Chapter Twenty-one THE CARBOHYDRATE HYPOTHESIS, I: FAT METABOLISM Flashcards
(80 cards)
What is the main focus of obesity research according to Hilde Bruch?
Examination of abnormalities of fat metabolism
Bruch stated that excessive accumulation of fat is the underlying abnormality of obesity.
Who presented the presidential address at the Endocrinology Society in 1962?
Edwin Astwood
Astwood was not primarily known as an obesity researcher.
What hormone did Edwin Astwood discover?
Luteotropin (now known as luteinizing hormone)
Astwood also created the standard technique for purifying pituitary hormones.
How did Astwood view obesity?
As a genetic disorder
He believed genes determine one’s shape, similar to stature and hair color.
What did Astwood speculate about inactivity in relation to obesity?
He considered it of dubious importance
He suggested that inactivity could be an effect of obesity rather than a cause.
What role do hormones play in fat metabolism according to Astwood?
They strongly influence fat storage, release, and combustion
Hormones like sex hormones, thyroid hormones, and insulin are key players.
What is the relationship between insulin and fat metabolism?
Insulin promotes fat deposition and synthesis
It reduces the release of fat and the conversion of food to fat.
What does Astwood suggest could cause a voracious appetite in the obese?
A minor derangement in fat metabolism
This derangement could impede fat release or combustion.
True or False: The positive-caloric-balance hypothesis claims that overeating causes obesity.
True
This hypothesis states that the brain regulates ingestive behaviors leading to excessive calorie consumption.
What is the primary defect in the positive-caloric-balance hypothesis?
In the brain’s regulation of ingestive behaviors
It suggests that people consume more calories than they expend.
According to the alternative hypothesis, where is the primary defect located?
In hormonal and metabolic processes in the body
This leads to excessive accumulation of calories as fat.
What are the side effects of the underlying metabolic defect in obesity?
Overeating and inactivity
Hunger and lethargy are seen as consequences, not causes.
What does the alternative hypothesis propose about energy intake and expenditure?
They are dependent variables
A change in one induces a compensatory change in the other.
What is the role of carbohydrates in obesity according to the alternative hypothesis?
They regulate insulin, which affects fat deposition
Refined carbohydrates are particularly implicated.
What was the lipophilia hypothesis?
The idea that a defect in fat metabolism causes obesity
It was introduced by Gustav von Bergmann in 1908.
What does ‘lipophilia’ mean?
Love of fat
It describes areas of the body that have a higher affinity for accumulating fat.
What did Gustav von Bergmann argue about energy balance?
He considered it nonsensical in explaining obesity
He believed biological factors regulate fat accumulation.
What is the significance of insulin in the context of obesity?
It plays a primary role in fattening processes
Insulin dysfunction is linked to obesity and diabetes.
What does the alternative hypothesis suggest is the ultimate cause of common obesity?
Chronic elevation of insulin due to carbohydrate intake
This includes refined carbohydrates and sugars.
What is the phenomenon of local lipophilia?
Local lipophilia refers to the tendency of certain areas of the body to accumulate fat independent of overall body fat levels.
What clinical condition is characterized by benign fat masses?
Lipomatosis.
What are lipomas?
Fatty tumors that can develop in various parts of the body.
What condition is characterized by the inability to store fat in subcutaneous tissue?
Lipodystrophy.
How does lipodystrophy manifest in patients?
Patients appear abnormally emaciated and may lose fat in specific areas, with potential localized obesity developing later.