Adipose tissue expandability: the metabolic problems of obesity may arise from the inability to become more obese

The prevalence of obesity is increasing and with it the prevalence of associated metabolic complications. Precisely how obesity results in metabolic disturbances remains unclear. In the face of persistent positive caloric balance, it has been postulated that the capacity of adipose tissue to safely...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inBiochemical Society transactions Vol. 36; no. Pt 5; p. 935
Main Authors Tan, Chong Yew, Vidal-Puig, Antonio
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England 01.10.2008
Subjects
Adipokines - metabolism
Adipose Tissue - anatomy & histology
Adipose Tissue - metabolism
Animals
Body Composition
Body Constitution
Energy Intake
Energy Metabolism - physiology
Humans
Models, Biological
Obesity - metabolism
Obesity - physiopathology
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Summary:The prevalence of obesity is increasing and with it the prevalence of associated metabolic complications. Precisely how obesity results in metabolic disturbances remains unclear. In the face of persistent positive caloric balance, it has been postulated that the capacity of adipose tissue to safely store fat may be vital. This paper explores some of the evidence suggesting that the risk of developing metabolic disturbances is not related to how much fat an individual has, but how well their fat can expand to accommodate the caloric excess. If this is true, the metabolic consequences of obesity may arise from the inability to become more obese.
ISSN:0300-5127
DOI:10.1042/bst0360935