Good news for the obese in America! In April of 2000, at the Experimental Biology 2000 meeting, a group of scientists from the University of Tennessee n Knoxville had some exciting research to share.

After using mice who modeled the obesity patterns of humans (the mice had been genetically engineered to express a gene called agouti in their fat cells, which normally operates in human beings but not mice) the scientists put these mice on a low calorie diet for 6 weeks. This diet consisted of 70% of their normal daily intake. To create a ‘controlled group’ the scientists limited the calcium intake of one set of mice. The mice who were controlled lost about 8% of their body fat, and 11% of their weight. The calcium increased study group lost 60% of their body fat and 25% of their weight.

This is indeed exciting news! Scientists, including endocrinologist Robert Heaney of Creighton University in Omaha, are cautiously enthusiastic about this discovery. In the April / May edition of Science News Dr. Creighton states, “I thought they made sense, but I still had a degree of skepticism,” after reanalyzing the data from the supplement trials he stated, “...in all five (studies) we found a significant weight effect that we had ignored.” This study, which will be published soon, shows that the women who consume the least calcium weigh the most.

While not yet considered a treatment option, this amazing research gives a bright outlook for the millions of obese and severely obese people in America.

Now people really will begin to smile when the cameraman yells “Say cheese”.