Ever felt frustrated for having regained your lost weight within a matter of weeks? Blame the fat cells’ memorising abilities, which is significantly contributing to obesity, according to a study. Researchers at ETH Zurich in Switzerland showed that obesity leads to characteristic epigenetic changes in the nucleus of fat cells. They remain the same even after a diet.
The team led by Ferdinand von Meyenn, Professor of Nutrition and Metabolic Epigenetics at the varsity, found that “fat cells remember the overweight state and can return to this state more easily”.
The team first analysed fat cells from overweight mice and those that had shed their excess weight through dieting.
Their findings revealed that mice with these epigenetic markers regained weight more quickly when they again had access to a high-fat diet.
Epigenetic markers play a key role in determining which genes are active in our cells and which are not.
The study, published in the journal Nature, found that the mechanism works in similar ways in humans.
To explore, the team analysed fat tissue biopsies from formerly overweight people who had undergone stomach reduction or gastric bypass surgery. The results were consistent with those of the mice.
Von Meyenn noted that the simplest way to combat the phenomenon, “is to avoid being overweight”, especially for children, youth, and adults.
The researchers for the first time showed that “fat cells possess an epigenetic memory of obesity”. However, fat cells may not be alone with this ability, the team said.
They noted that the findings implied that the cells in the brain, blood vessels, or other organs may also have the ability to remember obesity and contribute to the effect — an area that can be explored next.
