BIO 111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Leptin, Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry, Socioeconomic Status
24 Dec 2020
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Fat produces a hormone called leptin that decreases food intake and increases energy expenditure. Leptin is secreted in proportion to the amount of body fat. Thus, it appears that leptin is a feedback signal informing the brain how much fat is in the body. Most obese people have high levels of circulated leptin. Therefore, obesity is thought to be regulated to a leptin resistance. Studies with identical twins raised separately suggest that both the amount (up to. 70%) and distribution of body fats has a strong genetic component. Probably there are interaction b/w genes (thrifty genes) and the environment. Body similarities within families could be due to learned behaviors. Socioeconomic status affects percent of obesity, especially in females. Currently nearly 2/3 of all north american adults are overweight or obese 30% are classified as obese. The increase in the percentage of overweight/obese has occurred fairly quickly. The relative rapid increase in the number of overweight/obese people suggests that.
