As we grow older, it becomes difficult to keep the weight off. Ever wondered why? The answer lies in lower ‘lipid turnover’. A new research from Sweden indicates that as we age, our body’s rate of removing and storing lipid (or fatty acids) in the fat cells decreases. This results in weight gain, even if our eating and exercising habits remain unchanged.
The research, published in the journal Nature Medicine, focused on examining fat cells in 54 men and women for a period of 13 years. It was found that there was a decrease in lipid turnover in the fat cells, irrespective of whether the subjects lost or gained weight.
Also, the study considered 41 women who had undergone bariatric surgery (weight loss surgery) and analysed their lipid turnover. This was done to check if there was a change in the rate after the surgery. It was found that lipid turnover increased post surgery only in those women who had low lipid turnover rates before the weight loss surgery.
Peter Arner, professor at Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, and a lead author of the study said, “The results indicate for the first time that processes in our fat tissue regulate changes in body weight during ageing in a way that is independent of other factors. This could open up new ways to treat obesity.”
According to HuffingtonPost, previous studies have indicated that an effective way to lose weight and fasten lipid turnover is to exercise more. The findings from the new research seem to echo this notion.
“Obesity and obesity-related diseases have become a global problem,” explained Kirsty Spalding, senior researcher at Karolinska Institutet and study co-author. “Understanding lipid dynamics and what regulates the size of the fat mass in humans has never been more relevant.”
