Scientists believe
that
obesity treatment could soon benefit from the use of thermal imaging.
The team at the University of Nottingham used the heat-seeking technology to
identify a person's reserve of brown fat - which has a vital role in
determining how quickly they burn calories as energy.
According to the researchers, brown adipose produces 300 times more heat than
any other tissue in the body.
The technique allows doctors to assess how much of the calorie-burning tissue a
person has and thus enables them to be more accurate with treatment.
Obesity is a major public health problem in the UK.
According to the latest Health Survey for England, 26.1 per cent of British
Adults are obese, meaning they have a body mass index of more than 30.
The Department of Health states that the condition increases the risk of
illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease.
© Adfero Ltd
Obesity surgery news : 23 July 2012
