Created: 7/8/2008 6:43:25 PM 
Winston-Salem, NC - A team of researchers at Wake Forest University are using lard and monkeys to study the link between fast food, obesity and diabetes.
Doctors say the results could answer age old questions about what causes the disease and the best way to treat it.
Scientists feed the African Green Monkeys a mix of ingredients found in fast food.
"We put sugar and flour and all different kinds of butter and fats in the mix," said Jan Wagner, the Director of WFU's Animal Resources Program. "This diet is just like what Americans would eat."
"They'll get the dietary equivalent to McDonald's but we're not feeding them any cheeseburgers," said David Friedman, an Associate Dean for Research at Wake.
Researchers are studying 450 monkeys. They're looking for the "genetic" link between diet and obesity. While some monkeys get the mix, others enjoy a healthy diet of green leaves. Scientists hope the experiment will define the relationship between bad foods, heart disease and diabetes.
"We have a colony of monkeys that is all diabetic, they have Type 2 Diabetes," said Wagner. "We have to give them insulin two times a day everyday just like a person," she said.
Researchers say the study couldn't come at a better time. North carolina is the 15th fattest state in the country and more than 65% of people nationwide are overweight.
Researchers measure the monkeys' cholesterol, glucose and lipids regularly to see if they're diabetic. Wagoner thinks their study could one day lead to a cure for diabetes.
"We look at what causes the disease and we also look for treatments for that. This now gives us the opportunity to look at the genetic basis for all kinds of disease." Researchers will study the monkeys' eating habits, weight gain and blood samples for at least two years.
WFMY News 2
