The longer an individual stays overweight, the harder it is for them to get in shape

Oct 26, 2012 21:01 GMT  ·  By

A team of researchers have recently debuted an investigation into the long-lasting effects of obesity, and their latest findings suggest that this medical condition pretty much “resets” the human organism, making it hold on to the extra pounds for longer periods.

To cut a long story short, once an individual's organism grows accustomed to weighing a certain amount of pounds, its natural tendency is to always return to that particular weight, in spite of regular exercise and dieting.

Prior to formulating this hypothesis, the researchers studied and monitored the behavior of laboratory mice.

Thus, they found that the mice that were overfed whilst in their early days and which grew to become chronically obese never returned to a normal body weight.

What is interesting is that these mice remained a tad “plump” in spite of the fact that scientists drastically cut down on their food intake and even submitted them to rather stressful workouts, Daily Mail explains.

Study author Dr. Malcolm Low, presently working with the University of Michigan, made a case of how, “Our model demonstrates that obesity is in part a self-perpetuating disorder and the results further emphasize the importance of early intervention in childhood to try to prevent the condition whose effects can last a lifetime.”

Furthermore, “Somewhere along the way, if obesity is allowed to continue, the body appears to flip a switch that re-programs to a heavier set weight.”

Therefore, these researchers have recommended that the issue of being overweight should be dealt with while the individual is still in his/her youth, as this will keep him/her from having to go to extreme lengths in order to lose weight once he/she enters adulthood.

“The exact mechanisms that cause this shift are still unknown and require much further study that will help us better understand why the regaining of weight seems almost unavoidable,” Dr. Malcolm Low wished to emphasize.