The Nature of Obesity
Research studies have been done recently with a variety of different angles and logic to find ways to control the obesity epidemic so prevalent in our country. There’s one recent study that’s causing a lot of hope in the medical and research community. In a laboratory setting using laboratory mice, scientists simulated stress for the animals and fed these same animals a diet simulating our fat and carbohydrate laden junk food diet.
The highly stressed, junk food eating mice became obese within three months of the unhealthy routine. Scientists then examined their fat tissue and found a high concentration of neuropeptide Y, or NPY, and also of the partner to it, neuropeptide Y2R receptor. With this knowledge in mind, scientists then injected a substance to block NPY with amazingly successful results. Other substances such as hoodia are thought to work well to inhibit the appetite, which is ultimately responsible in one way or another for obesity and us overindulging in the wrong foods at the wrong times.
This substance, the NPY blocker, not only prevented the stressed out, junk food eating mice from accumulating fat, but it also shrank fat deposits 40 to 50 % in just two weeks time. These are clinical studies done on animals only so far, but the possibilities and promise of these findings for use in people are hopeful. Safety and effectiveness on humans will remain to be studied in several years.
This clinical research provides a breakthrough in understanding the nature and science of fat accumulation and reasoning as to why obesity is becoming epidemic. Finding the nature of the problem will assist scientists to find clues to the solution.
