Yo Yo Weight Loss Blues

Public-health authorities in many countries have identified obesity as a growing concern. Limiting food intake will usually result in weight loss and may reduce a person’s blood sugar or blood pressure—in the short term. But as millions of dieters can attest,

Transforming short-term weight loss into long-term change can be challenging.

To gain insight into the metabolic changes that come after short-term weight loss, Edwin Mariman and colleagues from Maastricht University and Hasselt University [ JPR (2009, DOI 10.1021/pr900606m)] focused on proteins in abdominal subcutaneous fat cells from a group of overweight people before and after they went on a five-week-long calorie-restricted diet. On average, the participants lost close to 10 kg, most of it fat.

The scientists identified changes in the levels of 6 proteins as the volunteers shed pounds, including an increase in expression of fatty acid binding protein 4, which several papers have identified as a key mediator of fatty acid metabolism and uptake. The results suggested that after short-term weight loss, uptake of glucose and fatty acids in adipocytes might increase to compensate.

“The finding could partially explain the often-observed tendency for dieters’ weights to rebound after the diet is over” Mariman said, “When you lose a significant amount of weight, your adipocytes are screaming to take up glucose and fatty acids and store fat again.”

Thus it is very important that you include daily exercise in your weight loss regime to prevent the rebound weight gain.

There is a prescription medicine called orlistat which belongs to a group of medicines called lipase inhibitors. It works by preventing the absorption of dietary fat in your body rather than by suppressing your appetite. Orlistat is used to assist with losing weight, maintaining a certain weight and preventing weight regain. Orlistat may be used to complement a low-fat, well-balanced, calorie-controlled diet and exercise.

Talk to your pharmacist or doctor.

Photo from : http://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/m4/oct2009/1/1/image-5-for-celebrity-weight-loss-gallery-372196294.jpg