As we get older, it can sometimes become more difficult to keep our weight in check. New research at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden along with collaboration with researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden and the University of Lyon in France, has discovered why this is.
During the aging process lipid turnover in our fat tissue decreases which makes it much easier for people to gain weight. This can occur even if we don’t exercise less than before or don’t eat as much.
The research team discovered the fat cells in 54 women and men turn over during an average time period of 13 years. During that time all participants, regardless of whether they lost or gained weight, showed decreases in lipid turnover in their fat tissue. This is the rate at which lipid or fat located in the fat cells is removed and stored.
Participants who didn’t compensate for this by eating less calories increased their weight by an average of 20%. These results indicate that processes in our fat tissue help regulate changes body weight during the aging process in a way that is independent of other factors.
The team also examined lipid turnover in 41 women who had bariatric surgery and how the lipid turnover rate affected the ability for them keep the weight off for 4 to 7 years following surgery.
The result indicated that only those participants who had a low rate before surgery were able to increase their lipid turnover and then maintain their weight loss. The team believe these people might have had more room for increasing their lipid turnover than the participants who already had a high level previous to the surgery.
The results could open up new treatments for obesity. Previous studies have shown that one method to speed up lipid turnover in fat tissue is to engage in more exercise. The new research does support that notion and also indicates that long term result of weight loss surgery could improve if combined with an increase in physical activity.
The majority of people who struggle with severe obesity have a prolonged struggle with their weight. Furthermore, the global problem with obesity and obesity related diseases has encouraged researchers to understand lipid dynamics and what regulates the size of fat mass.
To view the original scientific study click below:
dipose lipid turnover and long-term changes in body weight.
Being alone isn't necessarily harmful, but feeling lonely may be. According to a new study, older adults who experience persistent loneliness may face a faster decline in both cognitive and physical health. The researchers found that loneliness remained strongly linked to poorer brain health and an increased risk of early death, regardless of how socially isolated a person was.
Imagine being able to preserve your healthiest blood stem cells while you're young, then using them decades later to help rejuvenate your body. New research in mice suggests it may one day be possible to restore a more youthful blood-forming system and immune system by transplanting young stem cells later in life.
The gut microbiome is the community of trillions of bacteria, fungi and viruses that primarily live in the colon. These tiny organisms help digest food while producing compounds that can influence many aspects of both physical and mental health. Researchers have uncovered a link between specific gut bacteria and biological aging, adding to growing evidence that the gut microbiome may affect how we age.