A recent study has revealed why the yo-yo effect often follows dieting: the body’s fat cells remember being overweight and resist weight loss attempts. The yo-yo effect refers to the phenomenon where lost weight is regained over time.
On November 18, a research team led by Professor Ferdinand von Meyenn at ETH Zurich published these groundbreaking findings in the journal Nature.
The team examined fat tissue from obese patients before and after weight loss surgery, uncovering a surprising biological memory. They then compared this tissue to individuals who had never been obese.
Their findings were eye-opening: fat cells in an obese state react differently to food. These cells absorb nutrients more rapidly and grow faster than other cells.
Professor von Meyenn explained that it is difficult to maintain weight loss after initial success because fat cells retain a memory of their prior obese state and tend to revert to it. This memory causes the cells to prepare for unhealthy responses, such as reacting more quickly to sugars or fatty acids.
Further research using mouse cells showed that this biological memory is linked to chemical changes in DNA and surrounding proteins. These epigenetic modifications alter how genes work and affect metabolism.
The team observed that formerly obese mice gained weight much faster when given a high-fat diet than their never-obese counterparts. This suggests that metabolic changes make it easier to regain weight.
Scientists now believe that fat cell memory isn’t the only culprit in obesity. They suspect similar memories exist in brain cells, influencing how much we eat and the energy we burn.
Professor Henriette Kirchner of Lübeck University in Germany, who reviewed the study, stated that the research convincingly demonstrates how cellular memory plays a crucial role in the yo-yo effect after dieting. She explained that the researchers clearly showed how the longer obesity persists, the harder it becomes to erase this memory.
It’s a familiar story for many: people who lose weight through dieting or weight-loss injections like Wegovy often see the pounds creep back on once they stop their regimen.
David Benton, an obesity expert at Swansea University in the U.K., pointed out that more than 100 factors influence obesity and emphasized that it is well-established that most diets fail. He explained that the primary reason for this failure is that maintaining weight loss requires permanent dietary changes. Most people eventually revert to the lifestyle that caused the problem initially, which leads to the yo-yo effect.
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