Researchers argue obesity isn't problem of excess fat but loss of function

A team of researchers have argued that the negative health effects of obesity stem not simply form an excess of fat but from the decline in its ability to respond to changes, or in other words, its plasticity. The study has been published in the 'Cell Journal'.

The makeup and functioning of this tissue change in response to weight fluctuations and ageing. As fat declines in plasticity due to ageing and obesity, it loses its ability to respond to bodily cues. In the current model of this phenomenon, the rapid growth of adipose tissue outpaces its blood supply, depriving the fat cells of oxygen and causing the accumulation of cells that no longer divide.

This leads to insulin resistance, inflammation, and cell death accompanied by the uncontrolled spill of lipids from these cells.