Why Obesity can fuel chronic disease processes
For many years, doctors and scientists alike thought that fat was inert and did not produce harmful agents, but science today can confirm that there is nothing inert about adipose or fatty tissue—it secretes hormones that fuel chronic disease processes. While the popular food shows and fast-food chains are glorifying the taste sensation with fatty foods, doctors are dealing with the wide-ranging health epidemic globally that is associated with this condition. In this section we will outline the truth behind the fiction and fairy tale stories that your favorite food shows are feeding you, and the goal is that you eat to live long and strong.
The Fat/Adipose cells uncensored :
There are different types of adipose tissue cells—they range from white, beige, pink, and brown cells.
They also differ in metabolic signature based on their location in our bodies.
Visceral fat, which is present in the abdomen and around organs, tends to have a harmful metabolic signature secondary to the hormones and cytokines that fuel chronic inflammation, which in turn fuels chronic disease.
The subcutaneous fat around the thighs and upper legs tends to be better in terms of metabolic effects when compared to the visceral adipose tissue.
The earliest documented function of the adipocytes was to store energy in the form of triacylglycerol.
Adipocytes are also highly sensitive to insulin and can play an important role in blood glucose regulation.
The prominent functions of the adipocyte can be summarized as fat storage, secretory function, and insulin sensitivity. When there is an excess of adiposity, these functions can be disrupted and do damage to our bodies.
Obesity can cause insulin resistance or decreased sensitivity to insulin; this can cause increased amounts of free fatty acids in the circulation—these increased levels of fatty acids can cause toxic effects in the liver and other organs.
Adipose cells also secrete hormones like Leptin, Resistin, and Adiponectin.
In states of obesity, there can be Leptin resistance that causes dysregulation in our metabolic processes like weight maintenance, weight loss, and overall health.
Resistin fuels inflammation, insulin resistance, vascular dysfunction, decreased contractility in the heart, increases heart failure, and end organ failure.
Leptin is normally supposed to decrease food intake in high fat states and increase energy expenditure—however, in Leptin-resistant states in obesity, this process is dysregulated.
It is important to note that obese states are associated with high Leptin levels but also with Leptin resistance.
These high Leptin states correlate directly with tumorigenesis or cancer triggering conditions. Ectopic Leptin expression in colorectal tumors can increase the progression of the cancer.
Please keep in mind that I have given you a snippet of information to base your food choice on. So, the next time you are looking at fat-laden desserts and recipes that are glamorized on television and in magazines, please consider your health and wellbeing. The goal of this topic is to keep you informed so that you may live long and strong!
