Breaking the Obesity-Inflammation Cycle

Curbing inflammation in a key part of the brain may help
keep down weight , a new study shows.

Obesity is known to increase
inflammation throughout the body. The new study -- published in tomorrow's
edition of Cell -- shows that inflammation may be a player, and not an
innocent bystander, in the development of obesity.

The researchers -- based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the
University of California, San Diego -- focused on two things:

• The hypothalamus, a brain region that regulates the body's energy
  balance.


• A "master switch" of inflammation -- called IKK beta/NF kappa B --
  that's usually turned off.

With that master switch turned on in the hypothalamus, the mice gained
weight and became resistant to insulin (a hormone that controls blood sugar)
and leptin (a hormone involved in feeling full).

Next, the scientists used genetic engineering to flip that master switch off
in the hypothalamus of other mice. Those mice were "significantly
protected" from becoming obese, even on a high-fat diet, the researchers
write.

Still, you wouldn't want to turn that master switch off forever, because
inflammation is one of the body's tools for fighting infection.

Figuring out how to selectively control that switch in the hypothalamus
might be a new strategy for curbing obesity and related diseases, the
researchers conclude. In the meantime, the time-tested methods of a healthier
diet and a more active lifestyle are still the cornerstones of managing weight.
Easier said than done? Health care professionals can help with the process.

By Miranda Hitti
Reviewed by Louise Chang
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