Why do people get fat?
1985
Kolata, Gina
An estimated 34 million Americans are at least 20% above their desirable weight. The poor rate of success that obese people have in maintaining a weight loss suggests that there may be a biological basis for obesity. Researchers at Rockefeller University believe that the biochemical status of the fat cells themselves are an important determinant of obesity and possibly of body fat distribution. Rat studies have showen that fat cell size remains constant regardless of variations in fat cell number. Obese humans who diet to acheive "normal" weight have been found to 1) have low levels of thyroid hormone; 2) require fewer calories to maintain weight than would be predicted using height-weight tables; 3) have low pulse rates and blood pressure; and 4) exhibit cold intolerance. Studies examining the reestrification of free fatty acids in fat cells of formerly obese individuals who have reached normal weight show a pattern similar to the one seen in normal subjects who have fasted 4-5 days. They also may have up to 3 times as many fat cells as individuals who have never been obese. This may explain the observation that formerly obese people have symptoms resembling semistarvation and tend to regain lost weight with great precision. The fat cells' tendency to accumulate and break down fat varies in different parts of the body, and among individuals. This may help explain the difficulty that some obese people experience in reducing fat in certain areas of the body, such as the hips and abdomen. (aje)
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