Overweight by itself has a number of bad aspects. Reduce food access
and exercise, exercise, exercise. If he has problems from food
restriction then more exercise... Build up gradually, but don't
underestimate him and his abilities and sense of fun play. Muscle mass
burns a lot of calories. In studies in other species improved muscle
mass is connected to lower rates of multiple malignancies (especially
hormonal/ endocrinological ones), better cardiovascular health,
improved pulmonary health, and several other benefits. When a health
problem doesn't prevent it exercise is one of the best things around
for staying healthier (within one's own limitations). The mechanisms
are still unknown for many of the results of these epidemiological
results but the results keep being seen in studies. So, lots of active
play time with you and others, and set up the cage when he is there to
make him have to climb more and more over time. GET YOUR VET'S OKAY ON
THE EXERCISE ROUTINES AND BUILD-UP PROGRAM. Don't assume that he gets
enough exercise; if he is fat he needs to either spend more calories or
take in and save fewer calories (pretty much the opposite of what needs
doing for putting aside a monetary nest egg). If he likes to stash make
him re-stash each day or even multiple times a day and make the stuff
hard to get.

Yes, there are things which can make weight loss harder. For instance,
new work indicates that (in humans) those with asthma have more of a
protein that increases appetite and can cause nasty hunger. There is
also work like this PLoS paper (URL below) on a possible disease origin
of difficulty losing weight, and certainly genetics matter. Yes, some
things make it all harder, but even when fat can't be lost there are
studies which show that having high levels of muscle help, in fact,
there are overweight people who are also very muscular who are
healthier that some fashion models who have almost no muscle (not a
universal since there are definitely ones with muscle). It appears in
one recent study that the first fat that exercise increases remove is
the nastier stuff around and near internal organs.

Not knowing which of these two URLs will work for those who aren't on
the list for early announcements here are two PLoS URLs for disease
toxins and things like weight gain:

<http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0050193>

<http://biology.plosjournals.org/archive/1545-7885/5/7/pdf/10.1371_journal.pbio.0050193-S.pdf>

Check for adrenal disease, too. I know from Dr. Bruce Williams that fat
in the thoracic cavity is a rare type of fat redistribution which can
occur with that. More commonly the fat redistribution that occurs is to
develop a pear shape (thin in thorax and fat at abdomen).

(We had one whose symptoms could have all been adrenal disease with 2
rare symptoms being all that showed but that was not what he had. What
he had in his chest and marrow was lymphoma. Anyway, that is how I
learned about rare thoracic fat.)

As you know, you and your vet did exactly the right thing checking his
heart!

BTW, this is also an exciting pancreatic beta cell article in the
latest issue:

<http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0050163>

<http://biology.plosjournals.org/archive/1545-7885/5/7/pdf/10.1371_journal.pbio.0050163-S.pdf>

I find it especially intriguing when taken in conjunction with the new
pancreatic endocrinological and sensory neurons studies as a
*possible* way to explain distribution of micro-tumors, perhaps missed
by macrophages after perhaps an incorrect signaling event or repeated
incorrect signaling. Of course, that also would need to be taken in
conjunction with the P53 genetics work of Dr. Bob Wagner since that
reduces the body's ability to fight and destroy early tumors, and the
MEN (multiple endocrinological neoplasia) work of Dr. Michelle Hawkin's
team (with more info to be announced this August in conference, as well
as future genetics work. There are a number of pancreatic hypotheses in
the world but only recently is enough data on the pancreas beginning to
be known to actually make some sense of things and know better what the
toss away. This bit of playing may be like most hypotheses and go right
out the window. Like any hypothesis, no matter how elegant or how
indicated by patterns it could be nothing more than something which
looks interesting until the right things that knock it out of the water
are noticed or known or presented in polite, formal challenge. That is
the way of hypotheses. Steve's advisor used to say that in physics if
most of a person's hypotheses panned out then the person wasn't trying
hard enough; that a person should aim for a level of questioning where
most of the individual's hypotheses don't work out because then the
ones which do are more likely to really create interesting change.
Honestly, if this idea does add up, it is just a baby step from looking
at how a few studies could mesh, and nothing more that something which
wide reading on the topic can give, and not a big intellectual leap. If
it does add up on study, though, it is elegant and that is cool.

The pancreatic sensory neuron work was late last year in two projects
by:
1. Razavi R, Chan Y, Afifiyan FN, Liu XJ, Wan X, Yantha J, Tsui H, Tang
L, Tsai S, Santamaria P, Driver JP, Serreze D, Salter MW, Dosch HM.,
and
2. Bour-Jordan H, Bluestone JA with at least one team now also having
reported some promising Type II preliminary work.
Check Cell Press.

BTW, melatonin appears to play parts in the hormonal triggering of two
opposing pancreatic aspects. How strange is that going to get? Only
time with good studies will tell; some may be helped, some may be
worsened, or it might be in the noise. Insulinoma is weird, anyway,
and not everything thought to be insulinoma due to low blood glucose
readings may even be insulinoma.

So, back to original topic, and apologies for the detour: the bottom
line is that he needs to exercise more with a program okayed by his
treating vet and you also need to discuss with the vet how to most
safely decrease his eating (both regular foods and treats) if possible.

Do ask the vet if there might also be adrenal disease to tackle.

Sukie (not a vet)

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html

[Posted in FML 5674]