The Primary Accused of Weight Gain: Cell Memory

Weight loss and maintaining the desired weight in the long term is challenging, and sometimes after months of effort to lose weight, the kilograms return, starting the cycle anew. This process, referred to as the 'yo-yo effect,' has various factors, but a new scientific study claims to have identified the main culprit: the 'memory' of fat cells. According to this research published in the scientific journal Nature and summarized in the British newspaper The Guardian, obesity also affects fat cells, and these cells resist efforts to lose weight in the future by 'remembering' the excess weight. The 'biological memory' of fat cells has been identified by researchers at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland. In their extensive research, they compared the fat tissues of individuals suffering from severe obesity with those of other individuals. The results showed that the response of fat tissues in individuals who have suffered from severe obesity for years differs from the response of fat tissues in others. The fat cells of these individuals absorb food with greater eagerness and consequently grow rapidly. According to Ferdinand von Min, one of the officials of this scientific research, the study showed that one reason for the return of excess weight is that fat cells remember severe obesity and later attempt to return to their previous state. He added, 'It seems that under the influence of this memory, the rate of food absorption, particularly sugars and fatty acids, is faster in individuals who have had weight problems.' In another part of this research, the impact of the memory of mouse cells on changes in DNA or proteins surrounding DNA was examined, revealing that these epigenetic changes alter gene function and metabolism. The results of this research also indicate that the 'memory' of fat cells is not the only factor in the return of excess weight; it is likely that a similar memory exists in brain cells that affects food intake and energy consumption in these animals. According to Laura Hinte, another official of this research, the results obtained 'make sense from an evolutionary perspective' because food scarcity has always been a public challenge, and humans and other animals have evolved in a way to protect their weight and not lose it. Excess weight and severe obesity are the main causes of many chronic diseases and are a significant burden on public health services. This scientific researcher added that the results of the new study could pave the way for better weight control methods since the cellular memory accustomed to severe obesity may fade over time, and maintaining a healthy and appropriate weight in the long term may be able to erase the memory of obesity. Continuous weight gain and severe obesity have many and varied factors, and according to David Benton, a professor at Swansea University in the UK and author of a book titled 'Combating Obesity,' the number of these factors reaches one hundred. However, he emphasized that 'obesity reflects that you have consumed more calories than your body has burned,' stating that the common belief is that a calorie-reduction diet is ineffective. The reality is that people must adjust their food intake to their energy metabolism for their entire lives. He noted that in many cases, individuals return to their previous lifestyle, which is the cause of weight gain, after the end of the diet, resulting in this yo-yo situation and the fluctuation of dietary regimes.