Obesity Protects the Body?

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Obesity is the real enemy when it comes to our nation's declining health, right? One researcher says obesity is the body's way of preventing the destructive effects of overeating.

Obesity expert Roger Unger, M.D., of the University of Texas Southwestern at Dallas, argues that obesity is the body's way of protecting the body from the dangerous effects of lipids. The problem of obesity arises, Dr. Unger says, when a surplus of calories becomes too much for fat tissue to handle and lipids travel to other places in the body. This misplacement of lipids leads to metabolic syndrome, a precursor to diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

"The body is doing what we should have done -- keep excess calories out -- and it may be protective," Dr. Unger was quoted as saying.

Dr. Unger cites research in mice that shows the production of fat cells actually delays other metabolic consequences of overeating. Other research involving obesity-resistant mice revealed some animals developed severe diabetes when lipid accumulated in tissues other than fat.

The researcher also states that insulin resistance -- rather than being a cause of metabolic syndrome -- is a result of fat traveling to the liver and muscle once lipid storage in fat cells reaches a maximum.

The bottom line? Overeating is still the enemy, eventually pushing the body from obesity into metabolic syndrome and its associated diseases.

"Overnutrition used to be rare -- reserved for those in the castle," Dr. Unger said. "Today, it's just the opposite. Bad calories are so cheap that anyone can afford to get overweight."

Source: Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism, March 9, 2010

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