compared to 47% who said they would not.

The study’s lead author, Dr Lauren McGale from Edge Hill University, said insects could “provide a solution to the double burden of obesity and malnutrition” because they are potentially a rich source of protein and micronutrients.

She added: “Some insect proteins, such as crickets or freeze-dried mealworms, are cheaper and easier to grow, often contain less fat and have a lower environmental impact than traditional livestock.”

Financial incentives can help

A year-long study found that text messages and financial incentives can help men lose weight. Members of a control group of 585 obese men in Belfast, Bristol and Glasgow received text messages with financial incentives, text messages without financial incentives, or neither.

The texts contained motivational messages and tips on healthy eating, and the financial invention was a payment of £400 which they were told would be paid to them at the end of the trial.

The study found that the men who received the text messages with the financial incentives lost more weight – 4.8% of their body weight – compared to 2.7% in the group who received text messages without the financial incentives.

The researchers concluded that text messages with financial incentives were effective in encouraging weight loss in obese men, and that the strategy could be adopted by the NHS.

New drug that could be more effective then Ozempic

A new weight loss injection could outperform existing rivals including Wegovy and Ozempic, with participants taking the drug in one study losing almost a quarter of their body weight.

Retatrutide, a weekly injection, works by suppressing appetite and also helping the body burn more fat, according to the phase 2 clinical trial.

The study among 338 obese participants showed that they lost 24% of their body weight over a period of 48 weeks. Researchers say it is more effective for weight loss than Ozempic or Wegovy, which work only by suppressing appetite.

The next phase of clinical trials is underway and expected to be published in 2026. Researchers say the drug could be available on the NHS as early as 2026.

Prof. Naveed Sattar from the University of Glasgow, who has worked on trials of other weight loss jabs, said: “Five to 10 years ago we would never have imagined drugs that would cause this kind of weight loss.

“The trial shows that Retatrutide is still not at its peak, so more weight loss is likely to occur. If we give this drug any longer, I think it could reach almost 30% of a person’s body weight.

“That’s a hell of a lot of weight. The question is whether this can be done safely and large trials are planned to test that.”

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