The Thin End

When people regain weight after having weight loss surgery you might think that any benefits would be lost if they subsequently regain the weight. But this is not the case. Curiously many of the benefits persist, such as metabolic improvements and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. How could this be so? Researchers have now found some of the answers. Altered gene expression in fat tissue may help explain why individuals who have regained weight after weight loss surgery still experience benefits such as metabolic improvements and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. The findings come from a study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine . The study included women who underwent weight-loss surgery, and gene analyses were conducted before and two and five years after surgery. Analyses were also conducted in women who did not undergo surgery. Most gene expression changes in fat tissue occurred during the first two years after surgery; however, a subset of genes encoding protei...