Losing weight, and keeping it off, can be notoriously difficult. Now scientists may have uncovered one reason why: obesity could leave a lasting ‘memory’ in immune cells found in fat.
A study in mice found that obesity caused long-lasting changes to immune cells called macrophages, disrupting processes that normally help fat tissue function properly.
Crucially, these changes persisted even after obese mice were switched to a low-fat diet, and may explain why they struggled to lose weight.
Macrophages literally means 'big eaters' in Greek – and they live up to the name, engulfing and digesting anything from bacteria to dead cells to cellular debris - Photo credit: Getty
The researchers say this cellular ‘obesity memory’ could help explain why the body might resist fat loss.
