Disabling A Carbohydrate Trigger Reduces Obesity And Appetite

Researchers have found a substance that they call ChREBP (carbohydrate response element protein) that they believe is responsible for converting excess carbohydrates to fatty acids for long-term storage. They believe ChREBP is responsible for obesity. They did an experiment with mice and found that in a strain of obese mice, that lacked functional ChREBP, even though they over ate, still remained relatively thin.



What they are saying is, is that they have found a cure/fix for people fighting obesity. If this is correct, in the future, nobody will be obese. According to this, this substance ChREBP is always converting carbohydrates into fatty acids for long term storage (fat). Doesn't matter how the subject eats, this substance is still going to convert the food into fatty acids. Mice without ChREBP did not become obese.

This will surely help the quality of life and the health of people who are suffering from obesity.

But, then again, obesity brings on a lot of other health problems. The medical profession would lose a lot of money. Do you think the medical industry would let this "cat out of the bag" that helps them earn money. I have always heard that there' is a cure for cancer?



[edit on 5/9/06 by Keyhole]

[edit on 5/9/2006 by Mirthful Me]

[edit on 5-9-2006 by DontTreadOnMe]

This could pose a problem. If they create a drug that would inhibit the carb mechanism, then there is a great risk it may be permanent. Doing so would be very dangerous on the body, due to the lack of energy the body can produce from foods.

Good find.

Fact is though, blockbusters suck. ...Personalized medicine and pharmacogenetics are the only way to go.

I would think it would just be a lot healthier for the individual person to limit their intake of carbohydrates. Maybe I'm not understanding the problem well enough to get why medically turning off your energy-maker would be a good idea.

This made me laugh:

They believe ChREBP is responsible for obesity

No, being an overeating, weak willed, lazy bum makes you fat.

What I don't understand is why they feel the need to medically reduce someones appetite using a drug? I don't know about you, but just because your a bit peckish, doesn't mean you have to eat.

Some common sense from people and a little personal responsibility would go alot further than taking a pill.

This is just going to another excuse by the fat corwd that it's not thier fault, it's some "malfunctioning" protein.

No, it is your fault. Don't eat so much you fat "illegitimate child".....

As I understand the article, this protein converts excess carbs into fatty acids. The mice without ChREBP were healthy and I assume had normal body fat ratios, so there doesn't seem to be a concern about limiting the energy supply from carbohydrates. It seems to only target the long term fat storage mechanism.

Stumason, you've really never known anyone that eats normally and is active, but has a weight problem? Just the fact that this research was done on a strain of mice genetically pre-disposed to obesity should tell you that there are other factors than just laziness and overeating involved in this.

Originally posted by mythatsabigprobe
Stumason, you've really never known anyone that eats normally and is active, but has a weight problem? Just the fact that this research was done on a strain of mice genetically pre-disposed to obesity should tell you that there are other factors than just laziness and overeating involved in this.

Short answer..No.

Everyone that I know that is overweight, snacks. Crisps, chocolate, even vast amounts of fruit..whatever, but all of them had problems due to their constant snacking.

The mother of my child had weight issues. She snacked. She does excersise now, but didn't used too and has lost weight as a result.

I agree that some people are genetically predisposed (key word there) to retain more weight, but that in itself is not an excuse to be fat.

It's a simple energy in/energy out equation.

If you eat lots, then find a way to burn that energy off. If you don't, wether your predisposed or not, you will turn into a blimp.

Wether your predisposed or not, if you snack whenever you feel hungry, but do little or no excercise, you will get fat. People snakc or overeat whenever they feel hungry, but there is no need to. People aren't forcing the food down their throats.

Some self control and personal responsibility would go a very long way to alleviating the fat plague that has swept the developed world.

Sorry if I seem harsh, but it is entirely self inflicted, or, in the case of children, the fault of the parents, who in most occasions are overweight as well.

They like to use that as an example of it being Genetics fault, but in reality, the parents eat garbage so the kids do too.

Those are personal observations and I agree with them in many situations, but there are other reasons that people become obese and they're backed by scientific evidence that's impossible to deny. These mice wouldn't exist for one, if there was no genetic factor in obesity. They store more body fat than other mice fed the same amount and given the same activity levels.

As I understand it, the body converts carbohydrates into energy for immediate use and then converts excess carbohydrates into fat to be stored for later use. Some people do have a dysfunction where the majority of carbohydrates are converted to fat, leaving them with an energy deficit which lowers their exercize tolerance (appears to be laziness), which in turn reduces the amount of fat converted back into energy. Those people get caught in a spiral where they feel the urge to eat more to raise their energy level, but it just increases their body fat which multiplies the problem.

I don't personally have a weight problem but I know several people who are miserable about their weight and really aren't at fault. Something like this could change their lives.

Ok, I'll concede that in some cases, the individual isn't at fault.

Personal expierience though has led me to believe that many fat or obese people are there through their own choices. What bothers me is that they all use the "genetic" excuse, when it only applies in a small number of cases.

As always, personal responsibility plays a key part here. Unfortunately, it is also one of the things that seems to be dissapearing in today's society.

Theres a number of excuses from both sides of the obesity population.

I find it funny a number of times that the ones that claim fat people just have no self control are themselves not overweight and usualyl never have been. i'm not talking a few lbs over from xmas, im talking fat. horizontal belt buckle fat. jumping up in show size fat..

some have just always been heavy, some its an imbalance, some its glands (think thyroid) and some its just a plain old sedentary lifestyle, and some, got heavy from various things like being bedridden from being sick or injured and just can't get the weight off.

either way, long story short, your stomach gets used to having more food in it and it takes time for it to get down from that, while this is happening, your body, and stomach in particular is screaming for food. you know, to eat, that thing thats hardwired into our heads, combine that with a lot of other factors like making it hard to exercise for long enough, etc and yes, its a downward spiral

this drug could be a good thing for a lot of people to get over that hump and into a lifestyle change. lets face facts, for most, if its too hard, they quit doing it. we like instant gratification and when you'r enot really seeing anythign happening, its hard for most people to justify continuing an activity that just wears them out, even if they know its for a good change unless they have no other choice.

I know from experience, having problems taking off weight, always having been heavy, diets that don't seem to work and not being able to exercise much due to physical problems and schedule, reading and hearing nothing much more than sneering and derision at your weight, or empty encouragement from others. after a while, you give up and a bit later, you get comfortable with it, and after a fashion, some people embrace it.

beleive me tho, theres a lot out there, where if they saw somethign that would make it easier to get the weight off and help them get to a point where they could keep it off, they'd jump at the chance. yes, the medical profession might not like it since it cuts their income but can you think of an insurance company (another big big BIG lobby) that wouldn't jump at this?

think about it for a minute before everyone gets all negative again.. theres a few systems and sets of reasearch out ther ethat could just about eliminate obesity and its related problems.. they have to pay less, charge the same and make a whole lot of money.. theres a possible angle there.