A single nerve that runs from the brain to the gut may hold the key to treating a host of the 21st century’s biggest public health challenges, according to scientists working to beat obesity and Crohn’s disease.
Europe has a weight problem – and it’s getting worse. One in three 11-year-olds in the European region is overweight or obese, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO).
‘It’s a lifestyle issue,’ said Professor Steve Bloom of Imperial College London, UK. ‘We sit in front of screens all day, we drive everywhere and food is abundant. The trouble is that this builds up fatty tissue which leads to obesity, diabetes, stroke and cancer.’
