A recent study looking into the fat cells of mice and humans has rewritten our current understanding of weight-loss on a molecular level. In fact, the commonly known "yo-yo effect", the inability to lose weight without it coming back, may finally be explained.
To begin, epigenetics refers to how the environment and our behaviors may influence gene activity. Researchers at ETH Zurich analyzed the fat cells of overweight mice who had recently lost weight, and quickly noticed that obesity leads to distinct epigenetic changes in the nucleus of these cells, even after losing the weight. When eating the same diet, the once overweight mice gained weight at a faster rate than mice who had never been obese. This memory mechanism was also found in the fat tissue of humans, who had undergone weight-loss surgeries.
At this time, it is not possible to medically erase the epigenetic memory of fat cells or to tell how long these cells remember obesity in general; however, we do know that fat cells live for about ten years. To mitigate against the "yo-yo" effect, it is recommended to be mindful of your health and avoid obesity to begin with.
This research is intriguing to me because I am interested in going into the field of pharmaceutical research; therefore, I am eager to see if a new breakthrough of medication to combat the memory of these fat cells is possible. I also found it fascinating that almost all other cells in our body have been found to have memories. As someone who enjoys fitness in my personal life, I have always heard the term "muscle mass" thrown around and have wondered if it had any scientific basis, which it does!
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