Drink tea to cut flab

Drinking the traditional Chinese type of tea, Oolong, could help obese people battle the bulge, avers study.

Chinese scientists have claimed that drinking tea, especially Oolong variety, can help people shed weight. During a five-year study, researchers discovered five new genes related to obesity, which point to the cause of the condition. However, they also found that the polyphenol compound in tea - especially Oolong tea - can help obese people battle the bulge.

The focus of the study was to help address growing obesity among Chinese children, especially in cities. The groundbreaking research reveals that overeating is not the only cause.

"Diet and lifestyle are only the external reasons," director of the Nanjing Institute for Pediatrics, Guo Xirong said. "The genetic conditions of the individuals could predispose, or even cause, children and adolescents to become overweight," Guo was quoted as saying by 'China Daily'.

Guo won the Soong Ching Ling Foundation Pediatrics Award last week for his pioneering research in identifying the new genes related to obesity and suggesting new intervention strategies.

Despite their findings, Guo admits there is no magic bullet for treating childhood obesity.

But he said a healthier diet and lifestyle will help. According to Guo, the seeds of obesity can be planted in children much earlier than generally believed. When children are still in the fetus, they tend to become obese later in life if pregnant mothers eat too much and have a dramatic increase in weight.