Fat tissue “memory” may explain yo-yo effect after weight loss

Why do we sometimes gain weight again very quickly after a diet? A new study from the National Center for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC) took a closer look at the so-called “yo-yo effect” and its results. They could explain the peso bounce we experienced.

The scientists analyzed single-nuclear RNA sequencing and epigenetic profiling of human and mouse cells. obtaining truly amazing discoveries. Their results were published in a scientific journal. Nature

. We will explain them to you below.

CELLS “REMEMBER” ABOUT OBESITY

Adipose tissue, that is, our fat, is not only stored and lost for various reasons without any consequences for our body: researchers have discovered that it maintains a “memory” of obesity through cellular transcriptional and epigenetic changes this persists over time despite weight loss.

This may be one of the reasons why people who were previously obese become are more likely than other people to gain weight again. This rebound or restoration of lost weight relatively quickly is known as the “yo-yo effect,” the underlying causes of which were until now unknown.

These discoveries could explain Why maintaining weight loss is a challenge in some casesand constant efforts must be made to avoid weight gain again.

But why is this happening?

This obesity-inducing memory could become a defense mechanism of the body itself. Protect him from sudden and constant changes in weight.

And while maintaining an appropriate weight for each of us is a general recommendation for health, sudden rises and falls do not do our body any good.

Researchers indicate that these changes may be preparing cells for pathological reactions in obesityand predisposes them to regain lost weight. Thus, addressing these changes in the future may improve weight control and long-term health outcomes.

In this sense, José Ordovas, director of the Department of Nutrition and Genomics at Tufts University in Boston (USA) and member of IMDEA-Alimentación (Madrid) and CIBEROBN (Carlos III Institute of Health), noted that the study “opens up possibilities for drug-targeted therapies such like drugs or epigenetic editing to reset fat tissue memory and improve weight loss maintenance.”

Although the study still has some limitations and requires further analysis, its implications in the real world are direct because help reduce stigma and emphasize the need for individualized and long-term follow-up.

Approaches in current public health policy may also change to establish early intervention that prevents the body from forming memories that cause obesity people and thereby introduce scientific innovations into the preventive field of public health.