When it comes to obesity, the problem isn't an excess of fat but its
loss of function, researchers argue

Date:
February 3, 2022
Source:
Cell Press
Summary:
Obesity is known to cause cardiometabolic diseases like
hypertension and diabetes but attributing these diseases to merely
an overabundance of fat is a simplification. On a basic level,
fat acts as a receptacle to store energy, but upon a closer look
it is an essential actor in vital bodily processes like the immune
response, the regulation of insulin sensitivity, and maintenance
of body temperature. Researchers argue that the negative health
effects of obesity stem not simply from an excess of fat but from
the decline in its ability to respond to changes, or in other words,
its plasticity.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Obesity is known to cause cardiometabolic diseases like hypertension and diabetes but attributing these diseases to merely an overabundance of fat
is a simplification. On a basic level, fat acts as a receptacle to store energy, but upon a closer look it is an essential actor in vital bodily processes like the immune response, the regulation of insulin sensitivity,
and maintenance of body temperature. In a review published in the journal
Cell on February 3rd, researchers argue that the negative health effects
of obesity stem not simply from an excess of fat but from the decline
in its ability to respond to changes, or in other words, its plasticity.


==========================================================================
The makeup and functioning of this tissue changes in response to weight fluctuations and aging. As fat declines in plasticity due to aging
and obesity, it loses its ability to respond to bodily cues. In the
current model of this phenomenon, the rapid growth of adipose tissue
outpaces its blood supply, depriving the fat cells of oxygen and causing
the accumulation of cells that no longer divide. This leads to insulin resistance, inflammation, and cell death accompanied by the uncontrolled
spill of lipids from these cells.

"The central role of adipose tissue dysfunction in disease and the
incredible plasticity of fat tissue supports the promise of modulating
fat tissue phenotypes for therapeutic purposes," write the authors,
led by Claudio J.

Villanueva (@ClaudioVillanu) from the College of Life
Sciences/David Geffen School of Medicine and Patrick Seale
(@LabSeale) from Perelman School of Medicine at the University
of Pennsylvania. "Many questions and opportunities for future
discovery remain, which will yield new insights into adipose tissue
biology and hopefully lead to improved therapies for human disease." ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Cell_Press. Note: Content may be
edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Alexander Sakers, Mirian Krystel De Siqueira, Patrick Seale,
Claudio J.

Villanueva. Adipose-tissue plasticity in health and disease. Cell,
2022; 185 (3): 419 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.12.016 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220203122923.htm

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