Adipocytes are the cells in your body that store fat, and until a few years ago (well, 10 or 15 years ago) we all thought that was about all they did, but oh no! These little bad boys are one of the most important producers of hormones, and signalling molecules in your body. Leptin is one of the better understood chemicals they produce (there are tons that we really don’t have a clue about). It is thought that leptin is produced after we eat, and it sends signals to the brain causing us to loose our appetite and making us feel energetic – so we want to get of our butts and burn off that 3 shot, extra hot, grande caramel latte and triple chocolate muffin we just had. Now that’s all well and good, but what if your body has problems receiving signals from this chemical? Well that’s what often happens when people suffer from obesity, you just keep on feeling hungry and inactive. So, what dya recon, just an excuse to carry on being lazy or is this really why us Brits just can’t stop eating?
Very interesting and thought provoking. So is it a psychological condition, or is there nothing we can do to help ourselves getting fatter?
ReplyDeleteGood question. Id say there seems to be a certain psychological element to it, but i don't think its by any means a matter of "we cant help it". There are a lots of factors that come into play that i haven't mentioned, such as the environment your in, and some of the dozens of other signaling molecules that these cells produce that are less well understood. Basically, its not known exactly how much of a role these hormones play in obesity, but there is certainly some connection.
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