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For decades, we’ve been told that weight loss is a matter of willpower: eat less, move more. But modern science has proven that this is actually not the case.
More on that in a moment. But first, let’s go back a few million years to examine our early human ancestors. Because we can blame our predecessors in the past for the difficulty we have in losing weight today – perhaps the ultimate case of blaming parents.
For our early ancestors, body fat was a lifeline: too little could mean starvation, too much could slow you down. Over time, the human body became remarkably good at protecting its energy reserves through complex biological defenses involving the brain. But in a world where food is everywhere and moving around is optional, the same systems that once helped us avoid uncertainty are now making it difficult to lose weight.
When someone loses weight, the body reacts as if it is a threat to survival. Hunger hormones increase, food cravings intensify and energy expenditure decreases. These adaptations have evolved to optimize energy storage and use in environments with fluctuating food availability. But today, with our easy access to cheap, calorie-laden junk food and sedentary routines, the same adaptations that once helped us survive may be causing some problems for us.
As we found in our recent research, our brains also have powerful mechanisms to protect body weight – and it can “remember” what that weight used to be. For our ancient ancestors, this meant that if weight was lost during tough times, their bodies would be able to “return” to their normal weight during better times.
But for us modern humans, it means that our brains and bodies remember any excess weight as if our survival and life depend on it. So in reality, once the body becomes heavy, the brain accepts that excess weight as the new normal – a level it feels compelled to defend.
The fact that our bodies have the ability to “remember” our previous heavy weights helps explain why so many people regain weight after dieting. But as science shows, this weight gain isn’t due to a lack of discipline; Rather, our biology is doing exactly what it evolved for: preventing weight loss.
hacking biology
This is where weight loss drugs like Vegovi and Monjaro have offered new hope. They work by mimicking gut hormones that tell the brain to curb appetite.
But not everyone responds well to such medications. For some, side effects may be difficult to stick to, and for others, the medications do not cause weight loss at all. It also often happens that once treatment is stopped, the biology reactivates itself – and the lost weight comes back.
About the authors
Valdemar Brimnes Ingeman Johansen is a PhD Fellow at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. Christopher Clemmensen is an Associate Professor and Group Leader, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. read the original article
Advances in obesity and metabolism research may mean that it may be possible to reduce these signals for future treatments that return the body to its original weight even after the treatment period.
Research is also showing that good health is not the same as “good weight.” As in, exercise, good sleep, balanced nutrition and mental health can all improve cardiovascular and metabolic health, even if the numbers on the scales barely budge.
a whole society approach
Of course, obesity is not just an individual problem – tackling its root causes truly requires a society-wide approach. And research shows that a number of preventive measures can make a difference – such as investing in healthier school meals, reducing the marketing of junk food to children, designing neighborhoods where walking and bicycling are prioritized over cars, and having standardized food portions in restaurants.
Scientists are also paying attention to key stages of early life – from pregnancy to about seven years of age – when a child’s weight regulation system is particularly malleable.
Indeed, research has found that things like what parents eat, how infants are fed, and early lifestyle habits can dictate how the brain regulates appetite and fat storage for years to come.
If you want to lose weight, there are still some things you can do — mainly by focusing less on crash diets and more on sustainable habits that support overall well-being. Prioritizing sleep helps control appetite, for example, while regular activity — even walking — can improve your blood sugar levels and heart health.
The bottom line, though, is that obesity is not an individual failure, but a biological condition shaped by our brain, our genes, and the environment we live in. The good news is that advances in neuroscience and pharmacology are providing new opportunities in terms of treatment, while prevention strategies could change the landscape for future generations.
So if you’ve struggled to lose weight and keep it off, know that you’re not alone, and it’s not your fault. The brain is a formidable opponent. But with science, medicine, and better policies, we are starting to change the rules of the game.
This article was commissioned by Videnskab.dk as part of a partnership collaboration with The Conversation. You can read the Danish version of this article, Here,