Fat Cell Numbers Don't Bulge: Study

Fat cells remain stable throughout life
By Peter Fearon,  Newser Staff
Posted May 5, 2008 7:44 AM CDT
Fat Cell Numbers Don't Bulge: Study
Scientists believe they have unlocked some of the deepest secrets of obesity.   (Getty Images)

The number of fat cells is set for a lifetime in childhood, a new study indicates. The latest research into obesity reveals fundamental new insights into why some people become fat and why it is so hard for overweight people to keep excess pounds off—even after a successful diet, reports the Daily Telegraph. New findings suggest the number of fat cells in a person remains the same even after weight is lost.

Now groups are examining potential compounds that might regulate the creation or regeneration of fat cells, said one of the researchers in the study, published in the journal Nature. A separate team of researchers have also made an important breakthrough in identifying a gene sequence linked to excess weight and a tendency to develop type 2 diabetes. (More obesity stories.)

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