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Adipose tissue retains an epigenetic memory of obesity after weight loss

nature.com

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Re: Adipose tissue retains an epigenetic memory of obesity after weight loss

#2
As someone who's struggled with weight loss, and have known others to struggle with it well, I think we colloquially called this "slow metabolism".

It always did feel like it was easier to gain weight than lose it, especially fat weight and not muscle weight for me.

I was recently sent a video about fat adaptation (basically teaching your body to be better at burning fat) by a very fit friend, but I wonder how much of that is bro science and how much of it is grounded in reality. Maybe worth looking into more deeply if it can counteract or balance out this.

Re: Adipose tissue retains an epigenetic memory of obesity after weight loss

#3
post #2

As someone who's struggled with weight loss, and have known others to struggle with it well, I think we colloquially called this "slow metabolism". It always did feel like it was easier to gain weight than lose it, especially fat weight and not muscle weight for me. I was recently sent a video about fat adaptation (basically teaching your body to be better at burning fat) by a very fit friend, but I wonder how much o…

It is well known that if you gain muscle then lose it, it is easier to regain it than the first time (IIRC, the cells store extra nucleii?). This could be a similar effect but with fat cells.

Re: Adipose tissue retains an epigenetic memory of obesity after weight loss

#5
> ...it is plausible that epigenetic memory could also play a role in many other contexts, including addictive diseases. Recent advancements in targeted epigenetic editing global remodelling of the epigenome provide promising new approaches.

"Darn, I think I've contracted some alcoholism. Could you order me another bottle of the reset pills?"

Re: Adipose tissue retains an epigenetic memory of obesity after weight loss

#6

Just went trough Yo-Yo. Any good strategies on how to overcome it for good?

Its a lifestyle change not a diet. Don't stop the diet / exercise when you get to the "target" weight.

This idea sucks when you are looking at a plate of lettuce leaves - but you should also avoid extreme diets and extreme exercise as it is unsustainable.

Re: Adipose tissue retains an epigenetic memory of obesity after weight loss

#8

Just went trough Yo-Yo. Any good strategies on how to overcome it for good?

Don't try to lose weight fast. Don't do a diet for a limited amount of time. Change your eating habits to something you can live with permanently. Avoid sugar in drinks, it's so easy to get a lot of calories without feeling full. Sugar in general will give you hunger attacks. For me personally I feel best if I have a big part of calories coming from protein, followed by less carbs and some fat. But removing sugar from drinks alone lost me 30kg, without changing any other habits. Better for the general health as well.

Going to the gym helped me immensely. Not so much in losing weight directly but in feeling better and fresher.

Re: Adipose tissue retains an epigenetic memory of obesity after weight loss

#9
The more you research/learn about obesity, the worse it is, much like smoking. One of the most depressing stats is that dieting does not get easier with time. The probability of eventually regaining all the weight eventually converges to 100%. Even if you're successful for 2 years, people still regain by year 4, 5, etc. The body never resists trying to regain the weight. GLP-1 drugs are the best hope yet.
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