Women between the ages of 20 and 60 years are three times more likely to develop gallstones than men. Gallstones are solid clumps of cholesterol or pigment material that form in the gallbladder, and can range in size from a single grain of sand up to the size of a ping-pong ball.

Risk factors for the development of gallstones include: 1. Female gender 2. Multiple pregnancies 3. Age over 60 4. Obesity 5. Rapid weight loss (especially after weight loss (bariatric) surgery) 6. Diabetes Some common symptoms of symptomatic gallstones include: 1. Severe pain in the upper stomach 2. Pain under the shoulder or in the right shoulder blade 3. Nausea or vomiting 4. Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes) 5. Fever/chills

When the pain of a gallbladder attack lasts longer than 1 to 2 hours, or is associated with fever, you should see your doctor immediately or seek emergency medical attention.

Tips to help lower the risk of gallstones: 1. Maintain a healthy body weight 2. Avoid crash diets or a very low intake of calories ”less than 800 calories a day 3. Exercise regularly 4. Choose a low-fat, high-fiber diet that emphasizes fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains

For more information on gallstone disease, visit the ACG website at acg.gi

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The inherited propensity to gain weight when eating a high-fat diet appears to be due to a preexisting limit on the ability to burn fat in the liver. This defect persists during the development of obesity and is then further compounded by additional deficits in the fat oxidizing machinery, comments Friedman.

Other studies in Friedman's laboratory have demonstrated that a decrease in fat oxidation and energy production in the liver generates a signal that stimulates eating. Experiments in his and other laboratories have also found that treatments that increase fat oxidation reduce food intake and cause weight loss in obese rodents.

With this in mind, Friedman notes, The present findings point to fat oxidation in the liver as a target for the development of drugs that suppress appetite and promote weight loss in obese individuals.

Future studies will guide development of such interventions by examining more closely the function and activity of the target enzymes.

The Monell Chemical Senses Center is a nonprofit basic research institute based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For 39 years, Monell has been the nation's leading research center focused on understanding the senses of smell, taste and chemical irritation: how they function and affect lives from before birth through old age. Using a multidisciplinary approach, scientists collaborate in the areas of: sensation and perception, neuroscience and molecular biology, environmental and occupational health, nutrition and appetite, health and well being, and chemical ecology and communication. For more information about Monell, please visit

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