Why Do People Get Fat? - Understanding Obesity

Leptin was observed at the first time at 1994 by scientists. Some scientists call it our starvation hormone or the obese hormone. It is produced inside of our fat cells and its job to tell the brain whether there is a lack or exceeding amount of energy.

Each one of us is born with a certain Leptin "Threshold". When the leptin levels are going down below that threshold that means there is a lack of energy, and the Leptin hormone will signal the brain that more food is needed. When the Leptin levels are above that threshold, that means that there is enough energy, the Leptin will signal that to the brain and the brain will get into fullness mode.

OK that's nice to know, but it still does not explain why people are getting fat?

Scientists believed that in fat people, we would find low levels of Leptin in the fat cells. Researches showed that there are still high levels of Leptin even in obese people. That was a shock to the researchers and doctor who was investigating the leptin hormone and the way it works.

In overweighted people the problem is that the Leptin is sending the signal to the brain but the brain just will not get it. This phenomenon called Leptin resistance. It is similar to what happens in type 2 diabetes where the body is resistant to insulin. The pancreas would make a lot of insulin but the body won't react correctly.

The problem is that we have a red line at the bottom when we are short in Leptin, but there is no red line when we are having exceeding amounts of Leptin. When you are resistant to Leptin you have higher level of Leptin which means you are fat. But your brain won't recognize it. Let's put it that way, your brain is craving for food while your body is obese, and that's exactly what obesity is: When your brain is starving.

Leptin is not only tells us when we feel full or hungry. It also has an important role in the rewarding system. The food will be more rewarding when the Leptin levels are low. When the levels are high it should exhaust the rewarding system and make food feel less rewarding, so food will not look as good as before, and make you eat less, or stop eating.

But when you are resistant to Leptin, this rewarding system will not apply, and will not make the person to eat less, when your Leptin levels are high. The fat cells are responsible to create the leptin and by doing so they try to signal the brain that they do not need any more energy, but the brain just don't get it. You would still feel hungry and food would still look and taste good to you, you would keep eating and eating until you would get obese.

That was exciting news for the obese community since for the first time there was a scientific explanation that was describing their problem, instead of just thinking of them as fat people.

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The World of Obesity - Seeking Volunteers

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the worldwide obesity has nearly doubled since 1980. This is staggering.

• In 2008, more than 1.4 billion adults, 20 and older, were overweight. Of these over 200 million men and nearly 300 million women were obese.
• 35% of adults aged 20 and over were overweight in 2008, and 11% were obese.
• 65% of the world's population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight.
• More than 40 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2012.
• Obesity is preventable.

We must be aware that unhealthy diets and physical inactivity are major risk factors for chronic diseases.

It is encouraged for us to include the following in our diet:

• achieve energy balance and a healthy weight
• limit energy intake from total fats and shift fat consumption away from saturated fats to unsaturated fats and towards the elimination of trans-fatty acids
• increase consumption of fruits and vegetables, and legumes, whole grains and nuts
• limit the intake of free sugars
• limit salt (sodium) consumption from all sources and ensure that salt is iodized

Overweight and obesity, as well as their related noncommunicable diseases, are largely preventable.

Unhealthy diets is considered as a factor for a range of chronic diseases, which includes cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and other conditions linked to obesity. It is recommended for a healthy diet to include: eating more fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts and grains; cutting down on salt, sugar and fats. It is also advisable to choose unsaturated fats, instead of saturated fats and towards the elimination of trans-fatty acids.

One of the key players, the food industry can play a strategic role in promoting healthy diets in several ways:

• reducing the fat, sugar and salt content of processed foods;
• ensuring that healthy and nutritious choices are available and affordable to all consumers;
• practicing responsible marketing especially those aimed at children and teenagers;
• ensuring the availability of healthy food choices and supporting regular physical activity practice in the workplace.

The industry can also advocate the consumption of organic and natural foods, educating children to eat the right type of food for balanced growth.

We have to learn to eat the right type of food, and live a balanced life. The journey towards better health and happiness is getting to be challenging. We must always seek the most appropriate solutions to fit our preferred lifestyle.

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