Posted on 08/22/2016 8:27:36 PM PDT by nickcarraway
These findings indicate that fat cells in obese people do something different than in healthy people
A new study finds striking metabolic differences between fat cells from obese and normal weight people—but it’s not clear what the findings mean to overall health. WHY IT MATTERS:
Obesity is associated with complications like diabetes and heart disease. But over the past 15 years, evidence has emerged that a subgroup of obese people are metabolically healthy, meaning they don’t have the insulin resistance, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and high triglycerides typical of obesity. That has led to questions of whether treating the obesity itself is the way to target these problems, or whether some other kind of metabolic imbalance is to blame.
THE NITTY GRITTY:
To see if there were differences in the kind of fat that obese people and normal weight people carry, scientists took fat biopsies from three groups of participants: 17 non-obese, 21 insulin-sensitive obese, and 30 insulin-resistant obese people. By looking at gene expression profiles, they wanted to discern whether the second group looked more like the first, or the third.
They found that when they dosed participants with insulin and then biopsied fat cells, the cells’ responses were almost indistinguishable in the two obese groups. While insulin changed levels of gene expression in over 200 genes in both groups of obese participants, it affected the expression just two genes in the non-obese group. Their results were published Thursday in Cell Reports.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:
Gene expression can change the proteins a cell has to work with—so these findings indicate that fat cells in obese people are doing something different than fat cells in healthy people, said Dr. Mikael Rydén, an endocrinologist at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and lead researcher in the study. “We think that adds fuel to the debate,” he said. “It would imply that you are not protected from bad outcomes if you are a so-called fit and fat person.”
BUT KEEP IN MIND:
While the overall activity of genes was similar between the obese groups, some genes did differ between the two, both in whether their expression changed at all, and the magnitude of change. This very observation could negate the study as evidence against the existence of fit and fat, said Dr. Samuel Klein, a gastroenterologist specializing in nutrition at Washington University School of Medicine in Missouri.
“I don’t think this study has any bearing on that question,” he said. “Based on your ability to consume oxygen during maximal exercise, you can be obese and be fitter than someone who’s lean. And if you are fat but fit you have a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes than if you’re lean and unfit.” Still, Klein said that the low change in gene expression in the non-obese group was “remarkable.”
“There’s really something very interesting about adipose tissue that we need to understand further,” he said.
The study also only looked at fat cells, Rydén pointed out. It doesn’t tell us how insulin might affect the function of other tissues, like kidneys and livers. Additionally all of the participants in the obese group were scheduled to have bariatric surgery, meaning the study may only apply to the severely obese and not to all obese people.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
Terms like “healthy obesity” and “fat but fit” may oversimplify a complicated health issue that scientists still have a lot to learn about. Republished with permission from STAT. This article originally appeared on August 18, 2016
Quick summary:
I need a grant.
HFLCMP
What about fat golfers? Just askin’ ... like Time Herron, for example. Been around for a while and still very competitive. 5’ 10” 250, as I see here. How does he do it?
I’d say that about sums it up.
Seems like everywhere you go there are so many overweight people today ... it’s definitely a modern phenomenon.
I’m sure in some people there are definite metabolic issues but (not being mean or snarky or anything) I think mostly it’s just a case of a wealthy nation with plentiful delicious food to eat and drink ... hard to say no.
No.
All I know is vegetarians look ill and those bike riders in their spandex suits look funny.
IF they are basing “fat” on the awful and inaccurate BMI index, then they could indeed be incorrect.
The general grudgingly acknowledged fact by the med community is that people who exercise, overweight or not, are generally healthier than people that do not exercise but are not overweight.
Maybe they should look at other DNA clues like haplotype.
The Koisan, who used to be the most populous group on earth, carry the steatopygia gene (big butts/big thighs) and they are healthy.
all I know is we call some of these football players “athletes” when they have their fat guts falling out of their shirts/pants...
“The general grudgingly acknowledged fact by the med community is that people who exercise, overweight or not, are generally healthier than people that do not exercise but are not overweight.”
I think they call that ‘skinny fat’
What did the study say about Hillary Clinton’s status?
Fat with Fits?
Refrigerator Perry?
My ex was very active and athletic. Ate right too. Smoked.
She weighed about 200 at 5’6”. Healthy as a horse.
Fat doesn’t always mean unhealthy. Most of the time, sure. But some people are just built that way.
She played 3 different sports, had something going on all throughout the year. Never lost a pound.
I’ve had a rough year with that.
I _was_ 5’7” and 135 pounds from 16 to 38 years old. Last November I lost my income and tapped into the MREs and stuff.
After a month of it, I started getting a gut. I cut back and got back on a regular diet.
I ballooned to 180 in 2 months and now I’m hypo glycemic. I’m trying to work the gut away but I’m not really getting anywhere. I think a gym membership is next. The sudden hypoglycemia was the kicker for me though. I can’t go for more than a few hours without taking in something and it’s not my ideal “fighting weight” so to say.
I think health is an individual variable that does not depend on weight. But then, I’m fat.
“IF they are basing “fat” on the awful and inaccurate BMI index, then they could indeed be incorrect.”
The BMI is a total joke.
About nine years ago I changed employers
As a CDL holder I had to have a new DOT physical just because I was changing company’s.
There was one young young fella who was the same height as me, about 5’6”.
But he was big as a house.
His biceps were dang near as big as my thighs.
But it was all muscle, he was a very serious weight lifter. He brought his weights with him and worked out every morning and evening.
The docs came to the company facility to give the physicals.
He Failed!
His huge muscles made him “overweight” for his height.
He eventually got his physical card but he had to jump through some extra hoops to get it.
My dad was 5’5” and weighed about 200 lbs in his prime.
That was 200 lbs of muscle from a lifetime of hard farm work.
He was considered overweight by any young doctor.
The BMI index is a joke foisted on us by silly axxed bureaucrats.
Try Roy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho6xcRVaK5Y
He is doing alright and the Gray in his beard makes me feel a little better too.
Aww sorry to hear that and I hope you have since found employment?
I think it’s the carbs and age - harder to take off weight over 50 IMO. It really is what we put in our mouths (unless you have a legit medical condition or are genetically disposed to being stout) and I would suggest looking at your carb intake ... I had great luck with a loose Atkins type lifestyle (limit sugar, starches like pasta, bread, rice, beans and potatoes - kinda anything white). I like the rower and walking for keeping it all a bit tighter but you don’t need exercise to lose weight and in fact exercise doesn’t really aid in weight loss to much unless you do a ton of it :) but we all have to do what works for us.
Again! Best of luck !
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