A twin study of weight loss and metabolic efficiency

Hainer, Vojtěch; Stunkard, Albert J.; Kunešová, Marie; Pařízková, J; Štich, Vladimír; Allison, David B.

doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0801559

Cited by 57 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…That genes play an important role in variability in metabolism that underlie susceptibility to weight gain and obesity has in fact been established from overfeeding experiments of Bouchard et al in identical twins [6]. Conversely, a role for genotype in human variability in enhanced metabolic efficiency during weight loss has been suggested from studies of Hainer et al [7], in which identical twins underwent slimming therapy on a very low-calorie diet.…”

Section: Weight Regulation Through Adjustments In Energy Expenditurementioning

confidence: 93%

Adaptive thermogenesis and uncoupling proteins: a reappraisal of their roles in fat metabolism and energy balance

Dulloo

Seydoux

Jacquet

2004

Physiology & Behavior

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After decades of controversies about the quantitative importance of autoregulatory adjustments in energy expenditure in weight regulation, there is now increasing recognition that even subtle variations in thermogenesis could, in dynamic systems and over the long term, be important in determining weight maintenance in some and obesity in others. The main challenge nowadays is to provide a mechanistic explanation for the role of adaptive thermogenesis in attenuating and correcting deviations of body weight and body composition, and in the identification of molecular mechanisms that constitute its effector systems. This workshop paper reconsiders what constitutes adaptive changes in thermogenesis and reassesses the role of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and uncoupling proteins (UCP1, UCP2, UCP3, UCP5/BMCP1) as the efferent and effector components of the classical one-control system for adaptive thermogenesis and fat oxidation. It then reviews the evidence suggesting that there are in fact two distinct control systems for adaptive thermogenesis, the biological significance of which is to satisfy-in a lifestyle of famine-and-feast-the needs to suppress thermogenesis for energy conservation during weight loss and weight recovery even under environmental stresses (e.g., cold, infection, nutrient imbalance) when sympathetic activation of thermogenesis has equally important survival value.Keywords: Obesity; Diabetes; Cachexia; Catecholamines; UCP Resistance to obesity in an obesigenic environmentOne of the greatest challenges towards understanding the aetiology of human obesity is to explain how in environments that promote overeating of high-fat foods and discourage physical activity, there is always a section of the population who, apparently without conscious effort, do not become obese. How do they resist obesity? How is constancy of body weight achieved over decades in these individuals? In addressing the issue of human susceptibility to leanness and fatness, there are three cardinal features of body weight regulation that need to be underlined: (i) Humans cannot escape the laws of thermodynamics.Whatever theory is put forward to explain body weight and body composition regulation, it is undeniable that changes in body energy stores (and ultimately body weight) cannot occur unless there is a difference between energy intake and energy expenditure. (ii) Subtle perturbations in energy balance can lead to obesity. To put it another way, long-term constancy of body weight can only be achieved if the matching between energy intake and energy expenditure is extremely precise, since an error of only 1% between input and output of energy, if persistent, will lead to a gain or loss of 1 kg per year or some 40 kg between the age of 20 to 60 years. Yet, a difference of 5% between energy intake and energy expenditure is hardly measurable with available techniques. (iii) Body weight is a fluctuating and oscillatory phenomenon. Even in individuals that maintain a relatively stable lean body weight over decades, the...

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Section: Weight Regulation Through Adjustments In Energy Expenditurementioning

confidence: 93%

Adaptive thermogenesis and uncoupling proteins: a reappraisal of their roles in fat metabolism and energy balance

Dulloo

Seydoux

Jacquet

2004

Physiology & Behavior

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“…The regulation of energy metabolism in obesity may differ from condition in non-obese subjects in several respects. Genetically determined differences in metabolic efficiency affect weight loss in response to energy deficit 24 and weight gain in response to positive energy balance. 25 OXPHOS and the production of ATP can be modified in obesity, possibly by changes of proton leak in the mitochondrial membrane, which is supposed to be a consequence of different expression and synthesis of the UCP proteins.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Activities of cytochrome c oxidase and citrate synthase in lymphocytes of obese and normal-weight subjects

et al. 2002

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BACKGROUND: Obesity represents a heterogeneous group of disorders associated with broad spectrum of metabolic and endocrine abnormalities. The metabolic changes in obesity may also concern the efficacy of mitochondrial system of energy provision. The aim of our study was to analyse activities of mitochondrial enzymes cytochrome c oxidase (COX) and citrate synthase (CS) in isolated lymphocytes of obese and normal-weight subjects. RESULTS: In the group of 304 non-obese controls, differences between men and women were found neither in the COX and CS activities nor in the COX=CS ratio in isolated lymphocytes. The activity of COX did not change even with age, whereas the activity of CS decreased significantly resulting in age-dependent increase of the COX=CS ratio (P < 0.01). In the group of 60 obese patients aged 17 -75 y, the COX activity was 1.2-fold higher (P < 0.01) and the CS activity was 1.3-fold lower (P < 0.01) compared to 151 non-obese healthy age-matched controls. Consequently, the COX=CS ratio became 1.7-fold higher (P < 0.01) in the obese patients compared to the non-obese population, which indicates that both the absolute and relative oxidative capacity are increased. CONCLUSION: Isolated lymphocytes from peripheral blood contribute very little to the overall metabolic turnover, but they may serve as easily available marker cells for studying the changes of mitochondrial energy converting systems in obesity.

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“…S2, flowchart C). The mean BWs of the individual mice for the period of interest (e.g., weeks [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] were regressed on their baseline BWs. The AL-and DR-assigned mice were regressed separately to give regression equations that were used to predict 1) a DR strain mean for the AL mice for that period and 2) an AL strain mean for the DR mice for that period.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…4) identified a provisional locus on chromosome 1 for weeks [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] (peak LOD at ϳ43 cM, D1Mit46). However, this locus was not close to being provisional for weeks [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30].…”

Section: Qtl Mapping In the Lsxssmentioning

confidence: 99%

Murine weight loss exhibits significant genetic variation during dietary restriction

Rikke

Battaglia

Allison

et al. 2006

Physiological Genomics

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We present genetic analyses of murine weight loss during dietary restriction (DR) for females eating 60% ad libitum (AL). We examined 5 cohorts across 81 different strains (22 strains tested twice) that included the LXS and LSXSS recombinant inbred strains, the LXS parental strains ILS and ISS, and the classical inbreds 129S6, A, BALB/c, C57BL/6, C3H, and DBA. Weight loss exhibited highly significant genetic variation, with DR body weights ranging from ∼60 to ∼85% of AL body weight. This variation was not explained by the strain differences in absolute food intake, feces calorie content, motor activity, or AL body fat. Heritability was 40–50%, and several provisional quantitative trait loci were mapped. This variation can be used to test whether weight loss correlates with the health benefits of DR, independently of the reduction in calories. The genetic variation also implies the existence of genes that would be novel therapeutic targets, distinct from genes affecting AL body weight or body fat, for enhancing (or mitigating) weight loss during food restriction.

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A twin study of weight loss and metabolic efficiency

Cited by 57 publications

References 16 publications

Adaptive thermogenesis and uncoupling proteins: a reappraisal of their roles in fat metabolism and energy balance

Adaptive thermogenesis and uncoupling proteins: a reappraisal of their roles in fat metabolism and energy balance

Activities of cytochrome c oxidase and citrate synthase in lymphocytes of obese and normal-weight subjects

Murine weight loss exhibits significant genetic variation during dietary restriction

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