GendAge Weight Loss Study: Sex Hormones As Regulators Of The Age- And Sex-dependent Benefits Of Caloric Restriction

With nearly two-thirds of the UK population living with overweight or obesity, there is a desperate need to provide evidence-based public health advice for obesity management.

Obesity increases the risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers. Increased body fat stores, particularly around the vital organs, as abdominal obesity, contributes to these health risks. Calorie restriction or dieting involves a sustained calorie deficit to reduce body weight and specifically, the amount of body fat. The reduction in body fat due to calorie restriction offers health benefits, including improved blood sugar control, at least while weight loss is maintained. However, current weight management advice is around lifestyle modification, with diet and physical activity changes to support calorie deficit. Surprisingly, current dieting advice does not account for gender or age. This is partly because the necessary highly controlled research studies to explore the role of age and gender on the ability to reduce weight and fat mass, have not been conducted. This requires diet studies in volunteers, within a controlled environment, to fully measure changes in energy balance as energy intake, energy expenditure and body composition. The reasons for this are not fully understood. Interestingly, we show preliminary data that suggest that this is also the case in humans, that in both mice and humans, males lose more weight than females during dieting, regardless of age. Also, when we considered age of participants, younger (<45 years) in comparison to older (>45 years) participants, males’ increased fat loss occurred only in the younger age group, with a greater loss of muscle tissue in the older age group. Loss of muscle tissue has negative longer-term health effects, so this should be minimised during dieting. In summary our work suggests that these age-sex differences do not favour dieting for females, and if we can understand how to maximise fat loss, minimise muscle loss during calorie deficit, this will positively affect health outcomes, particularly the effects on blood sugar control. We propose to conduct a diet study in males and females, with all food provided, and monitor changes in energy expenditure and body composition, using gold standard techniques. These studies support translational understanding of womens’ health to achieve healthy ageing.

This cross-disciplinary research project brings together experienced researchers with facilities for controlled nutrition studies, to apply advanced mechanistic techniques including stable isotope tracers, endocrine and molecular bio-markers and imaging to examine how negative energy balance affects adipose tissue metabolism and metabolic health. Our research will examine the role of sex and age in a controlled diet study, to assess role of sex hormones as modulators of fat loss during negative energy balance. This research has the potential to significantly improve the future management of obesity and metabolic function, particularly to support women’s health.

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Applicants to this project should hold a minimum of a 2:1 UK Honours degree (or international equivalent) in a relevant subject.

We encourage applications from all backgrounds and communities, and are committed to having a diverse, inclusive team.

Informal enquiries are encouraged, please contact Professor Alex Johnstone (alex.johnstone@abdn.ac.uk) for further information.

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APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

Please note: This is a self-funded opportunity.

• Prospective students should contact the lead supervisor (via the email address listed above) to discuss the research project and complete a proposal form prior to / or shortly after applying.
• Formal applications can be completed online: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/pgap/login.php
• You should apply for Medical Sciences (PhD) to ensure your application is passed to the correct team.
• Please clearly note the name of the supervisor and the project title on the application form. If this is not included, your application may not be considered for the project.
• Candidates should have (or expect to achieve) a minimum of a 2:1 UK Honours degree (or international equivalent) at undergraduate level.
• Your application must include: a personal statement, an up-to-date copy of your academic CV, and clear copies of your educational certificates and transcripts.
• If you are still undertaking your undergraduate degree, it is helpful to the selection panel if you could provide documentation showing your grades to date (this can be a screenshot from an online portal).
• Please note: Project supervisors will not respond to requests for funding assistance.
• If you require any additional assistance in submitting your application or have any queries about the application process, please don't hesitate to contact us at pgrs-admissions@abdn.ac.uk