The Number of Cells that Fix Fat Remains Steady Throughout Life.

PARIS - The number of specialized cells in the storage of lipids, or adipocytes, defined in childhood, stays steady throughout life, according to a study published in the British scientific journal "Nature". They are renewed by almost 10% per year.

A team of researchers led by Kirsty Spalding of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, concluded that the two main determinants of obesity are the number of adipocytes and their size.

However, by studying cells stemming from liposuction or abdominal reconstruction, the researchers were able to sustain that after childhood, the number of adipocytes stays steady in grown-ups, with a steady renewal of about 10% annually.

Cell Substitution

"The total number of fat cells in the body is constant since the production of new cells is offset by an equal loss of cells that die," said Peter Arner, the co-author of the study. Thus, a decrease of weight in adulthood only diminishes the mass of cells, which is quickly recovered by new ones.

"The new fat cells that lay down fat which is produced during and after weight reduction need to quickly grow in lipids," notes Peter Arner. "This would explain, at least partially, why it's so hard to maintain the weight one has reached after a reducing diet."

Age and Treatment of Obesity

The researchers also discovered that adipocytes begin to develop earlier in the obese (around the age of 2 years) than in people with normal weight (between 5 and 6 years), moreover, the growth in weight is two times faster for the obese but it also stops earlier (16 years against 18 years in others).

This study confirms the statistics showing that the majority of adults are obese since childhood, only 10% of children with normal weight become obese when growing up and more than three-quarters of obese children have been keeping this obesity.

These data, dealing with the number of adipocytes determined in childhood and the regular-renewal of these cells should, according to researchers, make it possible to define new targets for obesity therapy , in childhood by acting to limit the number of adipocytes, or in adulthood, by reducing the substitution of dead cells with new ones.

Women, Age and Obesity

Women in their Thirties

The waist is tending to grow rapidly, especially, for women between 30 and 40 years. This could indicate that obesity in middle-aged and mature women is more widespread than previously assumed, wrote the authors of a study published in the specialist journal "BMC Public Health".

It is possible that experiencing several pregnancies results in obesity, according to Dr. Marques-Vidal. But this is a hypothesis that has to be scientifically examined. There is, therefore, no recommendation for specific groups within the population. "Preventive measures should apply to the entire population" says the doctor.

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