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Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Big Boned Fat

posted by on August 21 at 19:36 PM

eric_theodore_cartman_southpark.jpg

See if this makes sense to you:

Weight is an intrinsic trait, determined by our genes. Yet, globally the number of obese people has nearly doubled since 1980—faster than alleles can redistribute in the population.

The amount we eat is strictly controlled by regulatory systems. Each of us is endowed with an energy set-point; forced overeating makes people feel ill, until their weight drops back down. Unless you are obese; then the setpoint is somehow reset to much higher than it should be. Eating fewer calories to dip below the new setpoint results in a starvation response from the body, even for people who are massively overweight.

The more overweight you are, the higher your risk for heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure and even some cancers. Unless you are active and obese; for at least some of these maladies, you’d statistically have a similar risk to sedentary skinny folk.

Confused yet? Mix in all the high emotions that come from questioning who or what is responsible for our increasingly zaftig culture, and it’s a real mess.

So, let’s add one more piece: Your bone and fat cells are talking to one another.

We’ve known for a while that being obese protects you from osteoporosis. A protein made by fat cells called leptin—also essential for regulating feeling full when you’ve had enough to eat—stimulates the bone making osteoblast cells.

The authors of a recent Cell study figured that if fat cells can stimulate bone-producing cells, the bone cells should signal back to the fat, creating a tidy negative feedback loop, where the fat cells stimulate bone producing cells (“We need stronger bones to carry around all this fat!”), and the bone cells inhibit fat formation (“Too. Much. To. Carry. Stop making fat!”)

So, what could be this signal? Bone producing cells create only a handful of distinct proteins, one of which deemed Osteocalcin. Mice lacking the Osteocalcin gene have fat bellies. Very interesting.

In this most recent study, the scientists followed this trail, and found that mice without Osteocalcin are not only fat, but are also glucose intolerant — just like people with type-II diabetes. So, less Osteocalcin, more diabetes-like symptoms.

(Those of you unwilling to take my word for it can continue reading a far more detailed post on my blog. The less punitively minded can continue here.)

So, who knows. Now some wild speculation: Perhaps stimulating your skeleton is key in preventing diabetes. Certainly bone producing cells in mice can pump out a powerful signal that blocks belly fat, and keeps the blood sugar regulating system humming along. Next time you spend the whole weekend on the couch, think about the conversation between your bone and fat cells.

RSS icon Comments

1

And apparently there is now evidence that fat can be caused by a virus: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=cad12482-584b-4319-bc15-cd0953e313a9&k=62831

Posted by Natalie | August 21, 2007 8:31 PM
2

Which might explain the other study, which found that obesity is contagious: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn12343-is-obesity-contagious.html

Posted by Natalie | August 21, 2007 8:32 PM
3

@2 - actually, that study found that obesity is "socially contagious" even with respect to social contacts who aren't in close physical proximity - e.g. relatives in other states have more influence than your neighbors. Thus the obesity virus study, while interesting in its own right, doesn't necessarily explain that.

Posted by tsm | August 21, 2007 9:15 PM
4

That people are even doing "research" like this is totally stupid. Why don't they do research to see if thinness is catching? This research sounds totally bogus and just like a stupid media soundbyte. Gah! I think the world is just getting a LOT dumber!

Posted by Kristin Bell | August 21, 2007 9:16 PM
5

Now that I'm thinking about it, why don't these stupid researchers do studies about how being stupid is contagious? That way they can include themselves in the study in addition to including the lame-ass people who pass as reporters these days. (Present company not included). That way one hand will wash the other with great ease and we'll all live in one big happy fucked up world run by idiots. Oh I forgot, we already do. (For references see G.W. Bush et. al.)

Posted by Kristin Bell | August 21, 2007 9:27 PM
6

Exhaustively researched peer-reviewed breakthrough study? I could have told you that!

Seriously, though, I don't understand Johnathan's implication at the end of this post. Is he saying that walking around stimulates the skeleton? If that's the case, maybe I could have told you that'll keep a person from getting fat.

Posted by Kiru Banzai | August 21, 2007 9:38 PM
7

except for very (VERY) few people - a person is obese because they take in more calories than they use up on a daily basis.

obesity has a causal relationship with diabetes, CVD, some cancers, hypertension, and a handful of other ailments (diverticulitis anyone?) that are killing americans .

on top of this, we overly rely on highly processed packaged foods which are filled with saturated fats, trans fats, sodium, and are lacking in vital nutrients.

it's not rocket science. eat some fruits. eat some vegetables. eat some whole grains. and, if you like it, a bit of meat. then, when you need more food - walk to the store.

Posted by stacy | August 21, 2007 9:38 PM
8

Kristen, I hope you start posting more often. Nice blog. I don't think I know anyone who has schizophrenia and is so open about it (met a few people briefly). I've taken some meds myself and it is kind of strange regarding a variety of concerns. As for your fat acceptance propaganda, maybe you have a condition, I don't know - i didn't read too far into it - but I hope I'm able to skip down staircases, leap out of a chairs and dozens of other stuffs for as long as I can. For the most part fat people aren't able to do this, and it just seems weird to me to try and act like you're perfectly happy about your body and its limitations. Nevertheless, you're a good writer. The schizo thing is what I'm more interested in anyway. It'll be neat to see what that crazy head of yours has to say about other Slog issues.

Posted by Garrett | August 21, 2007 9:41 PM
9

@1,2 -- write me a question on the virus study (at dearscience@thestranger.com) and I'll answer it.

@6: You're right. I modified the post to indicate where the science stops and the wild speculation begins.

@7: You're absolutely right. In fact, that's basic thermodynamics. Obesity is a failure of the body's regulatory systems, mostly the endocrine system, to enforce a "normal" weight. Hence the fascinating finding that the bones are playing a key role in the endocrine network regulating energy balance.

Posted by Jonathan Golob | August 21, 2007 10:01 PM
10

I remember reading last year that some schools were instituting five-minute jumping-up-and-down sessions for their students following studies that found that small shocks to the skeleton (like the kind generated by vigorous jumping up and down) stimulated bone growth and led to higher bone density. Is the mechanism that regulates this related to the one you are here describing?

Posted by flamingbanjo | August 21, 2007 10:06 PM
11

Wow, Kristen Bell.org, I hope my comment didn't help drive the vitriol spewed out in your latest blog post.

What might be helpful is to have an Anger In The Park open-mic forum on sunday in capitol hill.

Here's a rough itinerary:
1-2pm -- Erica 'pissed about everything' Barnett, reading from her latest essay, "Where did you put my FUCKING cookbook!?"

2-3pm -- Kristen Bell discusses the insane demands of society and the history of rampant "body appearance-ism" that lurks in the minds of passers-by.

3-4pm -- groot k will do gangsta rap regarding pain medication addiction and its relation to indie/alterna/media hogwash.

4-5pm -- open anger forum

Come Join Us Celebrate How Life Sucks!

Posted by Garrett | August 22, 2007 6:46 AM
12

Garret wrote about KristenBell.org:

"As for your fat acceptance propaganda, maybe you have a condition, I don't know - i didn't read too far into it -"

How would your feelings about her being fat change if she did or didn't have a "condition?"

Garrett also wrote:
and it just seems weird to me to try and act like you're perfectly happy about your body and its limitations.

I think we all deserve to be happy, no matter what body we're in. Who is to say whether she is acting happy or is actually happy? Accepting ourselves the way we are with love and grace can be a lifelong lesson.

Also, I read her blog. It didn't even approach the radical-to-you idea of "fat acceptance," it seemed to stop at rebuffing the pervasive judgement of fat people under the guise of care for their health. What I read was a request that if one really cared about her health, they not be judgemental of her.

I don't know her, but I'd bet that she is happier and healther being fat than she was hating herself and being bulemic to try to look how she thinks others think she should look.

Posted by Diana | August 22, 2007 8:48 AM
13

She doesn't sound very happy, FWIW.

I would understand being upset if people were constantly taking her aside and saying "you know, I'm worried about you, you're too fat, etc., etc." (although they might actually be doing it because they are genuinely concerned for her health, I'm sure it would get old). But she seems to be saying no one should ever write a blog post or news article or scientific paper about health concerns related to obesity, because it makes her feel judged, which is just ridiculous.

There are a couple analogies I could use, but I won't for fear of being jumped on. I hope the point stands on its own.

Posted by Levislade | August 22, 2007 9:21 AM
14

Thanks Dianna-

How would your feelings about her being fat change if she did or didn't have a "condition?"

From what I've heard, some fat people have a so-called condition with their metabolism. It's apparently not a result of overeating or lack of exercise. I'd say my feelings toward her are more about myself. I struggle with a pot belly, but I know that blogging about it doesn't help, and yet i don't want to care about it and accept it, and still I value the comments from others when they point it out that I'm slightly overweight (and not from the BMI but from a newer study that looks a waist-to-hip ratio).

Accepting ourselves the way we are with love and grace can be a lifelong lesson.

In this way, I appreciate the Slog. It gives us an opportunity to learn from one another through commenting back and forth.

What I read was a request that if one really cared about her health, they not be judgemental of her.

It reminds me of my distaste for the 'let's agree to disagree' cute phenom that I first heard in boardrooms. Judging people is perhaps the most firm foundation of slog and "I think I can honestly say" judgement is a slim minority of what I post.

Posted by Garrett | August 22, 2007 9:25 AM
15

props to Golob, this new science column is the coolest thing on slog! keep it up.

i'm gonna go have a conversation with my bone now.

Posted by jameyb | August 22, 2007 9:26 AM
16

America does judge fat people and they have been doing that for years now. She feels judged because the judgment is out there and felt very strongly.
Itīs her blog, her place to express what ever she wants to express and she feels judged, so what!
America just keeps writing about fat and they just keep getting fatter.
Maybe if everybody just shut up about the Fat Epidemic people would stop obsessing about it and get thin.
If you donīt think America judges fat people yo have probably never been fat.
Since over half of America seems to be fat I donīt know what the big deal is anyway.

Posted by mj | August 22, 2007 9:32 AM
17

The best comment I know of on obesity is the movie "The Girls of Bellivue" or something like that. It's an animated story from France. Every detail in the movie riddles me with delight. Now if I could only get involved with something as cool, imo!

Posted by Garrett | August 22, 2007 9:39 AM
18

The Triplets of Belleville. Great film.

And yes, let's all ignore all of our problems and they'll probably go away.

Posted by Levislade | August 22, 2007 9:46 AM
19

Itīs not a question of ignoring our problems. Science has done little to nothing for fat people. The fat obsession in America has only made people fatter. Look around how many fat kids do you see walking around?
Sometimes just relaxing and letting go is the best answer.
This is something I KNOW!
Once I was fat and now Iīm not : )

Posted by mj | August 22, 2007 9:54 AM
20

heh. I was being a bit overdramatic to make a point I suppose. I'm not really all that mad. I'm pretty happy actually. I don't care what other people think. After going insane and living with insanity and depression for years I actually am REALLY happy these days because a) I'm not psychotic and b) I'm not depressed. Sometimes I just need to stir the mud a bit. hehe. And yes, a stranger actually ambushed me the other day at Starbucks because they thought they could save my life with their diet program. I just don't like zealots...religious, fat-haters, pro-lifers, etc. They all irritate me. Thanks for reading my blog though! My stats exploded yesterday! hehe

Posted by Kristin Bell | August 23, 2007 2:14 AM
21

Oh and P.S. I NEVER said that people should not write blogs, articles, news stories, books, etc. about being fat and the health consequences related to that if people can actually prove what they are talking about. I do not like how mainstream media and other take soundbytes and twist and construe information to make broad generalizations that are simply false when compared with the actual scientific data. :)

Posted by Kristin Bell | August 23, 2007 2:17 AM

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