Do Fat Cells ‘Remember’ Obesity?

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05 Aug Do Fat Cells ‘Remember’ Obesity?

Posted at 12:24h in Weight Loss by

As anyone who has worked hard to lose weight will know, keeping it off and maintaining a goal weight can feel like an even greater challenge. Many of the clients who come to see us have spent years losing weight and regaining it again, so here at the clinic we take a keen interest not only in the latest science of weight loss, but also weight maintenance. A new study relating to fat cells ‘memory’ following obesity may offer insight into why maintaining weight loss may be particularly challenging for some.

We are a team of qualified nutritionists who work with clients to overcome their hurdles, with long-term weight loss success in mind, whatever their challenges. Book in for a complimentary call with us today to find out more.

DO FAT CELLS ‘REMEMBER’ OBESITY AFTER WEIGHT LOSS?

Dr Peter Attia recently shared a fascinating study that looks at the biology of weight maintenance. Researchers found that fat cells may hold on to a kind of molecular ‘memory’ of obesity, even after weight has been lost. This could help explain why maintaining weight loss is such a struggle for many. So what’s the science?

Researchers have discovered that fat cells retain a kind of “molecular memory” of obesity even after significant weight loss. This memory is not due to changes in DNA itself, but rather to epigenetic modifications, chemical changes that affect how genes are expressed. In a study of people who lost substantial weight after bariatric surgery, their fat cells continued to show abnormal gene expression patterns two years later, including increased inflammation and impaired fat storage, compared to those who had never been obese. Similar findings in mice showed that formerly obese animals regained weight faster and had persistent epigenetic changes in their fat tissue after returning to a high-fat diet. While these changes may not directly cause weight regain, they likely make individuals more vulnerable to metabolic diseases like insulin resistance or fatty liver. Importantly, the study emphasises that weight loss still brings significant health benefits, but maintaining those benefits may require ongoing effort due to the lingering effects of fat cell memory.

It’s easy to read information like this and feel that weight regain is inevitable, but that is not the full picture. While the study suggests that biology plays a role, it does not mean we are powerless. What it really highlights is how important it is to support your body in the right way, especially after significant weight loss.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAINTAIN WEIGHT LOSS?

The good news is that there are effective strategies that can be implemented to shift the odds in your favour. That is where our work is focused: helping clients maintain their results with personalised nutrition, mindset, and lifestyle support.

You can read Dr Attia’s full article here.

If you are finding weight maintenance more difficult than expected, you are not alone. There is support available and it really does make a difference. Several years ago we launched our Maintenance Membership programme, designed to ensure our clients maintain their weight loss long-term. We provide quarterly check-ins for ongoing guidance, support and accountability, which has proven to be very successful.  

WORK WITH US

If you would like to talk through your weight challenges and learn more about how we could help you, we’d love to hear from you. We can help you overcome your weight challenges, reach your happy weight and maintain it long term. Book yourself in for a complimentary 25 mintue call or contact us and a member of our team will be in touch soon. We can talk through your challenges and explore whether one of our Intelligent Weight Loss programmes is right for you.

This article first went out as a newsletter to our subscribers. You can sign up for Kim’s free weekly weight loss and wellness newsletter to receive the latest news, expert tips and advice direct to your inbox.

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LINDA ROBINSON

Linda is our Practice Coordinator, helping to keep the clinic running smoothly.

 

Originally from Texas, Linda completed her MBA at SDA Bocconi in Milan. Linda has worked as a Strategy Consultant across multiple industries globally in cities including Kyoto, Paris, Chicago and San Francisco. She developed an interest in nutrition whilst volunteering for an organisation that provides cooking and nutrition education to children and families.

Linda is now settled in London with her husband, two children, and her very bouncy, sociable dog.

JULIE GOUGH


Julie Gough is a BANT registered nutritionist and certified health coach specialising in weight loss and hormonal health. She works with clients to address issues such as PMS, thyroid disorders, weight gain, and menopause symptoms. 


Drawing from her own health journey, Julie provides personalised nutrition advice combined with mindset coaching. She takes a functional medicine ‘root cause’ approach to helping clients overcome their health and weight challenges. 


Julie is passionate about empowering women to take control of their health and regain their energy and wellbeing long term.


To enquire about working with Julie, please contact us.

AILSA HICHENS

 

Ailsa is one of our most experienced practitioners. She specialises in helping clients to lose weight, develop a healthy relationship with food and finally feel comfortable in their skin. Ailsa’s mission is for everyone she works with to enjoy the journey and that working with a nutritionist should not be a punishment, but your access to a new possibility.

 

Ailsa is not only an experienced weight loss nutritionist, she is also a skilled coach. She helps our clients overcome emotional eating, destructive habits and self-sabotaging behaviours that have prevented successful weight loss in the past. Ailsa has spent years in clinic working with clients who have experienced yo-yo dieting and have discovered that long term weight loss is not just about eating less until you can stand it no longer.

 

Working with Ailsa you will be comprehensively supported, not only in improving your nutrition and lifestyle, but also your eating habits and your relationship with food. When you work on all these elements together, the results can be truly astonishing.

 

To enquire about working with Ailsa, please contact us.

Test Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team of practitioners and heading up the day-to-day running of the business. Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, coming from a strong business background in town planning. A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 with her husband and two children.

NIKKI ANDRIANI

Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team and heading up the day-to-day running of our clinic.

 

Coming from a background in town planning, Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, continually ensuring we are delivering the very best service to our clients.


A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 where she lives with her husband, two children, and her rescue dog Skyy.

STÉPHANIE ACHAR

Stéphanie is a skilled nutritional therapist and functional medicine practitioner with additional training in eating disorders, disordered eating and obesity. She believes that working towards both physiological and mental health is key in achieving optimum wellbeing.

 

Stéphanie’s personal experience of emotional eating and the ongoing struggle to find the right support led her to combine the science of nutrition with behavioural coaching to motivate and empower her clients. She specialises in helping people who struggle with their weight and their relationship with food. She helps them develop a healthier and more peaceful relationship with food and their bodies.

 

To enquire about working with Stéphanie, please contact us.

INNA WEARN

Inna is passionate about supporting women on their journey to improved health and wellbeing. She believes that the solution to effective weight loss does not lie in ever more restrictive diets, but a more sophisticated approach that optimises health and vitality, as well as promoting effective weight loss.

 

Working with Inna you will benefit from her in-depth knowledge of female health and hormones. She will support you in developing a healthy diet, lifestyle and mindset that ensures you reach your ideal weight and maintain it in the years to come.

 

Inna is passionate about food with a wide repertoire of delicious healthy recipes and meal ideas to ensure your weight loss journey is as enjoyable as possible!

 

To enquire about working with Inna, please contact us.

ANIA MASON

 

Ania is a firm believer that improving your health and losing weight should be a positive, empowering journey, not one centred around deprivation.

 

After being diagnosed with two autoimmune conditions in her twenties, Ania spent several years educating herself on the power of food and nutrition. She put it all into practise and changed her diet and lifestyle, reversing her endometriosis and thyroid disease. After experiencing such a significant improvement in her health, Ania had a big desire to help others. She embarked on a four year journey to study nutrition, graduating from the Institute for Optimum Nutrition with distinction.

 

Ania specialises in autoimmunity and works with clients who have underlying health issues preventing successful weight loss. Her expertise enables her to successfully support our clients with conditions such as hypothyroidsm (underactive thyroid), PCOS and diabetes. 

 

To enquire about working with Ania, please contact us.

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