A new discovery to explain obesity

January 29, 2019.

Strictly speaking, there is no treatment yet, but scientists have discovered a phenomenon that could explain the dysfunction of appetite in obese or overweight people. An enzyme used to regulate hunger is believed to be at the origin.

Eating too much fat disrupts the feeling of fullness

The team of Belgian researchers from the University of Louvain published the results of their work in the journal Nature Communication : they discovered the essential role of a very specific intestinal enzyme, NAPE-PLD (real name N-acyl phosphatidylethanolamine phospholipase D). The latter transmits the feeling of satiety from the intestine to the brain.

But now, when we eat too much fatty foods, and too often, this enzyme works less, gradually disappears and no longer transmits its message to the brain. Therefore, the more fat we eat, the more hungry we are, the more we gain weight! Appetite is no longer regulated at all, cravings have no limits. This dysfunction affects obese or overweight people who today represent one in two adults in France.

A study in mice

The researchers discovered, through laboratory tests on mice, that those who did not have this enzyme ate more, often without knowing when to stop, were gaining more weight than the others and were more sedentary, even though all the mice were given the exact same diet.

” We have therefore put our finger on a key mechanism in the regulation of metabolism. It will not prevent overweight or obese people from eating, but this helps to explain why they are always hungry, and to look for solutions », Explains Patrice Cani, professor at the Catholic University of Louvain (UCL). For the moment, no treatment has been put in place, but scientists hope to be able to develop a food supplement to reactivate this enzyme and restore the dialogue between the intestine and the brain.

Maylis Choné

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