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
It was foisted on us by the medical community in order to classify healthy people as overweight and obese totally based on a weight height ratio, and nothing else. In order to freak and stress people out in order to put them on unnecessary prescription drugs, if possible.
The bmi is to medicine as global warming is to earth science. Fundamentally flawed.
“The bmi is to medicine as global warming is to earth science. Fundamentally flawed.”
No science like junk science?
Between globull climate change, sex and gender b.s., green energy and pick your medical malady, pseudoscience is going to be the end of us.
If the muzzies don’t chop us up first.
If the fat don’t fit, you must acquit!
Because you can be fat but not fit and still play golf. Same with baseball and bowling. Just because you play a sport—even at a high level—doesn’t mean you’re fit.
I think that must be so. The devil will have his due.
Those “Aliens” helmets don’t help either.
I'm not a work-out maniac, but neither am I out-of-shape - so the real meaning of "obese" is pretty clouded.
Can you aim for 150? That’s your fighting weight. Even 155 to 160 would be great for you!
“Fat but fit”?
Why, yes, yes there IS. It’s called BMI.
It’s in ‘use’ in every doc. office, h’care screening, etc. I’ve been in/through.
Though, when you have Jordan in his prime in the same league as Rosy, you have a flawed system/scale.
I've seen spandex suits spread all over the roads this week. Not surprising, since the the incidence of cycletard violation of road regs has been increasing exponentially.
Is this another sneaky attempt at justifying Hillary’s weight problem? :)
Golf? You’re kidding, right?
The exercises systematically position our joints at the end of range of motion, stretching the joint capsule and stimulating the flow of synovial fluid that lubricates our joints.
The exercises also engage muscles in a 30 second sustained contraction. This causes all the muscle fibers to wake up and stay ready for action.
This system is so effective, it has allowed me to get stronger and more mobile even as I approach 70. But I do it everyday for 10 minutes.
Over weight individuals will greatly benefit from this holistic approach to exercise. By lubricating joints and energizing muscles we begin the process of strengthening our chassis, getting back on the road and moving. It feels great and we start burning more calories because we feel like being active.
I welcome all comments. The video below is a test. I am building a website and will be formally introducing Mobility Max in the fall.
Couldn’t get the link to work.
be happy, not healthy.
stress is the number one killer.
now, where’s my deep fried twinkie.
t
i kick the ass of all the skinny young doctors who say i am obese and need to lose 95 pounds for my height... 5’10 265 lbs...
while they are whimpering on the floor i ask them how it feels to be losing this 265 pounds...
in my mind... but i know i could eat better, but i am happy.
t
Sorry, try this. Mobility Max 10 minute home exercise system.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZZWe_I8XiA
Perhaps "no dessert left behind" is the key to happiness?
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