Fat Shaping Could Change The Face Of Obesity
Using non-toxic chemical injections, scientists have discovered how to remove fat from one part of the body and grow it in another.
This could revolutionize cosmetic and reconstructive surgery.
It may also help to control diseases associated with obesity. And explain why stress can cause weight gain…
… if only the researchers can transfer their results to humans.
In a recent study published in the journal, Nature Medicine, scientists from Georgetown University Medical Center identified a biological switch through which stress can trigger obesity.
The Researchers Experimented On Mice
But they expect human studies to begin within 2 years.
Earlier research has shown that chronic stress, such as long-term marital problems or job insecurity, may cause some people to gain weight.
Using mice, researchers wanted to explore why this happens.
But it took more than stressing out the poor animals. The scientists found that a combination of stress AND a junk food diet was necessary to cause fat deposits around the abdomen.
This is the kind of apple-shaped obesity which can result in diabetes, heart disease and cancer in humans.
Without getting too technical, stress causes a chemical messenger in the body, called NPY, to go through a molecular doorway, called Y2R, to activate fat cells and produce unhealthy changes in metabolism.
The Fat Just Melted Away
When the researchers injected a drug to block Y2R — in essence, slamming the door shut on the stress-induced chemicals — the mice lost 40% of their abdominal fat.
Plus all signs of diabetes and other illnesses vanished.
So if you’re under stress, it may not be your fault if you’re gaining more weight than normal for what you’re eating.
Someday, a drug may be used to melt this fat away.
Although it isn’t expected to reverse gross obesity, the drug could be used in place of or in combination with liposuction.
The Fountain Of Youth?
The scientists also experimented with slow-release NPY pellets, the chemical that causes fat.
When these pellets were inserted under the skin of mice and monkeys, pockets of fat grew around the pellets.
Plastic surgeons could use this technique on humans to make faces more youthful or to enhance other areas such as breasts. It could also help with reconstructive surgery.
But while the research is promising, it isn’t an excuse to eat what you want until a shot is developed.
No one knows what the side effects will be. Or if it will work in humans at all.
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