This archive report was first published on 12 September 2019.
Published in Nature Medicine on September 12, 2019, a groundbreaking study conducted at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has shed light on the mysterious phenomenon of weight gain with age.
Researchers discovered that lipid turnover in fat tissue decreases with age, making it easier to gain weight. This process, independent of other factors, could lead to new ways to treat obesity.
The study involved 54 participants who were monitored over an average period of 13 years. During this time, the participants showed a significant decrease in lipid turnover in their fat tissue.
Interestingly, the participants who consumed fewer calories still gained weight by an average of 20%. This finding suggests that the decrease in lipid turnover plays a crucial role in weight gain.
Another case study involved 41 women who underwent weight-loss surgery. The researchers found that the women who had a low rate of lipid turnover before surgery were able to increase their lipid turnover and maintain their weight loss.
According to Peter Arner, professor at the Department of Medicine at Karolinska Institutet, “The results indicate for the first time that processes in our fat tissue regulate changes in body weight during aging in a way that is independent of other factors. This could open up new ways to treat obesity.”
Kirsty Spalding, a senior researcher at Karolinska Institutet, added, “Obesity and obesity-related diseases have become a global problem. Understanding lipid dynamics and what regulates the size of the fat mass in humans has never been more relevant.”
